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What Homeowners Should Know About Electrical Safety
(NAPS)-One month may be all it takes to learn more about your home's electrical system and discover potentially hazardous problems. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there was an annual average of 104,500 (unintentional, electrical, residential structure) fires from 1999 to 2003, which resulted in 500 deaths, 4,280 injuries and nearly $1.5 billion in property loss. CPSC's latest data (2003) indicate there were an estimated 160 electrocutions related to consumer products. "Knowledge can save your life," said Brett C. Brenner, president of the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). "If you know the signs of an overloaded electrical circuit or how to test a ground fault circuit interrupter {GFCI}outlet, you can prevent electrocution or electrical fires." ESFIrecommends homeowners set aside four weeks to focus on a different electrical safety issue. Week 1: Use ESFI's Indoor Electrical Safety Checklist to evaluate the electrical safety issues each week. Week 2: Use ESFI's Outdoor Electrical Safety Checklist to ensure that you Look Up! Look Down! Look Out! for safety. And remember to call 811 before you dig, to prevent electrocution from underground power lines. Week 3: If your window air- conditioning unit is connected by extension cords to the other side of the room, it's time to learn more about the safe use of extension cords. Download ESFI's brochure, "Use Extension Cords Safely!" Week 4: Electrical safety begins at home but it shouldn't end there. If your power strip looks like a bowl of spaghetti, you're putting yourself-and your co-workers-at risk of electrical shock and electrical fire. During the final week of the month, perform an electrical safety inspection of your office.Taking these simple safety precautions could prevent you from being one of the thousands of people injured or even killed by prevent-able electrical hazards each year. For more information about electrical safety, go to www.electri cal-safety.org.
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