Accidents Caused By Electricity

From an accident prevention point of view electricity is a problem, you can't see hear or smell it, which does make things difficult when trying to educate the young about the dangers. Most adults understand the dangers of electricity whilst children, especially small children, do not understand just how lethal electricity can be and how their actions could put them in danger.

Many of the appliances around the home use electricity so it is important to understand the dangers and develop good habits to minimise the chances of an accident. Below are some tips which could help :-

- cover all electrical outlets with plug socket guards when not in use

- don't overburden an electrical outlet

- don't run leads under carpets

- routinely check cables and appliances for damage

- if your not a qualified electrician don't mess with electricity

- don't use light bulbs that have the wrong wattage for the fixture

- place appliances and cables out of the reach of children or try and hide cables behind heavy pieces of furniture

- keep water away from electrical appliances (no vase of flowers on the tv !!)

- turn off and unplug any unused appliances

- take extra care with electric blankets (they cause over 5,000 fires each year)if you use one make sure it has the British Standard Kitemark

- never throw water on an electric fire