Young Electric Inc.

ARLINGTON, VA  - Summertime increases the demand for
electricity and raises the risk of fire in homes with older or damaged wiring
systems. Air conditioning equipment, electric grills, and attic fans are some
of the seasonal appliances that can place added stress and strain on a home’s
electrical wiring and cause a potentially tragic fire.

Since electricity is uniquely unforgiving and can cause serious injuries or
death, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Electrical Safety
Foundation International are joining together to encourage consumers to protect
their homes from electrical problems.

Between 1994 and 1998, the CPSC estimates that there were over 360,000
residential fires each year, of which over 123,000 were related to electrical
distribution or appliances and equipment, and another 15,000 were related to
heating and air conditioning systems. These electrical fires caused an
estimated average of 910 deaths, nearly 7,000 injuries and nearly $1.7 billion
in property damage each year. Many of these incidents could have been prevented
by having an electrical inspection of the house to find hidden hazards.

This summer, CPSC and ESFI are encouraging homeowners to: 1) have an electrical
inspection conducted for homes 40 years and older, for homes 10 years and older
with major renovations or new appliances added, or that have been resold; 2)
learn the potential hazards posed by aluminum wiring systems and contact CPSC
if your home is among the two million built with aluminum wiring between the late
1960s and early 1970s; and 3) consider installing arc fault circuit
interrupters in place of ordinary circuit breakers, especially if your home is
over 40 years old. AFCIs are new technology designed to prevent electrical
fires by sensing unseen electrical arcing. AFCIs are particularly important
where wiring may have degraded with age.

“The Commission has been working to prevent electrical fires for decades.
We are currently working with other federal agencies and safety organizations
on a major research project involving aged electrical wiring,” said CPSC
Chairman Hal Stratton. “Our best advice for homeowners is to hire a
licensed electrical inspector or electrician to identify and correct hidden
electrical hazards before they become tragedies.”

“Most of us are unaware of how dangerous electricity can truly be within
our homes,” said Michael G. Clendenin, ESFI executive director. “As
summer begins, ESFI’s goal is to inform consumers of common household
electrical hazards and empower them to protect their families and homes. We
hope homeowners will come to regard electrical safety as an essential part of
routine home maintenance.”

It is important for homeowners to understand the severity of an electrical
wiring fire, as it often begins behind a wall, in a basement or in the attic
where the fire can spread throughout the home before setting off the smoke
alarm or becoming evident to occupants. This reduces the amount of time
available to escape a burning building.

Below are additional safety tips to help homeowners create the safest home
possible:

• Make sure smoke alarms are installed on every floor
  outside sleeping areas and in every bedroom, and are in good working
  order.
• Look for telltale signs of electrical problems such as
  dimming of lights, frequent circuit breaker trips or blown fuses.
• Ask a qualified electrician if your home would benefit
  from AFCI protection, especially during inspections of older homes or
  upgrades to electrical systems.
• Limit the use of extension cords, particularly cords
  used to power room air conditioners.
• Use light bulbs that are the proper wattage for the
  fixture – higher wattage bulbs can degrade the wires in and around the
  fixture.

From CPSC.GOV; For more information and safety tips, please visit: www.electrical-safety.org.

Electrical safety is always important, especially when you have children and toddlers in the house. Whether you are installing wiring for the first time or doing a safety check in an existing home, follow these tips to make sure your electrical systems are in good working order.

Tip 1 – Overloaded Electrical Sockets

Overloaded sockets are a common cause of household fires. Never put more plugs into the socket than there are spaces for, and avoid using multi-socket adapters and extension leads. Remember one plug per socket.

Tip 2 – Socket Covers

Although electrical sockets are too small for little fingers, they are not too small for other more imaginative items such as food, small toy parts, cutlery and other items. Take the precaution of inserting socket covers into all empty sockets in your home.

Electricity and water don’t mix. If you touch an electrical socket or electrical items with wet hands, you could give yourself an electric shock. Educate your children about this and teach them that they should always dry their hands after washing them.

Tip 4 – Check the Plugs and Wiring on Your Appliances

Make sure that you check the condition of every appliance plug and its wire in your house. Wires should be checked for any scorching or fraying that has occurred. If you find any, do not use that appliance until the wiring has been repaired.

Tip 5 – Running Appliances Overnight

Do not run appliances such as the washing machine overnight. If you leave an appliance unattended while you are sleeping, you will be unaware if anything goes wrong.

Tip 6 – Running Appliances Simultaneously

Beware of running large appliances at the same time like the washing machine and the dishwasher as these use a lot of power and can overheat the system.

Tip 7 – Switch Off at Night

Switch your electrical appliances off at night unless they are needed (like the fridge and freezer).

Tip 8 – Electrical Chargers

Don’t leave electrical chargers plugged in if they are not needed, like your mobile phone charger or laptop charger as these easily overheat.

Tip 9 – Trailing Wires

Don’t leave wires trailing around your house. Even if they don’t seem to pose an electrical hazard, they are easily tripped over. If you have lots of wires in one place, use a cable tidy. In particular, don’t leave wires trailing anywhere where they can trail into water.

Tip 10 – Fitting Sockets

If you are fitting sockets in your house, make sure that they are fitted a safe distance from any water sources like the kitchen sink. Try and leave a space of at least 30 cm. Don’t ever fit sockets in bathrooms apart from shaver supply units unless they are a distance of at least 3 meters from the bath or shower.

Tip 11 – Lighting and Water

If you are putting in lighting, make sure you install a pull-cord switch in the bathroom just in case of wet hands. Enclosed ceiling lights are also preferred in places where there might be splashes or your children may have wet hands.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/11-electrical-safety-tips-for-children#ixzz1av8VgQyz