04/06/2015
Obvious Electrical Dangers easily avoided ?
Repairing an appliance while it is still plugged in Always unplug your appliance before trying to do any maintenance. You risk injury from electric shock, burns and mechanical movement if you tackle repairs or maintenance before appliances are unplugged and have cooled down.
Trailing cables under a carpet or rug to keep them out of the way As well as being a tripping hazard, flexible cables trailed under carpets, rugs or across walkways can be a fire risk.
Drying clothes on an electric heater This is particularly dangerous and could cause an electric shock or fire. Many electrical appliances, such as heaters, have ventilation slots to prevent overheating. If these slots are covered up the appliance could overheat and catch fire. If water drips in, there is a risk of electric shock.
Installing downlighters Choosing the wrong downlighters, installing them incorrectly or fitting the wrong replacement lamp can pose a serious fire risk in your home. It is best to use a registered electrician to install your downlighters and then keep instructions for reference when you need to replace lamps. You should check for visible markings on downlighters indicating lamp wattage and type. Also check downlighters and their surroundings for signs of overheating such as curled labels and discolouration or scorching.
Storing combustible materials close to electrical equipment Don’t store combustible materials (clothes, papers, cleaning materials etc.) close to your cut-out fuse, electricity meter or fusebox, particularly if these are under the stairs (a means of escape from upstairs in an emergency). There have been a number of serious fires in homes where a fault in this equipment, which could otherwise be contained, has set light to adjacent stored materials.
www.jdelectrics.co.uk