Electrical safety checklist

Electricity is something we take for granted yet it can kill if we do not respect it. It can cause fires when systems are overloaded and get hot. It can give you a nasty shock or even a serious burn. Here are some of the things you should check to make sure that you stay safe.

• Do you have the right size fuse in all your plugs? The fuse is designed to be a weak point in the system and if the weak point is too strong i.e. the fuse in plug has too high a rating the necessary weak point will not be there.
  
  
• Are all electrical cables and wires out of the way of where people will be walking?
  
  
• Is the furniture trapping any electrical cables or wires and putting undue pressure on them?
  
  
• Are any electrical cables and wires knotted or coiled or even held in such a way that the insulation is broken?
  
  
• Are all sockets and switches working properly?
  
  
• Are the sockets or switches cracked or even have pieces missing so wires are exposed?
  
  
• Are televisions, radios and other home entertainment equipment are kept dry, safe from rain and any other sources of water. This also means that vases with water in that could be split accidentally are kept well away from such equipment.
  
  
• Are portable heaters kept well away from anything that could burn such as curtains or newspapers?
  
  
• Are you using one adaptor with another adaptor on one socket? You should only ever use one adaptor on a socket at any one time.
  
  
• Are all plugs wired properly? These days it is illegal to sell new appliances without a plug attached but some older electrical equipment may still have a plug attached by an amateur.
  
  
• Is everything that is not being used left unplugged?
  
  
• Do all the appliances on the kitchen worktops have cables or wires that are kept well away from the sink or hot surfaces?
  
  
• Do all appliances carry the appropriate safety marks?
  
  
• All electrical appliances should kept well away from any sources of water. Therefore only properly wired devices should be found in the bathroom.
  
  
• Have you checked all appliances for loose wires, loose connections and faulty plugs recently?
  
  
• All tools used in the garden or for DIY should be protected by earth leakage circuit breakers.
  
  
• Do you know how to switch off the power supply if necessary?
  
  
• If your home has a fuse box do you know how to replace the fuses? And are all the necessary bits and pieces close at hand in case they are needed urgently? Make sure that you use proper fuse wire rather than any other metal object as these are not safe. Remember though that fuse will only blow for a reason and you need to find out why and correct the problem before replacing the fuse. (Don't forget to work out how you will safely reach the fuse box before you need to do so. It is better to do this in the light of day rather than waiting until the lights go off at night! Also see the article on seeing where you are going without electricity)
  

• If you have trip switches do you know what to do if a circuit trips out? Remember though that a circuit trips out for a reason and you need to find out why and correct the problem before restoring the circuit.
  
  
• Make sure you only buy equipment that is tested to the relevant safety standard.

If there are any problems get them fixed as soon as possible. If fixing them is beyond your ability or you will put yourself at risk by doing so, you need to find someone with the necessary skills, knowledge and tools to help you.