Electrical Safety - Shocking stuff!
If your home has no earth leakage protection unit, have one fitted immediately. Without it the chances that someone will receive a lethal electrical shock are very great, but even with such a unit, check the test button regulary to ensure that it is working properly.
Electrifying
Most homes are not subject to the stringent regulations of public buildings, offices and factories. Your safety will be greatly enhanced if you consider the following points:
- Are the emergency numbers of the fire brigade, ambulance, doctor and police clearly displayed near the telephone?
- Just about all homeowners will leave any serious electrical repairs to a professional. Yet so many of us will drag a torn and twisted extention cable across a room and even through damp or oily patches in the garage. See that all appliances are properly maintained.
- The earth leakage will protect us from shocks but what about a single spark that can easily ignite and explode a nearby bottle of paint thinners, or a vented container of petrol for the lawnmower?
- Are there portable fire extinguishers suitable for most types of fire at strategic points and are they regulary checked and serviced? Do all family members know how to use them? Don't forget. Don't use water on an electrical fire!
- Overloading a single power outlet is another common cause of domestic fires, Sure, the circuit breaker should trip out if the system is overloaded, and the earth leakage will handle any short circuiting, but by then all the wiring can already be going up in flames. Fused, overload-protected plug extenders are available if you want to use more than one appliance on a single power outlet.
- Talking about extention leads. If you have the reel type extention unit, don't leave an appliance connected for any length of time with the cable still wound on to the drum. This is effectively an induction coil and can overheat with dire consequences.
- So today it seems that a person can only be shocked to death if the earth leakage is not functioning, or when tampering with the main supply before it reaches the earth leakage unit, or if one is stupid enough to fool around with the utility company's equipment like transformers.
- When last have you checked that all leads, lights and plug sockets are undamaged with no open wiring, fraying, cracks or blackened patches? Are all the switches working without arcing? An earth leakage unit will protect against accidental shocks but no guarantee against electrical sparks that can cause a serious fire.
- Do you, or any of your family members know first aid to treat cuts, burns, broken limbs or shock? And do check if your first aid kit contains the essentials as recommended by a professional in health matters.
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