The average household today is completely dependent on the use of electricity. In fact, in the United States, each household is estimated to have a minimum of 24 electrical appliances. What isn’t well known is that 63% of all residential fires involve wiring and related equipment. These are fires that could have been prevented with these simple safety practices.
Water and Electricity
- Keep appliances away from water, such as sinks, bathtubs, pools or overhead vents that may drip.
- Do not operate electrical appliances with wet hands or while standing in water.
- Never reach into water to retrieve a fallen electrical appliance prior to turning off the electrical breaker and/or unplugging the appliance.
- Do not put water on an electrical fire. Use a dry fire extinguisher or baking soda.
- Install a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection wherever water and electricity are within six feet of each other; i.e., kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, pool and outdoors.
Outlets
- Don’t overload electrical outlets with multiple adapters or power strips.
- Use only one high-wattage appliance per outlet at a time.
- Check outlet temperatures regularly. If they are warm to the touch, remove any plugs and contact a licensed electrician.
- When outlets are not in use, utilize a tamper resistant cover. This is especially important when you have small children in the house.
Cords
- Check cords prior to each use for frays, cracks, kinks or loose pieces. Do not use if damage is found.
- Never place cords under a rug as they will be unable to stay cool.
- Don’t place cords near a heat source, such as a heater, fireplace or open flame.
- Do not modify the plug to a cord at any time. This includes clipping off the third prong or attempting to file down a wider prong to fit into an outlet.
However, sometimes the unthinkable still happens. Should you find yourself the victim of a fire, contact us for a quick and efficient home restoration.
