There can be many electrical hazards and dangers around your home that you need to be aware of in order to have a level of electricity safety at home. Electricity has the incredible power to help us see better, cook quicker and keep us warm at night (or cool in summer). However, electricity can also harm as well, if it’s not maintained correctly. Which is why we’ve put together a handy list of tips and rules to remember.
- Make sure you don’t overload your power-points and power-boards – If you do, you could significantly damage the electrical system in your house. And in worst case scenarios, you could potentially cause a house fire. If possible, try to avoid using ‘piggy-back’ (aka double adaptor upon double adaptor) set-ups in plugs that are designed for only one or two plugs.
- Keep your cords and outlets clean, neat and tidy – Make sure you regularly check all your electrical equipment for signs of wear and tear. Always make sure your cords are tucked away, especially if you have any little people or pets roaming your house! And finally, make sure there is enough ventilation around all your power points, especially under beds and furniture and around TVs.
- Don’t just yank out an electrical cord from the wall – Not only will this cause damage to the appliance, it can also damage the power point or the outlet. If your power point is damaged and you go to plug a cord in, you could end up getting a nasty shock.
- Keep all your electrical equipment well away from any water – If possible, keep all of your electrical appliances out of the bathroom – as this room is water central! This includes using a hairdryer or a radio/TV near a bathtub or sink!
- Put safety caps on all electrical plugs that aren’t being used – This is a super safety precaution that every household should have in place, especially if there are children around.
- Always turn off electrical appliances, especially gaming consoles, when they’re not being used – Appliances that use a lot of power have a tendency to heat up fast, especially gaming consoles like a Wii, Xbox or Playstation – which is why everyone should turn them off as much as possible. And once they’re left on and the room is empty – they can be on for hours and hours (just think of all those extra $$ on power!) And here comes the hardest part.. remind your kids to switch the off button too!
- Don’t EVER climb power poles, electrical towers or a fence that’s surrounding an electrical station – I know that seems like an odd thing to say, but weirdly enough, there are people who do.
- Clean the lint from your clothes dryer after every use. Dryers get hot (no surprises there) and lint is particularly susceptible to catching fire.
And two more especially directed towards the kids:
- Before you climb a tree, look up (and down)! If there is a power line nearby, pick another tree! And always remember, be careful when climbing trees as you don’t want to have a nasty fall!
- Always ask for an adult’s help before using any electrical equipment – unless it’s turning the switch off on your gaming console, make sure you always ask your parents to give you a hand.
And finally an extra one. The electricity rule that all of us should know…
Never, ever put a fork, knife, spatula, back-scratcher (yes, we’ve seen that too) or metal of any sort in the toaster or other electrical appliance – we’ve all been warned but it’s amazing how many people forget. Even if the toaster is switched off, poking a fork to grab your stuck piece of toast is not a good idea.
If you want to be sure of electricity safety at home, have one of our qualified electricians do a Randall’s five point safety check with your next electrical service. We’d love to help! Give us a call on 1300 045 103 or drop us a note.