It’s easy to get complacent about electricity in your home. You just turn on the lights and kitchen appliances and expect them to work and that you will remain safe. However, electricity can be dangerous if you do not take care when you are using it. If you are not careful, you could end up electrocuting yourself, or causing an electrical fire.
When you first move into a property, it’s a good idea to find a reputable electrician in the area, so that they are available to carry out a check of the electrics, and to help if you ever need assistance with electrical repairs. You can find out more here. It’s also a good idea to make sure your kids are aware of electrical safety and that you protect yourself from potential dangers.
What to tell your kids about electricity
It’s not a good idea to make your kids terrified of electricity because it’s all around them. However, you should make sure that they know how to be sensible where electricity is involved. Tell them things like:
- Do not touch light switches if you have wet hands.
- Do not use metal items such as knives to remove jammed toast from a toaster.
- Never pull at cords on electrical items as it causes wires to become loose.
Telling your children to be careful, without scaring them, helps to protect them from injury.
Protecting yourself from electrical danger
It’s not just your kids who need to be protected from the potential dangers of electricity; you need to be careful yourself.
Dry your hair safely
The danger of mixing water and electricity may seem obvious, but we often ignore it. Many people use appliances such as toasters and hairdryers close to water. This is not a good idea as a water and electricity mix can cause a reaction which leads to electric shock.
Save big jobs for the professionals
You may think that you could cope with re-wiring your home, but in reality this type of electrical work should be left in the hands of the professionals. They have the tools and knowledge to ensure that the work is carried out safely and that the end result is successful.
Know where the wiring in your home is
It’s always a good idea to know where the electrical wires run in your home. Having this knowledge means that you are not in any danger of accidentally damaging the wires while you are carrying out remodeling work. Drilling through an electrical wire is not something that you ever want to do.
We would not want to imagine our lives without electricity; without it we would not have the reliable lighting we are used to in our homes and streets, or the games and TVs that we enjoy. Electricity is everywhere, including as the power source for the new generation of cars to take to the road. However, you should never underestimate the power of electricity. You, and your family, should always respect it and be careful around it.
