Electrical Safety: Tips to Keep Your Home Safe

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Safety. Yep, we all value safety. It’s a no brainer. No one in their right mind wanders aimlessly onto the highway on foot or plays the fool with exposed “live” electrical wires. That said, we don’t always know what makes safe, safe. And this is especially true when it comes to electrical safety.

The intention of this blog is not to be alarmist but helpful. So, here are several things you can do to ensure your home is truly safe and in line with basic electrical safety standards.

  • All your appliances should have a regulatory compliance mark or RCM, and your plugs should have insulated pins.
  • Don’t practice your DIY skills on trying to repair faulty electrical appliances. Save the DIY skills for the backyard chicken coop. Many appliances are reasonably cheap to replace new or if you’ve truly devoted to the old kettle, get a qualified repair technician to do it for you.
  • In a similar vein, don’t touch or try to repair a loose or cracked power point switch. Instead, cover it immediately and call a licensed electrician to replace it.
  • Don’t overload power points or “piggyback” adaptors. This is a common mistake too many people make.
  • Got a few ageing or faulty electrical appliances clogging up the house? Replace old appliances promptly. Many old plugs, for example, don’t have safety barriers between the connections.
  • If you use electric blankets, make sure you check them carefully at the start of each winter. Check for damaged or frayed wires, and check the condition of the plugs, leads and hot spots. Don’t take any chances. Dispose of any electric blanket that appears damaged.
  • Don’t spray detergents or household cleaners on electrical appliances and accessories. This is likely to cause damage and can easily become an electrical hazard.
  • A clean kitchen is a healthy kitchen but also a safe kitchen. Remember to clean ovens and cooktops regularly to prevent the build-up of burnt foodstuffs and spilled fats.
  • Make sure you regularly remove any fluff, dust or lint build-up around air-conditioner vents and extraction fans.
  • If your home is older than 25-years-old, your electrical wiring should be checked by a licensed electrician. Imagine going 25 years without a visit to the dentist. Gum disease and tooth rot are distinct possibilities. Your home needs a little TLC too. A visit from your local, friendly electrician will ensure your home’s wiring is in a healthy condition and up to date with modern electrical safety standards.

Okay, that’s ten pointers to help you get a good handle on what electrical safety means.

Go, get ‘em tiger!

Electrical Safety at Home

Not convinced? Need a little extra motivation?

Okay, here are some cold, chilling facts. Electrical incidents injure or kill approximately 16 Australians a week according to Better Health. Eek. 13% of these occur in children aged under 14 years and 77% of childhood electrical-related injuries happen in the home.

That’s not meant to be alarmist. It’s just stating the facts.

So, let’s get motivated and let’s make our homes truly safe.

Be smart. Stay safe.

Grant Knowles

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.