In This Post
–What is Electrocution?
–Electrical Safety Tips
–Ways to Help An Electrocuted Victim
There is no denying the fact that electricity is one of the most essential utilities at home, but at the same time, it can be extremely hazardous if not handled properly. In today’s world, our household routine depends on many different types of electrical appliances as well as sockets and switches, which are installed in our homes. These electrical instruments, if used in an unsafe way, can easily become a source of the incident of electrocution or can even trigger an electrical fire. So, if you want to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from the hazards of electricity, you need to take a note of the most useful electrical safety tips for your home that we are going to talk about further in this piece.
Before we list down and discuss necessary electrical safety precautions for your home, let’s give you a quick overview of the phenomenon of electrocution and the intensity of risk it poses to a household.
What is Electrocution?
Wondering what electrocution is? Well, it is an electrical injury, which may result in sudden death or long term illness. It happens when sudden electric shocks enter your body, directly affecting the nervous system and blood vessels. Victims of electrocution can definitely survive, but it depends on the intensity of the current. For example, the chances of survival after electrocution due to low-voltage current are higher than electrocution due to high-voltage current. Victims of electrical injuries need urgent medical attention and treatment to recover otherwise the results can be fatal.
Useful Electrical Safety Tips for your home
Here are some of the most useful electrical safety tips that will keep everyone safe from the harm and help prevent electrical fire incidents in your home.
- The most obvious and important electrical safety tip is to never touch any electrical equipment with wet hands. The electricity flows faster in water than in any other medium and our body is also a good conductor of electricity. If you can’t avoid touching a socket or appliance, wear an insulating material like plastic or rubber gloves before doing so.
- Do you have any open or damaged electrical wiring at home? If yes, then replace or cover it right away, especially if you have children at home. You can use a tape to cover the open wiring or get a wooden box built around it so it doesn’t remain exposed.
- Another important tip to ensure your safety from electric current is to avoid using the extension cord as a substitute for home wiring, which has become a norm these days. However, what most people don’t know is that putting excessive electrical loads on an extension cord can also be very harmful and can trigger electrical fire at home.
Note: It is better to avoid the use of extension cords in your home as much as possible. If it’s unavoidable, get an electrician to ensure safe wiring.
- The same goes for the case of the electrical outlets installed in your home. Sockets in your living place are basically designed to handle a certain amount of energy. Overloading them by plugging too many devices at a time can result in hazardous incidents like electrocution, explosion or fire.
- Keep electrical equipment, appliances, and outlets away from water as a liquid conducts electricity, which means even the slightest exposure can be a dangerous mix leading to hazardous circumstances. So, one of the most useful electrical safety precautions for your home is to ensure that plugs and wires around your living space don’t get wet and you need to be extra cautious during the rainy season.
By taking note of these electrical safety precautions, you can also prevent the incidents of an electrical fire in your home.
What to Do When Someone Gets Electrocuted?
As we stated earlier, the after-effects of an electric shock can be anywhere from long term injuries to instant death. However, knowing what needs to be done in such a situation could save someone from dying. So, has anyone been electrocuted in your home? Well, here’s what you need to do as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival.
- Check for the source of the electrical shock. The very first thing you need to do is to shut down or to disconnect the source of the current. Remember that electric current can easily pass through the victim and into you so you need to be extra cautious. You can always cover up yourself with an insulating material before touching the electrocuted victim.
- One of the best ways to help a victim of electrocution is calling for help as quickly as possible. The quicker you call for help, the sooner it will arrive. Be calm and explain your situation properly and clearly so that they can easily understand what you are trying to say.
- The body temperature of the victim may quickly fluctuate and they may start to feel cold. In such a case, you should wrap them in a thermal blanket, which will help in keeping their body temperature regulated. Don’t abandon the victim and wait for the emergency services with them.
Note: Try not to cover the victim’s body if there are untreated burns or large wounds. When placing the blanket over them, try to be as gentle as possible so that you won’t hurt them.
We hope these electrical safety tips for your home will help you. Stay safe everyone!
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Meanwhile, you might also be interested in reading our blogs about home fire safety tips and ways to keep yourself safe during the incident of urban flooding.
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