Electrical Safety at Home 10-4 training 10 Slides, 4 minutes

Electrical Injury in the home 1,000 people are admitted annually to Trauma and Burn Centers with electrical injuries Workers Toddlers Older children Do-it-yourselfers Electrical injury occurs when a person is shocked, burned, or otherwise injured directly by electricity. Each year, the burn centers in the United States admit over 1,000 patients with electrical injuries serious enough to require treatment in a specialized burn treatment center. They are often among the most severely injured patients hospitalized in these centers. Several hundred of these injuries occur on the job. Today however we’ll focus on electrical injury prevention in and around the home. There, curious toddlers can suffer serious injury by biting, sucking or chewing on electrical cords or poking objects into unprotected electrical outlets. Older children may be injured in high-risk activities such as climbing trees near power lines or climbing fences to enter electrical substations. Adults doing chores around their homes may also experience severe electrical injury, often when a ladder contacts a power line. (Bridge) What can we learn about these injuries?

Outlet Locations Needing GFCI Protection Kitchen counter top Bathroom Near a wet bar sink Swimming pool, spa, hot tub All outdoor receptacles Work area Garage Crawl space Unfinished room in basement or storage area You may be surprised how many locations pose hazards that call for GFCI protection in nearby electrical outlets. These include obvious locations near where water may be present, such as kitchen counter tops and bathrooms, “wet bar” sinks, and recreation areas like swimming pools, spas and hot tubs. All outdoor receptacles should be protected, along with those in work areas and garages, where metallic objects could contact live current, and crawl spaces and unfinished rooms in basements or storage areas, where dampness could pose a problem. (Bridge) Were GFCI’s in common use when your house was built? Were they present when you bought your house?

Don’t overload your outlets! Overloading the capacity of your electrical system creates safety risks that could lead to electrical injury. Here, the use of several plug adaptors at a single outlet may overload the circuit which serves the outlet. Is this a frequent practice in your home? (Bridge) When so many appliances depend on a multiple plug adapter, what device would represent a safer approach?

Extension Cord Safety Inside the Home Use on temporary basis only Keep unplugged when not in use Keep slack: don’t stretch tight Do not place across doorways, in heavy traffic areas, under rugs Do not staple or nail to wall Do not alter a 3-prong plug Several rules are important when using extension cords inside the home: Use extension cords only when necessary and on a temporary basis. Unplug and put away extension cords when they’re not being used. Many people are unaware that an extension cord will still conduct electricity until it is unplugged from the outlet, even if no appliances are attached to it. It may be especially dangerous if it’s on the floor, accessible to children and pets. Always keep slack in extension cords. A taut cord puts tension on plugs and receptacles and increases the chances for connections to pull loose. Don’t run extension cords across doorways, through other heavy traffic areas or under rugs. Never staple or nail extension cords to walls to get around a doorway. An additional wall outlet should be installed by a licensed electrician, and the household’s circuits may need realignment. Use only three-wire extension cords for appliances with three-prong plugs and outlets. Never remove the third (round or U-shaped) prong of an appliance cord to accommodate a two-hole extension cord or wall outlet. Use special adapter plugs to connect three-prong plugs to two-hole cords or outlets. (Bridge) What guidelines apply to keeping all electric cords in good condition?

Keep Appliances Away from Water on a Dry Surface While in Use Insert images of Kitchen appliances and their proper/improper use In addition to GFCI protection in kitchen outlets, always use electrical appliances as far away from from the sink as possible. Make sure both the counter and your hands are dry. Keep appliance cords away from stove burners and toward the back of the counter. Cords that dangle over the counter edge can be pulled on by children and pets or you yourself could become tangled in them. A serious scald or contact burn as well as electrical injury could result. Never use metal utensils to retrieve stuck bread or rolls from a plugged-in toaster. Always unplug the toaster first. For extra safety, always unplug portable cooking appliances when they’re not in use. If an electrical appliance or its contents catch fire, NEVER use water to put it out – water can conduct electricity back to you, causing injury or even death. If you can reach it safely, turn off or unplug the appliance. Keep a multi-purpose fire extinguisher handy to use on small kitchen fires. Be prepared to get out of the house and call the fire department if the fire is not immediately extinguished. (Bridge) Let’s move on to the bathroom.

Outdoor Household Electrical Safety Assure power source is GFCI-protected Use proper extension cords. Do not use “indoor” cords outdoors Store all cords indoors when not in use Never use in wet conditions When using electrical equipment outside your home: Make sure the power source for any outdoor use is GFCI-protected. Use only heavy-duty, outdoor extension cords Practice handling equipment in any position where you will use it, before connecting it to the power source. Never use an electrical appliance outdoors when the ground is wet or damp, and beware of puddles left behind from rain or nearby outdoor water use. (Bridge) What safety guidelines apply to extension cords used outdoors?

Emergency Care of Electrical Burns Protect yourself first Don’t touch patient until the power is off If you are unsure how to turn power off, wait for help Never use water on an electrical fire Assess airway, breathing and circulation If the person is not breathing or has no pulse start CPR and call 9-1-1 Continue CPR as needed before focusing on the burn injury Always remember that if you are the first person on the scene when someone has sustained an electrical injury, you must first protect yourself. Don’t be the next victim. Never touch someone until you know the electrical power source is turned off. If you are unsure how to turn off the power, wait for qualified help to arrive from the utility company before touching the person. Finally, avoid using water to fight an electrical fire. Because water conducts electricity so well, the electricity can travel up the stream of water to you and cause an electrical shock. Use a multipurpose fire extinguisher instead. (Bridge) Once the electrical threat is over, what do you do if the clothing or skin of the injured person is still burning?

Always verify the power is out Just because you flipped a switch, or threw a breaker, doesn’t mean the power is out. Verify by testing, plugging in an appliance, etc. Many home systems are miswired, or mislabeled. Don’t trust your life to electricity! …..Be Aware! These simple home electrical safety tips, if practiced on a daily basis, can help prevent a serious electrical injury. Thank you for inviting me to share this important information. Please share any experiences, make suggestions or ask any questions you may have.

Conclusion All electrical injuries are potentially severe and should be seen by a physician Most electrical injuries around the home are preventable Always use proper care when using electrical appliances In conclusion, all electrical injuries are potentially severe and should be seen by a physician in an office or a hospital emergency department. Most electrical injuries that happen in and around the home are preventable. These injuries often happen because someone ignored a safety precaution or was in a hurry, distracted or under some type of stress. Don’t take safety for granted. Always use proper care when using electrical appliances. (Bridge) There’s a good two-word summary for this presentation. It’s………….