Electrical Safety Around the Home
Don’t ignore the signs of electical problems in your home.
Safety first
There are two important things that come out of this infographic. Don’t do your own electrical work and get smoke alarms installed. If you do have an electrical emergency, don’t try and fix it yourself. Call Glenn and the team at South East Electrical. We can be onsite withing the hour.
DIY home electrical work
Master Electricians Australia reported that 15 people died of preventable electrical accidents in the home and around 300 are hospitalised each year.
Home repairs doesn’t include doing home electrical work. In fact there are large fines for performing your own electrical work. Fines of up to $40,000. It’s not worth putting yourself and bank account at risk. Instead call a qualified electrician. Get them to put in safety switches if you don’t already have them. A professional electrician will inspect your circuit board to see that it is functioning properly. Let them do the work they are trained to do and you can sit back in the knowledge that your home is safe.
Don’t ignore the signs of electrical problems, arrange a safety audit of your property.
House fires
House fires can be minimised if there are working smoke alarms.
In 2017 in Victoria there were over 1500 preventable house fires causing more than $42 million dollars in damage. In many cases there were no smoke alarms or inadequate smoke alarms. Smoke alarms do save lives. This is one investment that should not be overlooked.
You are also required by law to have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in all bedrooms, in hallways that connect bedrooms with the rest of the house, and on every level.
Do you know what to do in the case of a fire?
Do your children know what to do? it is probably time to organise an emergency plan.
In the case of an electrical fire DO NOT use water to put the fire out.
Water conducts electricity and can deliver a potentially deadly shock. If possible, unplug the item that is causing the fire. Call emergency and and don't put you or your family at risk.
Do you have an extinguisher at home?
Do you know how to use it? Read the instructions before it is too late.
