Every year in the United States, an estimated 30,000 non-fatal electrical shock episodes occur, according to estimates. In this group, children, particularly toddlers and adolescents, accounting for 20% of the total number of cases. Burn unit admissions account for 5% of all electrical injuries, which is a significant number.
Electrical difficulties are also the cause of hundreds of home fires each year in the United States. For example, electrical failures were the cause of 6.8 percent of all home fires in the United States in 2018. This equates to around 25,800 house fires caused by defective electrical components every year in the United States.
That should be sufficient motivation for you to understand how to prevent electrical shock events in your home environment. Many of the measures for preventing electrical injuries can also be used to assist prevent home fires from erupting.
This is why we've compiled this list of measures to assist you to avoid the danger of electric shock when cooking in your home kitchen. Take a look at them, and be sure you become familiar with these electrical safety procedures as soon as possible.
Install electrical wall outlet covers (if necessary).
Electrical wall outlet covers, often known as "plates" or "boxes," are used to conceal sockets on electrical wall outlets. A few are slidable, while others are more like little doors, and many "click" or "clamp" into place on the actual wall plate. Regardless of the method, their purpose is to keep fingertips (particularly those of curious children) safe.
Therefore, these electric shock protection devices are a must-have in any home where there are babies or toddlers present. The use of these plugs can also assist to prevent moisture and dirt from leaking into the holes of wall outlets in the kitchen.
If your hands are wet, avoid handling cords and plugs.
It is not possible to combine electricity with water since the former can move through the latter. It is able to do so because of the ions present in the dissolved salts and metals present in water. The water becomes an electrolyte as a result of the presence of these microscopic particles. In the scenario described above, the water does not yet have a net charge. When you include electric voltage into the mix, though, things may become a little hairy. This addition has the potential to cause the formation of a current inside the liquid to occur.
Now, bear in mind that the normal adult human body is composed of 50 to 60 percent water, which explains why the body is an excellent conductor of electricity in the first place. Consequently, if you hold a plugin in your wet hands, you run the possibility of an electric charge flowing through your hands. If this occurs, you will very certainly suffer an electrical shock.
As a result, carefully dry wet hands before unplugging electrical items for your own protection. This should be followed not just when working with kitchen appliances, but also when working with any other electronic devices.
You may wish to invest in some microfiber hand towels to help keep things safer in the kitchen (and the bathroom). Because one inch of such materials contains around 200,000 microfibers, they make excellent dryers. As a result, they are an excellent method of drying your hands (and your dishes too).
A dedicated outlet should be provided for larger appliances.
Electric stoves, dishwashers, and refrigerators sometimes require their own dedicated electrical outlet. It is recommended that no other device is connected to the same socket as they are in such situations.
There is a potential for a power surge, which can result in an electrical shock if not taken care of immediately. This incident has the potential to trip your circuit breaker as well.
Even worse, plugging an excessive number of electrical devices into the same socket might cause a circuit overload. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of an electrical fire spreading throughout your whole home.
No matter how little an item is, it is never a good idea to plug it into the same electrical outlet as a larger device. If you have too few electrical outlets in your kitchen, you might consider hiring an electrician to add more.
Disconnect appliances from the wall outlet by pulling on the plug itself.
When disconnecting appliances, take them out by the plug rather than pulling on their cords to avoid damaging them. If you pull on the cable too hard, it might cause damage to the wires on the inside of the cable. Even worse, it has the potential to fracture or crack the rubber coating of the cables, exposing the live wires underneath.
Moving electrical appliances as far away from water sources as possible is an excellent precaution.
One method of preventing electric shock injuries in the kitchen is to utilize equipment as far away from the sink as possible when cooking. If at all feasible, place tiny gadgets on a countertop on the other side of the sink from where the sink is.
This helps to minimize inadvertent spills on your devices, which might pose a risk to your safety because of the electricity. Excessive liquid spills should also be avoided because they might cause harm to smaller equipment.
Extending cords should be used sparingly.
When it comes to sharing wall outlets, it is best not to rely on extension cords on a regular basis. In addition, you should only use one appliance per extension cord to avoid overloading the system. The prevention of electrical overloads, which can result in not only shock injuries but also fires, can be achieved in this way.
Excessive reliance on extension cords is sometimes a sign that you have insufficient number of electrical outlets. Additionally, in this situation, it is recommended that you consider employing a certified electrician. They may add extra outlets not only in your kitchen but also throughout the rest of your residence.
Lastly, get your home's electrical system checked out.
Electrical shocks and fires are frequently caused by faulty wiring, which is one of the most prevalent causes. The fact is that this is a problem in many older homes throughout the United States.
For starters, more than half of all owner-occupied homes in the United States were built before the year 1980. Many of these structures are still reliant on the old electrical infrastructure.
So, if you live in an older home and have never had it rewired, now is the perfect time to have an electrician come in and have a look at things. The professional will be able to determine how safe your current electrical system is in this manner. Depending on how antiquated it is, it may be necessary to get it changed.
With These Tips, you can reduce the risk of electrical shock injuries and fires.
As you can see, there are several ways to protect your family against electrical shock injuries and fires in your house. It might be as simple as drying your hands before touching plugs to make a difference. When possible, however, it is better to engage a professional electrician, particularly if you reside in an older house or if you make frequent use of electrical extension cables.
Interested in more useful safety guidelines like this to assist you in maintaining the safety and security of your home or business? Please feel free to peruse our other blog postings on topics such as property management, technology, and home renovation. Then, don't forget to bookmark our website in your browser's bookmark bar!
Summary (To Reduce The Electric Shocks)
- Do not use the circuit breaker as an "on/off" switch by "flipping" it. This has the potential to cause harm to the breaker.
- Make certain that all personnel are aware of how to shut down the power in an emergency.
- When touching wires or plugs, make sure your hands are completely dry.
- To separate the plug from the outlet, pull on the plug rather than the cable.
- Please remove the cord if it becomes wet or if you are standing in water while using the cord. Do not connect it to anything.
- Cords should not be strung over pathways. This has the potential to harm the cable.
- Remind your employees to report any potential concerns.
- If you are handling a wire or plug that contains exposed wiring, it is recommended that you discard the cord. Only the insulated portion of a plug or cord should be handled.
- If in doubt, have a certified electrician inspect the kitchen wiring, outlets, and switches to ensure that the system is suitable for use in a damp environment before proceeding.
- When working in rainy conditions, only utilize cables that include Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs).
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