Electrical Safety

Each year hundreds of thousands of people are injured or killed as a result of electrical accidents or problems. The sad part is, many of these problems could be avoided if we would just take a little more care in how we use our electrical appliances and how we act around electrical systems and facilities.

The electrical circuit and how it can affect you
The more you know about how electricity works and why it acts the way it does, the better you'll be able to understand what you need to do to be safe around it.

Electricity is a very powerful form of energy that travels in a path called a circuit. Under normal conditions, the circuit takes place inside the wires that carry electricity from the power plant to your home and into your electrical appliances. If nothing happens to interrupt that circuit, everything should be fine. But there are two important things to know about electricity and its circuit.

First, electricity will always try to get to the earth if it can. So if it can find a way to jump out of the circuit we've set up for it, it will.

Second, electricity is lazy. It wants to take the easiest path it can find to get to the earth. Some of the easiest things for electricity to travel through are certain types of metal and water. And guess what? Your body is made up of a lot of water.

Preventing electrical shocks and burns
Electrical shocks, electrocution and burns, which cause more than 12,000 injuries a year in the U.S., happen when electricity uses your body as a path to its ultimate destination—the ground. As the electricity passes through you, it can do grave harm, burning tissue and even stopping your heart. And it doesn't take much to do a lot of damage. In fact, folks have been killed by shocks from as little as 60 milliamps, the amount of electricity it takes to light a Christmas tree bulb.

Never yank, twist or severely bend electrical cords or carry appliances by their cords. This can cause the appliance wires to fray, which might lead to electrical shocks and burns, as well as fires.

Never use an appliance that has a frayed, smashed or broken cord. (Wrapping a frayed cord with electrical tape might help protect you against being shocked or burned, but it probably will not prevent the possibility of an electrical fire.)

Never remove the third prong of an electrical plug. This is the ground wire, which helps protect you against shock should the appliance ever short circuit.

Install GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlets in your home or business and use GFCI adapters—especially in bathrooms or kitchens or other places where electrical appliances might be used near water or in damp conditions. GFCIs can detect imbalances in the amount of electricity flowing through an appliance (which might indicate some electricity has "jumped its circuit" and taken an alternate route—possibly through you) and will shut off power to the appliance.

Do not touch electrical appliances with wet hands or cleaning rages unless the appliances are unplugged.

Keep electrical appliances away from water. Pools, tub surrounds, and kitchen or bathroom sink counters are not appropriate places for radios, hair dryers, curling irons, toasters or other plugged-in appliances.

Never stick anything into an outlet, except a properly working electrical plug.

If you have young children in the home—even as visitors—equip your outlets with child safety plugs to prevent curious youngsters from sticking their fingers or other items into outlet openings.

Never stick knives, forks, screwdrivers or other items inside toasters or other electrical appliances unless the appliances are unplugged.

Keep away from outdoor power lines. Many of these lines are uninsulated and any contact with them—either direct or indirect—can be fatal. When working in the yard, be sure to maintain a safe distance between power lines and ladders, rakes and other long tools. You do not actually have to touch a power line to be shocked by it. Electricity can jump (arc) from a nearby wire to you (or to the ladder or tool you are carrying). Also, do not climb trees that are located near overhead lines.

Do not climb trees that are located near overhead lines (see above for how doing so could be harmful to you).

Fly kites only in open fields far away from overhead lines. If a kite should become entangled in a power line, call CWLP immediately (789-2121). Do not attempt to retrieve it yourself.

Before digging in your yard, call JULIE (Joint Utilities Location Information for Excavators) at 1-800-892-0123 to find out where underground electrical (and other) services are buried. You need to allow 48 hours for the locations to be marked.

Always turn off a tool or appliance before unplugging it.

Never enter an electrical substation or tamper with a pad- or pole-mounted transformer.

Preventing electrical fires
Many electrical fires start when a combustible (burnable) material comes into contact with a hot electrical appliance, like a stove burner, portable heater or light bulb.

Electrical fires can also start when combustibles come into contact with frayed or broken electrical cords or when wires inside the house or inside an electrical cord overheat. Overheating can occur when too many appliances are plugged into one outlet or one extension cord. The wires inside your home and inside extension cords are designed to carry a certain amount of current. If you plug in too many appliances, or plug in an appliance that requires more current than a wire is designed to carry, the wire can overheat and cause a fire.

Protect electrical cords from damage by avoiding twisting or severely bending. Also keep cords away from heat sources—such as stoves, light bulbs and open fires—that might damage the cord's insulation.

Never use an appliance if its cord insulation is damaged. A fire could start if paper or another combustible material should come into contact with the exposed wire.

Never run electrical cords underneath rugs. They can become frayed from being walked on or might simply overheat.

Do not plug too many appliances into one outlet or extension cord.

If you are having a problem with blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, find out why. These are indications that you have an overloaded circuit and might be at risk for an electrical fire.

Never replace a blown fuse with one of a higher amperage rating. Your circuits are designed to handle a specific amount of current. Increasing a fuse amperage in an attempt to increase the load a circuit will carry is a guaranteed ticked to disaster. Never, ever use a penny or other metal object as a replacement for a fuse.

If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is designed to carry as much current as the appliance needs. Appliances that draw a lot of power need a heavy gauge extension cord.

When operating outdoor electrical appliances or equipment, be sure to extension cords that are rated for outdoor use.

Keep curtains, towels, furniture, paper and other combustible materials away from electrical appliances—including stoves, ovens, toasters, portable heaters and light bulbs—that generate a lot of heat.

Keep electrical equipment and tools in good, clean condition. Oil and dirt buildup can cause equipment to overheat.