Electricity is dangerous and should not be touched or tampered with by anyone that is not a professional. It’s essential that you are familiar with the rules of electrical safety in order to keep you and your family safe, which is why we have devised this set of electrical safety to help you keep electrically safe within your home.

Is Electrical Safety Important?

Yes, one of the most important things when you are at home and at work, your work is required by law to PAT test all appliances used in the workplace, so there are rules to keep you safe. However, laws cannot protect you from all the dangers of electricity – so you have to take some precautions of your own. So if you want electrical safety tips to help you and your family stay safe – then keep reading!

#1 Ensure All Purchased Appliances Have Been Tested

When you buy electrical appliances from a shop, for example, a kettle they often come with a green PAT tested sticker. This proves that the device you have just purchased has been tested and that it is safe to use, it also states when the test expires, and a new one needs to take place – so you don’t even need to check for visual signs of wear and tear because it will be retested anyways.

Purchasing tested appliances provides the reassurance that the device you are putting in your home is safe and minimises the risk of any electrical issues.

#2 Never Attempt To Fix Any Electrical’s Yourself

Electricity is dangerous enough by simply being in your home; we advise that you should never attempt to address an electrical situation yourself and that you contact electricians Milton Keynes who will come to your home and sort the issue out for you. By trying to fix things yourself, you may worsen the damage and cost yourself more time and money than necessary.

#3 Tuck Away Electrical Wiring

It may sound silly, but this can be dangerous, under computers and behind televisions are the worst place that something like this happens. All of the cables and wiring are intertwined making it almost impossible to determine which cable is for what device, it not only makes your life difficult but it’s also hazardous.

Under your computer is accessible to young children and pets, and both of these when at an early age have the urge to bite. So it’s quite possible that if not hidden then these could be the prime target for a chew toy. They are also a hazard for tripping, and if your wiring is hidden under a carpet or something, then you are not going to be able to see the condition that your cables are in.

#4 Keep Electricals Out Of The Bathroom

Any form of liquid and electricity were not designed to mix, they are a dangerous combination and should be kept at a high distance whenever possible. As tempting as it may be to leave the hairdryer in the bathroom to grab after your shower may be, it’s not safe, and if your hair dryer comes into contact with water, then you could be injured.

#5 Keep An Eye Out For Damaged Cords

Damaged electrical wiring or cords in an instant giveaway that your appliance is becoming tired, this also applies to any form of electrical wiring. This, however, does not mean that it has to be in tatters, any damage or signs of wear and tear should be checked out by electrical contractors Milton Keynes to make sure that they are not a hazard.

#6 Damaged Sockets

And the same goes for plug sockets, over time pulling out sockets and plugging them back in can damage them and begin to force the socket fixture out of the wall. If your socket is physically hanging out of the wall, then this leaves the wiring exposed and prone to damage and access from children or pets. You should have an experienced electrician take a look and fit new sockets for you.

#7 Unplug Appliances Not Being Used

When you are in your house, then it’s okay to simply switch off devices not being used at the plug, this stops the unnecessary use of electricity and can not overload the appliance. When you go out you should always switch off and unplug appliances, things like LED lights can become overheated if left on for an extended period of time. If left on for long enough they could overload and begin a house fire. Unattended devices are one of the main culprits for starting house fires, so it’s important that you turn off your appliances to ensure this doesn’t happen.

#8 Always Remove Plugs From Sockets Via The Plug

This is often a crime we all commit when doing something like hoovering, you are upstairs, and the hoover is plugged in downstairs, and you don’t want to walk all the way down to come straight back up again. So you tug at the hoover cord, and the plug releases out of the wall, and you can then drag it upstairs to where you are. This is dangerous and as tempting as it is you should never do it, the same goes for snatching a cable from the wall when in anger. You should always remove the something from a socket by using the plug.

#9 Stick To One Extension Lead

Extension leads are helpful, but there’s only so much power they can handle, you should never plug extension leads int extension leads. The reason for this being that extension cords reduce the wattage capabilities of each cord, and it may eventually lead to meltdown and a fire, if you need plug socket closer to you then consider purchasing one with a longer cord length – not plugging extension leads into one another.

#10 No Electrical Appliances Outside In Bad Weather

Like we mentioned earlier, liquids and electricals do not mix – and that includes rain. You should never use any electrical appliances outside when the weather is bad otherwise you are at a high risk of electrocution. This includes things like mowing the grass in the rain, chainsaws or hedge trimmers. You should use these tools on a sunny, clear day.

Summary

So there you have our top 10 electrical safety tips, you should use these tips for everyday life in order to keep you and your family safe. We hope that this article was helpful – if it was then why not share on social media?