Electrical Safety: Tips for Outdoor Safety
You say electricity and I say safety. As a qualified electrician, I have a healthy respect for electricity and click into “safety-first” gear at the mere thought of it. We’ve already looked at electrical safety tips to keep your home safe. Now, we turn our attention to outdoor safety. While the same advice applies to outdoor appliances, plugs, and the like, when it comes to outdoor safety, two big issues are important to tackle: water and power lines.
Electricity and Water Don’t Mix
It goes without saying that electricity and water don’t mix, and extra caution must be exercised when handling electrical appliances anywhere near water.
Any contact to live electrical power around swimming pools, slip and slides, fish ponds, fountains and water sprayers can prove fatal. Wet skin and bare feet reduce the body’s insulation and resistance to an electrical shock. Here’s a never-do piece of advice: never use an extension cord or a portable electrical appliance where it could fall into a pool or pond, or where water might spray onto it.
Let me say it again: electricity and water do not mix. Ever.
Power lines: Outdoor Safety Smart
It may sound obvious but being acutely aware of where power lines run over your house or shed, and across your garden, is critical information.
Keep well clear of electrical wires when playing or working outdoors, and if you ever need to pull out your metal ladder, keep it well away from power lines and ensure it has rubber over its feet.
Enjoy flying a kite? Into powered model planes? Building the kids, a treehouse? Good for you. Just keep well clear of the overhead lines.
Gardening, especially pruning your trees, is another consideration. Foliage growing too close to power lines can prove a safety hazard. If your foliage is getting a little too friendly with the local power lines, contact your local council or your electricity provider for assistance. In some cases, you may even need a tree removal specialist to help. (Quick tip: prune foliage well before they grow anywhere near the power lines.)
And it’s not just about looking up (at overhead lines), if you’re digging anywhere outdoors, first identify the location of underground cables and piping before you break ground. In other words, for outdoor safety, look up and look down.
Be smart. Stay safe.
Grant Knowles
Grant is the owner of Snapp Electrical. Based in the Fleurieu Peninsula, he specialises in domestic, commercial and industrial electrical services. Return to the home page to view all on offer or drop us a line via the contact form.