What should you know to ensure electrical safety during the summer?

1. Be extra careful with your liquids at home
2. Stay away from powerlines and power stations
3. Make sure your electrical appliances are child-proof
4. GFCI outlets are great for protection
5. Understand your circuit breaker

 

The worst of the summer may have already passed, but still, the oppressing heat lingers. This has led some to continually find ingenious, albeit dangerous, ways to beat the heat. More often than not, this results in electrical hazards occurring around the house—something that electrical companies in the Philippines would like to not happen.

Because of this, we have created a short list of reminders for you and your family regarding electrical safety as summer slowly starts to go by. With the help of this list, you can ensure that every member of your family will be safe from the most obvious to the most obscure electrical hazards both in your home and wherever you might go this summer!

 

Be Extra Careful With Liquids at Home

The summer heat is so potent that you’ll be sweating even in a well-ventilated room. With intense heat comes the risk of dehydration. People will most likely have some water or other thirst-quenching fluids with them wherever they go.

When you always have a glass or a pitcher of water at the ready, one wrong move might accidentally cause an electrical shock. Remember, there are a number of outlets in your home. Some of them might even be close enough to tables and chairs where you would usually put down a glass of water.

That being said, be careful not to knock over glasses or bottles of water. Especially when you’re near extension cords or outlets.

 

Stay Away from Powerlines and Power Stations

As hot as the summer days may be, it’s also the time when children would usually go outside to play. Common summertime activities might include frolicking around at the park, flying kites, or playing games on the street.

If you live near power stations or powerlines, keep an eye on your children and always remind them to never come close to any. Power stations and power lines are incredibly dangerous since they’re usually surrounded by high voltage fences; not to mention that the structures themselves are carrying high currents that are most certainly fatal.

 

Make Sure Your Electrical Appliances are Child-Proof

Children are much more inquisitive than adults. They’ll try to touch everything and anything that they find interesting, including some of your electrical appliances or even the outlets themselves.

Make sure that hazardous appliances are out of your children’s reach. If you have electrical appliances that can easily be moved such as irons, blenders, or electric kettles, make sure that they’re out of reach, or are locked in place.

Great examples of this include the use of plastic plugs to temporarily close off outlets that aren’t in use. This prevents your child from putting their finger into the outlet. This can also be done with extension cords—which should be well hidden or fastened on the ground.

 

GFCI Outlets are Great Protective Measures

GFCI receptacles are basically outlets that can significantly reduce your chances of being shocked. They can also prevent potential accidents caused by water damage to outlets and appliances. This makes GFCI outlets perfect for places where electrical appliances are in proximity to water sources such as the bathroom, the kitchen, and outdoor areas.

That being said, you can’t really say whether an outlet is safe or not after it has suffered from water damage, especially when you consider how dangerous human error truly is. Because of this, it’s almost imperative that you install primarily GFCI outlets in your home. This way, even if you run into a minor accident, you can be sure that you’re safe from being electrical shocks.
As a side note, GFCI outlets can also protect your appliances from sudden volatility in the electrical current, providing more protection for both you and your expensive appliances!

 

Understand your Circuit Breaker

In case of emergencies, it’s incredibly important for you to know where your circuit breaker is and how to safely switch it off and on again. Keep in mind that your circuit breaker is basically the central hub for all of your outlets. When something goes wrong with one of your outlets, it’s best to turn off the circuit breaker before you do any kind of investigation or repair.

Knowing what to do should an emergency arise is necessary because it can easily make the difference between life and death.

 

Key Takeaway

No matter what the season is, electrical hazards will almost always be present in every household. The first step towards prevention is simply being aware of them. A person who knows how to spot electrical hazards can help prevent electrical shocks from happening to anyone around them. In addition to hazard awareness, you should also actively do your part and educate your family and about these electrical hazards.

There are a lot of tips about promoting electrical safety and preventing hazards in your home provided by electrical companies in the Philippines. Keep these ideas in mind for the rest of the summer and you’ll find yourself safe from any kind of electrical hazard!