Electrical Safety Checklist

 

Call a Qualified Electrician or Your Landlord if you have:

  • Frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers
  • A tingling feeling when you touch an electrical appliance
  • Discolored or warm wall outlets
  • A burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance
  • Flickering or dimming lights
  • Sparks from an outlet

 

  • Inspect your home for hidden electrical hazards.

 

  • Check electrical cords to make sure the wires are not damaged, cracked or loose. If the cords need to be repaired, take the item to a professional repair shop, hire an electrician or replace with a new item.

 

  • Make sure cords are not running across doorways or under carpets; If they are, have a qualified electrician install more outlets.

 

  • Keep children away from electric cords and outlets. Cords placed in the mouth can cause a burn and objects placed in a receptacle can cause a shock, burns or electrocution.

 

  • Make sure that all receptacle outlets and switches have faceplates.

 

  • Never put more than one plug in each receptacle. An outlet may have one or more receptacles — one to receive each plug.

 

  • Be sure that the bulbs in your lights match what is safe for the lamp. There should be a sticker that indicates the maximum wattage for the light bulb — such as use maximum of a 60 watt bulb.

 

  • Light bulbs in the living area of your home, including closets, should have a shade or globe for protection. Light bulbs can get very hot and cause a fire if something that can burn is too close.

 

  • Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) reduce the risk of shock by shutting off an electrical circuit when the circuit could be a shock hazard. Your home should have GFCIs in the kitchen, bathroom(s), laundry, basement, garage, and outdoor areas.

 

  • Heat producing appliances such as a toaster, coffee maker, iron or microwave oven draw a lot of electricity.

 

  • Plug only one heat producing appliance in each outlet to prevent wiring from overheating.

 

  • Buy only appliances that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

 

  • Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) protect against fire by monitoring the electrical current in a circuit and shutting off the circuit when unintended arcing occurs. AFCIs should be installed in your home. If not, have a professional electrician install them for you.

 

  • Keep ladders away from overhead power lines, including the electrical service into your home.

 

 

Think Green!

  • Turn off lights when you are not in the room.
  • Unplug appliances when not in use.

 

Source: National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org