Electrical safety in the Home

Electrical safety in the Home  Electricity is now the major cause of accidental fires in homes. UK Government statistics show that electricity causes almost half of all accidental UK house fires. U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 47,820 reported home fires involving electrical failure or malfunction in 2007-2011.  Each year, many people are killed and thousands are seriously injured due to an electrical accident in the home.

Modern living virtually depends on electricity in the home. We now have electrical appliances for virtually every home chores and comfort.  The risk of electrical accidents in the home has increased proportionately.

 It is important that any electrical installation work in your house is carried out only by people who are competent. This means people who have the knowledge, skills and experience needed to avoid dangers to themselves and others.. It's easy to make an electrical circuit work - it's far harder to make the circuit work safely.

 Faulty and aging wiring is one of the major causes of electrical fires in the home. You can avoid these by having regular checks carried out on the condition of your cables, switches, sockets and other accessories. There are clear signs that can help you tell the age of electrical installations in your home. These are:

·        Cables coated in black rubber (phased out in the 1960s);

·        Cables coated in lead or fabric (before the 1960s);

·        A fuse-box with a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a haphazard mixture of fuse boxes (before the 1960s);

·        Older round pin sockets and round light switches, braided flex hanging from ceiling roses, brown and black switches and sockets mounted in skirting boards (before the 1960s); and

Wall-mounted light switches in bathrooms (before the 1960s)

Electrical dangers around the home

·        Never ignore warning signs like burning smells, sounds of arcing (buzzing or crackling), fuses blowing or circuit-breakers tripping.

·        Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.

·        Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.

·        In homes with small children, make sure your home has tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles.

·        Avoid overloading outlets. Plug only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time

·        Consider having additional circuits or outlets added by a qualified electrician so you do not have to use extension cords.

·        Make sure all electric cords are tucked away, neat and tidy. Pets might chew on electrical cords, and people might trip and fall.

·        If outlets or switches feel warm, frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuits, or flickering or dimming lights, call a qualified electrician.

·        DON'T yank an electrical cord from the wall. Pulling on a cord can damage the appliance, the plug or the outlet.

·        Always look up and look out for power lines before you climb a tree. The electricity can go right through the tree branch - and right through you! ·        Put safety caps on all unused electrical outlets. Covering outlets will also help save energy by stopping cold drafts. ·        Follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet. ·        Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp's recommended wattage. ·        Make sure your home has ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in the kitchen bathroom(s), laundry, basement, and outdoor areas. ·        Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) should be installed in your home to protect the electrical system.