No home or business establishment can function without electrical devices. It is such an indispensable item for daily life. But electricity can be hazardous too when mishandled. Most at-home power-related accidents happen because of a lack of technical knowledge of appliances. Kids of lower age are also uninformed of the electrical gadgets, and their playful nature can risk their safety.

While electricity has made our lives enjoyable in myriad ways, it is essential to know its safety. Here are five electricity safety precautions for homemakers to prevent oversights and accidents and avoid harm to self and family members.

1.  Inspect Extension Cords And Wires.

No electrical appliance or gadget will run without a cord or wire. In the modern-day work from home scenario, there are multiple plug points, wires, and heavy-duty extension cord traversing from one room to another. This can put unnecessary burden and load on the domestic wiring and cause damage and harm.

In warm-to-hot residential dwellings, cord and wire sparking is higher because of soaring mercury and can cause electrical shock and damage to life and property. Keep checking your rooms’ electrical cords from time to time, particularly with changing seasons. Also, look for any discoloration of cords, exposed wiring, wearing, and other signs. Avoid running or stretching electrical cords under carpet and rugs. Any upswing in seasonal heat can lead to a fire. Hide the cords from pets’ reach, knowing their chewing instincts.

2.  Unplug Your Unused Electrical Appliances.

Electricity assists and controls our morning-to-night timetable. You may not need a kitchen appliance or a bathroom gadget the entire day and night. When you are not using an appliance, unplugging it is a sound decision to help save you the tension and fear. It also saves you the power cost by reducing the devices’ energy consumption during inactive use. Unplugging unused domestic devices also protects them from power rush or overheating.

While it is difficult to remember unplugging unused appliances, the new generation smart plugs or smart sockets are a sensible way to improve and ease your life. They look like travel adapters, but they turn any regular home appliance into a smart appliance through an app or voice assistance technology. Then there are energy-efficient smart power strips that cut the power off and save energy by detecting when a device is in standby mode. 

3.  Keep Electrical Devices Away From Water.

Electricity and water don’t mix well. Water conducts electricity. Even the least exposure to this fatal combination can cause injury. That’s why you need to keep electrical devices dry and away from water to prevent any electrocution. Dry hands are electricity-compatible, hence safe compared to wet hands.     

Learn to keep electrically powered equipment like inverters and appliances away from water-friendly objects like plant pots, sinks, aquariums, bathtubs, and showers. This will help to reduce the risk of water coming into contact with electricity and vice versa. Get child-proof Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI). They are the most endorsed electrical outlets for any room that has running water. If an outlet gets overloaded or wet, a GFCI will sense the power surge and automatically disable the outlet.

4.  Avoid Overloading Outlets.

In summer holidays and pandemic-time, most households depend on electronic devices such as sound systems, microwaves, computers, large appliances to keep themselves busy and occupied. Since outlets cannot handle more than a certain amount of current, over-plugging can lead to house fires and sparking within the breaker box, melting the plastic coating and causing burning smells.

Irrespective of your villa or apartment size, keep your outlet load within a restricted limit. Such a preventative tip can help save lives and minimize risk.

5.  Think Of Outdoor Protection.

Indoors is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about electricity and power consumption. Learn to make your immediate outdoors safer, too. Address exterior lighting issues such as frayed wires, light flickering, burning smell. Since outdoor lights are prone to weather hazards, get the help of an architect to plan exterior lighting around your residential area.

If you have power lines running around your home, avoid planting the space with saplings or trees of any kind. Remember, electricity is conducted through tree trunks, ladders, or anything else that touches them. Also, before starting your favorite backyard digging activity, consult local electrical companies as a safety measure. Sometimes, power lines are underground, and any digging activity may be hazardous to you.

Summing Up

Electricity drives our lives. How judiciously you use it will help save you from injuries and accidents. Young kids and pets are unaware of the safety practices in electricity use. Safeguard them from coming in contact with wires and cords. Get a professional and certified electrician to do a safety evaluation of circuit breakers in your home. Look into faulty wiring and loose outlets and breakers that trip. Keep getting your electrical appliances tested after every two weeks, particularly in the summer months, to expect the faults. Take pre-emptive methods to prevent any tangible and far-reaching loss.

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