Electrical Safety Tips For The Home

As homeowners it is easy to brush off an electrical short or spark as a "by chance" incident, leaving us fixing the issue only to the point it works again; not necessarily in the safest manner. When an electrical short or spark occurs, it is very important to understand what must be done to put out an electrical fire, and prevent further occurrences that can be damaging to both people and the property. You should always call 9-1-1 in the case of electrical injury or fire, before attempting to fix the issue on your own. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a number of tips to for preventing electrical fires. Please take the time to read some of these which are listed below, and make sure you follow such protocol!

- Do not allow children to play in proximity to electrical appliances.

- Replace any tools that put off even mild electric shocks. 

- Replace any light switches that have a tendency to flicker. 

- Replace any light switches that are hot to the touch. 

- Avoid overloading extension cords, sockets and plugs. 

- Do not ever force a three-prong plug into a two-receptacle socket. 

- Know where fuse boxes and circuit breakers are located as well as how to properly operate them. 

- Never attempt electrical repairs or rewiring without proper certification and experience. 

- Do not put water on an electrical fire; use a dry fire extinguisher or baking soda instead.