Electrical safety in three simple steps

It is easy to take electricity for granted. In the United States on any given day, almost 4,000 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity is consumed in homes and businesses to power light bulbs, air conditioning or heating units, refrigerators, irons, toasters, televisions – everyday essentials. However, on an average American morning, electricity may not cross even a tenth of the minds of those using it.

Why the “forgettable” nature of electricity? Well, for starters, it’s invisible. Unless you yank the hair dryer cord out of its socket with the dryer still running and see the electrical blue arc for a millisecond afterward, you don’t know what you’re dealing with. Electricity is intangible. We love it, we need it, but we don’t see it.

Electrical hazards surround us every day. Where electricity is, danger is lurking also. However, staying on top of how you, your family and your employees can face electrical dangers head-on may mean the difference between life and death.

Electrical safety and the use of safety technology are proven to reduce deaths by electrocution, as well as reduce injuries and economic losses due to electrical hazards. Most damage caused by electricity could have been prevented by taking simple safety steps combined with a healthy dose of respect for the danger lurking that you can’t see.

THREE SIMPLE STEPS

1. Contact a licensed electrician and request an electrical system inspection for your home or business. If your home or building was constructed before 1970, an inspection is imperative. An inspection ensures any dangerous defects, smoke detector issues, problems with arc or ground-fault circuit interrupters and much more are caught and corrected.

2. Electrical system problems cause more than 55,000 home fires each year. As a result of these fires, more than 500 deaths and 5,000 injuries occur. The financial burden is also high, considering $1.6 billion worth of property damage occurs annually due to electrical fires. To make sure your family, employees and investments are safe; make sure your electrical systems aren’t overburdened leading to fires, deaths and injuries.

3. Be aware of electrical shocks. Any shock – even a mild tingle – may be warning of an electrical danger. Pay special attention to small children, and cover electrical outlets with tamper-resistant receptacles. Nearly 4,000 injuries annually are due to electrical outlets, and almost one-third of these injuries occur when children insert objects into outlets.

While following the three steps described above will eliminate many of the most common electrical dangers, it is important to reinforce these methods with additional safety practices recommended by manufacturers of appliances and other electric-powered devices. A healthy dose of common sense won’t hurt either. (Remember: water and electricity don’t mix!)

For additional electrical safety tips, visit westflorida.coop or contact a co-op representative today. You may not see electricity every day, but it’s our business.

Sources:  Energy Information Administration; Electrical Safety Foundation International; Consumer Product Safety Commission; and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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