home
every year by electricity. The
reasons are almost always
carelessness, a faulty appliance
or tool, or a lack of
knowledge about how electricity works. You can
reduce electrical injuries and
death by doing three things: 1. Understanding how electricity
works 2. Recognizing potential
electrical hazards 3. Learning about safety devices
that prevent shock. Electricity naturally flows to
the earth, or to ground,
through anything that will
conduct electrical current.
There are some compounds,
like wood and glass, that are not good conductors of
electricity. But electricity will
pass through the human
body, sometimes with fatal
results, trying to get to
ground. If an appliance or tool is faulty or has a shorted wire,
for example, the electric
current may try to find
another path to ground. That's
why electrical systems should
always be grounded. A safe path to ground for electricity
is away from your body and
confined within whatever
piece of electrical equipment
you're using. Three-Prong Plugs. You may have noticed that the
electrical outlets in most
homes now have three-wire
receptacles that accommodate
electrical cords with three-
prong plugs. The third prong provides a path to ground
along which the electric
current travels. Most major
appliances, such as stoves,
refrigerators, and computers,
have three-prong plugs, meaning they are grounded.
Most older homes do not have
three-wire receptacles. If
yours does not, you should
have an electrician rewire the
home to accommodate the three-prong plugs. Although
three-prong adapters can be
purchased, they are not
recommended for permanent
use. Also remember never to
clip the third prong off a plug to make it fit a two-hole
outlet. GFCI. Another device that's commonly used to prevent
shocks in the home is a
ground fault circuit
interrupter. These are usually
installed in wall-mounted
receptacles in areas where electricity and water are most
likely to come in contact, such
as bathrooms, laundry rooms,
kitchens, and outdoors. They
have buttons that are marked
TEST and RESET. GFCIs monitor electric current and can switch
a circuit off before injury
occurs. Most electric hair
dryers come equipped with
GFCIs on their plugs.
Consumers are advised to consult a qualified licensed
electrician about installing
these safety devices, although
many newer homes have
them already. It's advisable to use tools and
appliances with three-prong
grounding plugs, even if you
have a GFCI. Portable, or
temporary, GFCIs are
available, but they should not be used as a permanent
alternative to wall-mounted,
receptacle-type GFCIs. Overloaded receptacles. Avoid overloading a
receptacle or an electrical
circuit. Fires can occur when
overloaded wires become hot.
Most receptacles are designed
for two plugs only. Double-insulated tools. Double-insulated tools help
protect against electrical
shock. An electrical shock in a
tool can occur, for example,
because of worn wiring that
lets bare wire touch the frame of an appliance. Double-
insulated tools have an outer
casing of plastic or some other
nonconductive material and
are the only tools with two-
wire plugs sold today that are approved by the
Underwriters Laboratories
(UL). In the workshop. Ungrounded faulty tools are
always hazardous. Make sure
power tools are grounded, or
are double-insulated. Wear
rubber-soled shoes, stand on a
rubber mat, and keep work floors dry. Receptacles in
basements and garages must
have a ground fault circuit
interrupter. In the bathroom. Never touch electrical equipment
while in the bathtub. Keep all
electrical appliances far
enough away from water in
tubs, showers, and sinks so
you can't touch them, and they can't fall in and discharge
electricity through the water
—and through you.
Receptacles in bathrooms
should have a ground fault
circuit interrupter so they can detect electricity leakage. Throughout
the house. It's a good idea to cover electrical
outlets so that objects
likepins, nails, and other
foreign objects can't be
inserted into the outlets. In the laundry room. An ungrounded faulty appliance
anywhere can be a hazard
because you could become a
connection to ground for
escaped electricity. For
example, handling an ungrounded clothes iron while
touching an operating
washing machine could be
dangerous because you could
become a path to ground for
the current. In this example, the washing machine is
grounded, but the iron is not.
Because electricity is
constantly seeking a path to
ground,when you touch the
washing machine while using the ungrounded iron, the
electricity from the iron will
travel through you as it tries
to get to ground, which in this
case would be through the
washing machine. In the kitchen. An ungrounded faulty appliance,
such as an electric toaster,
used near a grounded kitchen
sink can be dangerous. Do not
handle or operate appliances
when your hands are wet or when the appliances are on
wet surfaces, such as a
countertop that has water on
it. Receptacles within six feet
of a kitchen sink must have a
ground fault circuit interrupter. Check equipment. It's advisable to check the
condition of cords, plugs, and
insulation on double-insulated
tools for signs of fraying or
other damage. In swimming pools. Pool lights and pumps may become
faulty and create hazards.
Make sure your pool has only
properly installed lighting and
equipment. Receptacles near
pools should have ground fault circuit interrupters. If you have questions about
your electrical system or
appliances and tools, you may
wish to consult an electrician
about the best way to ensure
your safety..
Home
