HOME SAFETY
We have listed some of the potential hazards that may be encountered in any home, along with ways of to make your home a safer place.
POWER CORDS
A power cord with damaged insulation produces a risk of the cable overheating and can be a potential fire hazard. There is also a risk of a person receiving an electric shock from touching any live conductors that may be exposed. If the cable is damaged, have it replaced.
To ensure safety, make sure all power cords are undamaged and correctly-rated for their intended use.
Trip hazard
Poorly positioned power cords can trip people up. Also, the cord may get damaged, which can create a risk of someone getting an electric shock or cause a fire.
Move the appliance so there is no trip hazard, or get a registered installer to fit an additional socket-outlet so the trip hazard is eliminated.
EXTENSION CORDS
Extension cords that are coiled up on a drum can overheat causing damage to the lead and a risk of fire.
Always remember to uncoil the lead - uncoiled and correctly-rated extension leads do not normally overheat.
Pulling the plug out of a socket
Pulling out a plug by the cord may damage the cord, put strain on the plug, and may damage the contact between the plug and the wall outlet. This may result in the plug overheating, wires becoming loose in the plug, or an electric shock. Firmly grip either side of the plug and pull it out (making sure you do not touch the plug's pins).
HOME REMODELING/REDECORATING
Sometimes it is necessary to drill holes or put nails into a wall, whether it's for a remodeling job or hanging a picture. This can be dangerous if there are concealed electrical wiring, gas or water pipes. Penetrating a live wire with a drill or nail is extremely dangerous and could cause an electric shock, fire or burns. Don't drill holes or put nails into walls unless you know that there are no cables or pipes located at that position.
The use of a wire and pipe detector may help identify the presence of concealed cables and metal pipes in a wall or partition.
ISOLATING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Simple maintenance on electrical equipment (such as changing a belt on the vacuum cleaner), which is not isolated (unplugged) from the electricity supply may create a risk of injury from electric shock, burns or rotating parts.
When the equipment is unplugged, there is no risk from electric shock, or moving parts. If parts have become hot while running, let them cool before you touch them. Maintenance of electrical equipment needs to be carried out by a competent person. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
IN THE BATHROOM
Portable electrical equipment like radios, heaters or hair dryers are a very real danger in the bathroom and could result in injury or death through electrocution.
Electrical shavers plugged into ground fault receptacles (GFR) outlets manufactured for use in bathrooms, may be safely used in the bathroom. However, electric shavers plugged into a GFR outlet should never be used when taking a bath, as when water and electricity mix there is always a risk of danger.
ELECTRICAL ADAPTORS
Misuse of adaptors can result in an overload, which can cause the electrical circuit to overheat or trip out, the adaptor can become hot. In extreme cases a fire can result. Never use adaptors plugged into other adaptors and check that the adaptor complies with an appropriate standard and is used in compliance with the user instructions.
Ensure the adaptor is in good condition, does not get hot and has no burn marks on it. If it is damaged, replace it with a suitable adaptor complying with an appropriate standard. Having a separate outlet for each item of equipment provides the safest solution. Extra outlets can be installed by a registered installer.
LIGHT FIXTURES
Do not exceed the bulb wattage specified by the manufacturer. A bulb with a higher wattage than its light fixture can cause the light fixture to overheat e.g. 100 Watt bulb in 60 Watt lighting fixture. This may result in the lamp scorching the shade, the lampholder breaking apart when touched and, in exceptional circumstances, catching fire.
By installing the correctly rated bulb in the fixture, you will avoid, the risk of damage from overheating and also lower your electricity bill. If you need more light or wish to save electricity, fit a low energy compact fluorescent lamp, which may last around eight times longer than a normal tungsten lamp.
If the lampholder or cables are damaged, have a registered installer replace the damaged parts.
DAMAGED ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Damaged electrical equipment such as an electrical outlet, can create a risk of injury from electric shock, burns or fire. Check for burn marks, sounds of arcing (buzzing or crackling), fuses blowing, circuit breakers tripping or excessive heat.
Have a registered installer deal with this before it gets worse. Repair electrical equipment such as an electrical outlet, will help ensure safety.
PROPER VENTILATION
Electrical equipment is often provided with ventilation slots to prevent equipment overheating. If these slots get covered up, the equipment may over-heat and could even catch fire. Do not dry clothes by placing them over the ventilation slots of an electric heater. Electric convector heaters when covered may overheat and cause fire. Wet clothes dripping onto live parts creates electric shock and fire hazards. The ventilation slots on the back of computer monitors should never be covered.
Keeping ventilation slots clear on electrical equipment prevents it overheating. Keeping water away from electrical equipment is essential for safety. An electric convector heater with unobstructed ventilation slots lets the heat out safely.
KITCHEN SAFETY
These are general safety guidelines for using the electrical installation in your kitchen.
- check power cords and appliances such as coffee makers and toasters are in good condition
- get an electrician to repair damaged cables or equipment
- take special care when using electrical appliances in the kitchen - the mixture of water, hot surfaces, and electricity can be dangerous
- use any electrical equipment or switches with wet hands
- wrap power cords around equipment that is still warm when storing it away
- clean any appliance like a blender, juicer or kettle while it is still plugged in
- trail power cords across sinks or cookers
- try to retrieve toast stuck in a toaster whilst the toaster is plugged in, and especially not with a knife
- fill a kettle while it is plugged in
- fill a steam iron whie it is plugged in
Electrical outlets, switches and other accessories should not be in positions where they may be splashed with water, either directly from taps or by normal use of the sink.
Large appliances such as refridgerators, dishwashers and washing machines can be plugged into a standard socket-outlet, but in modern kitchens, these appliances are often installed under countertops, and sockets mounted behind them are difficult to reach. It is generally more convenient to have a switched fused connection unit mounted at an easily-accessible height above the worktop.
BATHROOM
As far as electricity is concerned, the bathroom is possibly the most dangerous room in the house. Water is a very efficient conductor of electrical current which makes the combination of water and electricity potentially lethal.
There are special requirements for electrical installations in bathrooms, so it is essential to check whether your bathroom meets them. The consequences of an electric shock are potentially far more severe in a room containing a bath or shower as wet skin reduces the body's resistance.
- No electrical outlets, other than specially-designed (GFR) outlets are permitted in bathrooms.
- GFR outlets are not splash-proof, so although they are allowed in bathrooms, they must be positioned well away from the bath or shower. Avoid splashing them.
- Portable appliances such as hairdryers and plugged in radios must never be brought into a bathroom, even if they are plugged in outside the room.
- Light fittings must be well out of reach and enclosed to keep water out. Enclosed ceiling lights are preferable to pendant light fittings.
- Normal wall-mounted light switches may not be suitable in a bathroom as they may allow dampness or water to enter, such as from wet hands. A ceiling-mounted pull-cord switch with a cord made of insulating material is the safest option.
- All electric heaters and water heaters in a bathroom must be fixed and permanently wired - none must be supplied via a plug and socket.
- Hot water central heating is the safest way of keeping a bathroom warm, but if you do have an electric room heater it must be out of reach of someone in the bath or shower - fixed at a greater distance than 0.6m from the bath or shower.
- Electric heaters should be controlled by a pull-cord or by a switch located outside the bathroom.
- An instant demand electric shower must be wired back to the consumer unit.
Many portable electric items like lamps and radios are supplied with a relatively short length of cable. Ensuring your home has sufficient socket-outlets at convenient points will minimize the need for extension leads and adapters, but occasionally their use will be unavoidable.
The use of extension leads can present the following dangers:
- tripping or falling
- cable damage due to wear, particularly where leads are walked over, flexed at a single point or stored badly. When leads are fitted to power tools, they can become tangled and one of the conductors may eventually fail, which could cause danger
- a greater capacity for overloading circuits, which increases the risk of fire
An extension lead should not be used whenever it is possible to reach a wall socket with the equipment cable. However, the equipment cable should never be stretched taut as this may cause a tripping hazard.
When the use of an extension cable is unavoidable:
- only use an extension lead which was bought ready assembled. It is recommended that no extension lead be more than 15 metres in length
- only use extension leads fitted with suitably-insulated connectors and plugs. Never be tempted to join two lengths of flex by twisting the bared ends of wires together, even if you bind them with insulating tape
- the extension lead should be positioned carefully to prevent any risk of damage to the cable
- if the cable has to cross a pathway, the risk of tripping and damage can be minimized by covering it with a rubber protector strip
- always check that leads, plugs and sockets are undamaged
- always check that the extension lead plug contains a correctly-rated fuse for the equipment to be used
- when a cable drum extension lead is in use, the cable must be completely unwound from the drum to avoid the cable overheating
- check that the cable has an earth wire if feeding Class I (metal-cored equipment). 2-core extension leads should not be used
Damaged extension leads should be taken out of use and replaced. Leads cannot be repaired satisfactorily using insulating tape as it does not have sufficient strength or stickiness, nor does it provide enough physical protection.
Adaptors
- multi-way adapters should not normally be used. If two appliances are regularly used from one power point, replace it with a double socket if possible
- when an adapter is used with a number of plugs, the angle and weight of the assembly increases the stress on the socket contacts. There is also a danger of electrical overload as the combined loads may exceed the ratings of the socket-outlet
When circumstances require more connection points, a multi-way trailing socket with minimum cable length should be used, though care should be taken not to overload the unit.
FIRE SAFETY
Many householders don't realise that failure to maintain their electrical wiring in good condition could lead to fire. Cables, switches, socket outlets and other equipment deteriorate with use, and they all need to be checked and necessary replacements or repairs made in good time.
Checklist to minimise the risk of electrical fire:
- Inspect socket outlets for burn marks, arcing (buzzing) and excess heat
- Check flexible cables for damaged, loose and exposed wiring
- Test residual current devices (RCDs). RCDs switch off the electricity supply when a fault is detected. An RCD should be used when plugging in all outdoor electrical equipment. Read the instruction label, and test by pressing the ‘T' or ‘Test Button'.
- Don't obstruct your consumer unit, you need quick and easy access in an emergency
- Don't leave electrical appliances on unnecessarily - switch them off before going out or going to bed - it'll save you money too!
- Don't overload adaptors by plugging in too many appliances, it's a serious fire hazard
- For the protection of you and your family, make sure you have at least one smoke alarm in your home and test it and change the battery regularly
- Get your electrical system checked by a competent person at least once every 10 years
Electricity is a major contributor to a home's comfort factor, yet it is easy to forget that electricity is a potentially lethal force. Statistics show that 20% of all domestic fires each year are caused by an electrical-related incident/hazard--a large proportion of these could be avoided if householders gave priority to having their electrical installations checked. |
