Quiz on Electrical safety

When you see a worn electrical cord on a lamp or an appliance, do you …
A. Tell yourself it adds to the ambiance of your home?
B. Wrap it with lots and lots of electrical tape?
C. Replace it with a new, same-size cord?

When you turn on an electrical appliance, do you …
A. Make sure your hands are dripping wet?
B. Grab on to a water faucet for balance?
C. Dry your hands and stand away from the sink?

Before cleaning the bread crumbs from your toaster, do you …
A. Grab the cord and give it a yank?
B. Not even bother to unplug it?
C. Grasp the plug and pull?

Before working on an electrical circuit, do you …
A. Stick a screwdriver in a receptacle to check the current?
B. Make sure you’re standing on a very wet surface?
C. Turn the power off at the breaker or fuse and stand on a dry board if the floor is damp?

To power the garage door opener in your detached garage, should you …
A. String a series of extension cords together and run them between your house and the garage, leaving them out in all kinds of weather?
B. Try to run a wire off your washing machine’s receptacle?
C. Run a separate circuit with properly buried cable?

Okay, it’s a trick quiz. If you answered anything other than “C” for any question, go back and start reading this blog again. It isn’t just major electrical work that requires vigilance; everyday stuff is dangerous, too. Problems can be prevented with even the simplest practices such as …

• Installing childproof safety caps on all receptacles.
• Avoiding overloading circuits with too many loads.
• Keeping ladders and tree branches away from power lines.
• Unplugging all small appliances when not in use.
• Turning off the power to any receptacle or switch that feels excessively warm to the touch. Follow up by having the circuit checked. (Note that dimmers are an exception: Often the heat created by the dimming function is dissipated through the screws holding the cover plate on.)
• Not tucking in an electric blanket or covering it with another blanket to avoid excess heat buildup.
• Keeping extension cord use to a minimum and never running cords under carpets or rugs.
• Replacing broken cover plates on switches and receptacles so wiring isn’t exposed.
• Never leaving a lamp socket without a light bulb in it by replacing burned-out lamps immediately. Only replace them with lamps of the same wattage or lower, never exceeding the manufacturer’s recommendation