We all pretty much love the word and concept of electricity, as it’s the sole thing nowadays that keeps us dry and warm, gives us enough light, and just the right amount of chilly breeze. There’s no doubt in the fact that electricity has eased human life, but people can’t deny that it’s equally harmful if not taken care of.
Electrical hazards put people in dangerous situations throughout the year. This post informs you about five ways to prevent your home from electrical hazards.
1. Don’t let the water come in contact with Electrical Appliances.
This may sound like the essential step to keep your 12 gauge extension cord or any other electrical appliance safe, but it’s the most ignored one. For example, we all have a habit of checking our phones right after taking a shower, or even worse, in the middle of one.
Like this, we tend to forget that our hands or surroundings might contain water that may harm those appliances and even cause electrical hazards, giving you a bad shock.
2. Replace & Repair
Do you also have the habit of letting all the power cables lie there as it is and not taking care of them? Do not let the naked wiring come in contact with anything living – like yourself, your pet, or your family members. Whenever you witness an exposed wire, make sure to either replace it or maybe wrap a safety tape over it to make it safer for everyone.
3. Avoid Overheating
To avoid overheating of the heavy-duty electrical appliances, you need to give them proper space. If there’s no adequate air-flow for the machines, they might heat up, and the possibilities of shorting might arise. An excellent step to ignore this situation is to make sure that you don’t run any heavy-duty electrical appliances in closed cabinets. Although this might help you meet your aesthetic goals, then you’ll be doing this at the cost of priceless safety.
4. Care about your Wall Plates
If you have toddlers around your home, you need to care about the wall plates or switchboards extensively. Make sure to purchase some rubber socket covers. This will prevent the toddlers from touching the socket or plugin a switchboard. Most of the toddlers have a habit of sticking their fingers in the hole. If the plug’s switch stays on, it could result in a massive electrical hazard that might even claim someone’s life. That’s why you should always cover the sockets in your home with rubber plugs.
Apart from caring extra for the plugs, you also need to ensure that you do not use switch boards with broken rims or any other exposed wiring. This can give you a shock if you touch the switchboard with wet hands or when you are searching for a switch in the dark. Ensure that the switchboard has proper insulation all around.
Another thing to worry about switchboards is the state of switches in the switchboards. With years of wear and tear, switches often get inefficient, and they might cause short circuits. This can be the beginning of an electrical hazard. Whenever you hear the sound of something crackling when working with an appliance, immediately get that fixed.
The best way to prevent any hazard is to act timely before a small default becomes a hazardous matter.
5. Don’t Overload
Even when you follow all the four ways listed above, you might invite an electrical hazard at your place. By overloading your power outlets, switchboards, and extension cords with more than ideal connections. You might want to plug in multiple appliances simultaneously. Still, it doesn’t mean that you should plug in all those appliances in the same plug or socket, causing the area’s circuit to overload.
Whenever you have more than two plugs to plug-in, think about distributing them on different switches. Apart from this, you need to think about how much wattage or electrical power your primary circuit can provide to specific appliances. Don’t use heavy-duty machines in a minimalistic main circuit. This might result in the fuse going off or an electrical hazard.
What To Do If You Are In The Middle Of An Electrical Hazard?
Here are some ways to stay safe if someone lands in an electrical hazard like situation.
● Electrical Fire & How to Put it Out?
Suppose anyone finds out about an electrical fire in their home. In that case, it’s natural that you won’t be spilling water over the appliance to put out the fire. That would be a sheer reckless step. So how would you put out a fire from a short-circuit? The best way to do so is with a fire extinguisher. Spray the dry-ice extinguisher over the fire, and step back from the area of effect.
● First Aid for Electrical Shocks
- Cover the affected person with a blanket.
- Rub their palms and the bottom of their feet.
- Give them a mixture of some salt and sugar in water.
- Calm down their heart rate.
If you witness no heart rate, immediately call for emergency and start CPR.
Conclusion
Electricity is crucial for us, but as necessary it is, it’s also dangerous if not taken care of. Make sure to follow all of our preventative tips to stay safe from an electrical hazard. More or less, these tips are a safety guide to prevent your home from electrical hazards that might do significant harm.
Reference Links:
5 electrical safety tips you should know for your home Plymouth Rock Energy (plymouthenergy.com)
