Electric power gives us light and warmth, but without safety precautions, it can also be dangerous. Follow these simple
precautions to help insure you and your family's safety:
- Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on
all electrical devices.
- Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
- In homes with small children, electrical outlets should have plastic safety covers. New 2008 National
Electric Code (NEC) now requires tamper resistant outlets in new homes
- Follow the manufacturer's
instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
- Avoid overloading outlets. Consider
plugging only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.
- If outlets or
switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by an electrician.
- When possible,
avoid the use of "cube taps" and other devices that allow the connection of multiple appliances into a single receptacle.
- Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp's
recommended wattage.
- Never touch anything electrical when you have wet hands.
- Don’t
use electrical appliances such as hair dryers or radios in a wet place or near water.
- If power
is lost during a storm, turn off or unplug electrical appliances so that there’s not a power surge when the electricity
comes back on.
- If there’s flooding, watch out for water around electrical items, and never
use appliances if they’re wet.
- Never play with kites or toy planes near overhead power
lines.
- If a toy happens to get caught in a power line, don’t attempt to remove it yourself.
- Never prune trees yourself that are near power lines.
