Plug into Electrical Safety this Month
May is National Electrical Safety Month, therefore, now is the perfect time for you to look around your home for overloaded outlets, frayed cords, and appliances that spark.
Electricity
can keep your home comfortable, cook your meals, and light your home. It can
also electrocute, shock and start a fire.
Please
consider this your reminder to check your home’s hidden electrical safety
hazards. It could save the life of you or a loved one or the house you’ve
worked so hard to call a home. Electricity is accepted as a source of power
without much thought to the hazards its power holds. Whether at work, home or
play, electricity can be dangerous and can cause harm. Below are some safety
facts about electricity to keep in mind.
Electrical
injuries consist of four main types:
·
Electrocution
(fatal)
·
Electric
shock
·
Burns
·
Falls
caused as a result of contact with electrical energy
Electrical
shock and fire hazards are often caused by poor or improperly installed wiring
and electrical systems.
This
includes:
·
Improperly
installed lighting
·
Faulty or
temporary wiring
·
Poorly
made connections
·
Improper
use of appliances and extension cords
You
should regularly check your home for:
·
Loose or
damaged plugs
·
Damaged
and/or frayed electrical cords
·
Fuses
that blow or circuits breakers that trip frequently, or for circuits that
won’t work when fuses are replaced or breakers reset
·
Dim or
flickering lights
Sequachee Valley Electric
Cooperative would like to remind members about the four R’s of electrical
safety:
1. Respect the power of electricity
2. Read and follow the operating instructions that come with every electrical product
3. Replace worn or frayed electrical cords
4. Relocate appliance cords so they won’t get walked on by children and pets.