Top Tips for Electrical Safety at Home

Author: Maz Henry

As an Edinburgh electrician, I spend a lot of my time carrying out electrical jobs for people in their homes. I know how dangerous electricity can be and always take the necessary precautions to keep me safe when working. Unfortunately, I find that some other people don’t seem to take electrical safety quite so seriously. I see a number of basic electrical safety errors again and again, which are usually just down to bad habits. However, even the smallest mistake with electricity can be extremely dangerous and lead to electrocution, serious injury and even death. Electrical fires can also occur and these can completely destroy your home and all your possessions. Luckily most of the electrical safety issues that I often see can be quickly and easily solved.

Bathroom

  1. Never use plugged in electrical items in the bathroom unless it has a proper bathroom socket fitted
  2. Always dry your hands thoroughly before touching electrical switches. Water and electricity are a lethal combination

Bedroom

  1. Always use socket covers to protect sockets so kids can’t push their fingers or any other items into them
  2. Don’t let electrical wires or extension cables trail across the floor. They are a tripping hazard and also the stress on the cable could damage the wires inside.
  3. Water and electricity is a dangerous combination so always keep drinks away from electrical gadgets and appliances

Living Room

  1. Don’t overload sockets or adapters with lots of gadgets. It can lead to overheating and the risk of fire.
  2. Never put lit candles on top of electrical items like the television. Candles get very hot and could melt the outer casing of the television and cause a fire
  3. Never pull a plug out of a socket using the cable. This can damage the cable and the wires inside the cable or plug. Next time you come to use the appliance it may not work at all or you could get a nasty electric shock.

Kitchen

  1. Cables should never be placed anywhere near the cooker
  2. Never stick knives, forks or anything else inside a toaster when it is switched on
  3. Never put aluminium foil or metal products in the microwave. They can heat up very quickly, causing sparking and even a fire.
  4. Don’t leave washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers on if you are going out

Small changes to habits can make a really big difference to your electrical safety at home. In addition, it is also important to get an electrician to check the things that you can’t see. E.g. that your house wiring is fit for purpose and your fusebox /consumer unit is up to date with the latest safety features. Newer models of fusebox will contain RCDs (residual current devices). RCDs protect the electrical circuits in your home. They switch off the electricity supply automatically, in a fraction of a second, if they detect a fault in your electrical circuit or a problem with one of your appliances. They are extremely important in helping to protect you from the dangers of electrocution and your home from the devastation of an electrical fire.