Stay Away From Electrical Accidents
If you’ve got young kids in your home, you have probably done a few things to “childproof” your house. One of the most important things to do to protect children–and all members of the family, including pets–is to take the necessary electrical precautions that will help avoid accidents. Not only will this keep the kids safe now, but it will teach them the skills to take with them for a lifetime to prevent electrical accidents.
Protect Your Family From Electrical Accidents
There are products you can purchase to protect children against electrical accidents, such as outlet covers, but educating them as to the dangers is important as well. Some of the important electrical safety precautions you should take in your home include the following:
- Make sure to teach your kids to always ask an adult for help with anything that deals with electricity. Children are curious and naturally drawn to electrical devices. Young children especially will want to experiment by sticking things into outlets, which poses an obvious danger.
- Keep electrical cords neat and organized, and make sure they do not pose a tripping hazard. Babies and pets will chew on cords, so you will want to keep them out of the way of traffic and view.
- Cover unused electrical outlets with child safety covers. (An added benefit is this can minimize cold drafts from entering your home!)
- Don’t overload outlets or extension cords. If the too much electrical current is running through one location, your entire electrical system can be at risk and this can also cause a fire hazard.
- Keep your electrical devices away from the water.
- Don’t yank electrical cords from the wall; rather, pull them out by the base of the cord.
- Teach your kids to look out for power lines before they climb trees. Trees are excellent conductors of electricity and it is quite dangerous if they are in contact with power lines.
- The same holds true when climbing a ladder or doing anything where you will be within close proximity to electrical wires.
- Also, teach your children to never climb over the fence around electrical substations. If an animal or toy is accidentally trapped inside on, call the power company for help.
- When flying a kite, make sure there are no power lines or substations nearby.
If you would like to learn more about the electrical accident and electrical safety precautions for your entire family, contact the professionals at Best Home Services.
