Home is a dangerous place to be! According to the National Safety Council in the year 2001, accidents in the home caused 8,000,000 injuries resulting in more than 33,200 deaths. Each day as we work around the home we are exposed to all sorts of hazards, one of those being electrical.

 

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What are some safety tips that we can use to make the home a safe place, especially when using equipment powered by electricity?

 

Check the cords! On a regular basis check electrical cords for cuts, frayed insulation or partially broken wires. Avoid taping up the cut; the safest thing to do is to replace the entire electrical cord.

Wind up cords correctly! Have you ever seen appliance cords, especially on vacuum cleaners, that looked like tangled spaghetti? This is caused by winding the cord, from the plug end to the handle of the vacuum. The twisting of the cord will eventually cause the wires to break, possibly causing a short, a fire or even electrocution. The best ways to make cords last is to wind the cord from the handle towards the plug.

Pull gently, don’t yank! One can be sorely tempted to yank the plug of the vacuum out of the wall by pulling the cord. A better tactic is to pull the plug out gently with your hand. Yanking the cord can shorten the life the cord and possibly cause the prongs of the plug to break off.

Count the pins! If a plug is supposed to have three pins, it should have three pins. If the third or grounding pin breaks off, replace the plug. The grounding pin is there for a purpose: to protect you!

Check electrical outlets! A standard wall plate for an outlet costs less than two dollars. If wall plates are cracked, replace them to prevent injury. If the third, or ground pin, of a plug is broken off in an outlet have the pin removed and the plug replaced by a qualified electrician. Keep safety covers on unused outlets if children are around.

Stay dry! Unless an electrical appliance is designed to be around liquids, keep the appliance away from water. A standard household vacuum is not designed to pick up water or even to work in water. Using a vacuum in water will not only cause the unit to malfunction, it could electrocute you.

 

Working around the house, the place that we live in every day, can lull us into a state of complacency. Such complacency around electrical appliances and tools could be fatal, or at least shocking. By following the few safety tips above, you'll be safer around the house.

 

©2004 by Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger. Used by permission.

 

 

About Alan and Linda Bigger

Alan and Linda Bigger have been writing articles together for nearly 10 years. Alan, the Frugal Housekeeper, has been involved in housekeeping and facilities management for more than 20 years. An author and speaker, he has written or co-authored more than 250 articles and several books. He has received regional and national awards from housekeeping and facilities management organizations including the International Executive Housekeepers' Association William D. Joyner Achievement Award (2004) and Cleaning and Maintenance Management's Person of the Year Award (2004). Linda is a homemaker and freelance editor. Visit the Frugal Housekeeper Web site. E-mail the Biggers at: frugalperson@comcast.net