Thirty-one Electric Safety Tips

1. If plugs seem to fit loosely into wall outlets, the wall outlet may need repair. A loose-fitting wall outlet can cause overheating. Have an electrician check the outlet.
   
2. Use light bulbs that are the proper wattage  for your lamp or lighting fixture. A bulb of too high wattage or the wrong type may lead to overheating and cause a fire.
   
3. Use only extension cords  that have been listed by a recognized certification organization such as Underwriters Laboratory.
   
4. Remember, electricity and water don’t mix. Keep all electrical products and cords, such as radios, televisions, hair dryers and curling irons away from water.
   
5. Never reach into water to get an appliance  that has fallen in without first unplugging the appliance.
   
6. Unplug  the toaster or toaster oven (then let it cool) before using a knife or fork to remove a stuck slice of bread or bagel.          
7. To prevent overheating, make sure nothing covers your electric blanket. Don’t tuck in the sides or ends of your electric blanket.
   
8. Make sure your electric blanket is in good condition. Look for cracks or breaks in the wiring, plugs or connectors and look for charred spots on both sides of the blanket surface. Any of these conditions indicate a potential fire hazard.
   
9. Never go to sleep  with an electric heating pad turned on.
   
10. Use extension cords on a temporary basis; they are not safe as permanent household wiring. Make sure the cord is not wrapped around itself or another object.
    
11. Check the electrical rating  on appliances and extension cords. Do not plug one extension cord into another unless they are the same rating.
    
12. Don’t run electrical cords  underneath rugs, carpets or furniture. Walking on cords can break wiring and cause a fire.
    
13. Keep all electrical cords out of reach and out of sight  so that children and pets won't pull appliances off tables or counters.
    
14. Never leave lamp sockets empty. Always replace burned out light bulbs  immediately.
    
15. Put safety covers  on all wall outlets. Avoid ornamental safety caps that may tempt a child to play with wall outlets.
    
16. Fuses and circuit breakers are safety devices located on your electrical panel. Use the correct size fuse  for your fuse box. Replacing a fuse with the wrong size can be a fire hazard.
    
17. Even small appliances, such as hair dryers, curling irons, or toasters, can be potentially dangerous  if left plugged in, especially during an electrical storm.
    
18. Never remove the third prong  of a three-pronged plug. It can protect you from electrical shock. Instead, convert two-pronged outlets to fit three-pronged plugs using an adapter with a grounding tab.
    
19. Turn off electrical products  if the cord overheats.
    
20. When using electrical equipment outside, use only weather-resistant heavy gauge extension cords  marked for outdoor use.
    
21. Be sure amperage ratings  for outdoor extension cords are higher  than those electrical products they are used with. Check owner’s manuals and electrical labels. (Amp ratings can range from one for a bug killer to 15 for a snow blower.)
    
22. Outdoor electrical equipment should be turned off  when being carried or hooked up to attachments, such as mower baskets.
    
23. Contact your local electric utility before you trim or cut down trees  that are near overhead powerlines.
    
24. Never try to repair electrical products  yourself unless you are a qualified electrician.
    
25. Check with your electric utility before digging. Make sure you know the location of buried electrical lines even in your back yard.  Call Blue Stake before you dig, 800-STAKE-IT.
    
26. Use your electrical outdoor equipment such as electrical clippers or trimmers and mowers in dry weather.
    
27. Keep cords out of your path or work area. Always know where the cord is located  at all times.
    
28. Put a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)  between your electric power source and your electric product. In a mishap, a GFCI can cut off power in less than a second.
    
29. To avoid electric shock during a lightning storm, avoid using a phone or fax machine.
    
30. Select a dry day  to power up electrical equipment or power tools outdoors.
    
31. Make sure all your outdoor outlets are waterproof  and covered.