We use electrical appliances to heat, cool, clean, and perform countless other chores around our homes and businesses every day. It’s easy to take these time-saving tools for granted and forget to put safety first. Here are some useful tips to help keep you and your appliances safe.
- When using space heaters, toasters, stoves, lamps, or other heat-emitting appliances, remember to keep combustibles such as paper, drapes, and furniture clear of the appliance.
- Keep appliances clean, operating properly, and out of high-traffic areas.
- Unplug irons and space heaters when you are finished with them and let them cool before storing.
- Never try to operate an electric appliance while touching metal, standing on a wet surface, or taking a bath or shower.
- Under certain situations, a ground-fault circuit interrupter can automatically shut off power to an outlet, protecting you from electric shock and preventing fires. GFCIs should be installed in outlets near water sources, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, and outdoors. If your outlet has “test” and “reset” buttons, it has a GFCI.
- Keep objects, including fingers, away from all electric outlets. To prevent injury to young children, use outlet covers and never overload outlets.
- Unplug appliances before cleaning and when not in use.
- Keep motors clean and free from lint, dust, and dirt.
- If an appliance sparks, smokes, or delivers a shock, unplug it and don’t use it again until it has been repaired.
- Replace blown fuses with ones that are correctly sized in amperage and wattage.
Some of the most common safety hazards are caused by misuse of extension cords. It’s important to observe these safety rules when you find it necessary to use them:
- Use heavy-duty cords for power tools, weather-resistant cords outdoors, and 3-wire cords with a 3-prong plug for appliances that require grounding.
- Avoid kinking, twisting, or crushing cords and don’t run them under rugs.
- Pull the plug, not the cord.
- Don’t place a cord where it will be walked on, tripped over, or damaged.
- Keep cords away from heat and water.
- Never wrap cords around metal pipes or appliances.