Electricity Safety Inside Your Home

To keep yourself and family members safe around electricity INSIDE your home, it's important to observe the following basic safety rules:
- Even when the switch says "off," power is still present and appliances can electrocute you if they contact water. Never use an electrical appliance near a tub or sink. If an appliance falls into water, do not reach for it. Immediately unplug it from the wall outlet. When you unplug an appliance, always pull the plug, not the cord. And make sure appliance and extension cords are not frayed. If the cords are frayed, replace them.
- Do not run appliance cords behind radiators, under carpets, through doorways, around pipes, or near metal products. Do not plug too many appliances into one socket. Wires may overheat, destroy insulation, and cause a fire. Never place a space heater near draperies or other flammable material, and never leave it on when no one is in the room. Never leave a small child unattended near a space heater.
- If an electrical appliance sputters, stalls, or gives the slightest shock when touching it, disconnect it and have it repaired. Look for the underwriter's laboratory label on every appliance before you buy it. Know where your fuse box or circuit breaker panel is located. Label the circuits so that if you need to, you can quickly shut off the power to an appliance or living area.
- Have a Class C fire extinguisher in your home to extinguish electrical fires and check the extinguisher periodically. Don't attempt to do home wiring improvements yourself. Call a qualified electrical contractor. Take the time to educate your children about these important life saving tips.