Home Electrical Safety

According to the EFSi, arcing faults cause more than 30,000 home fires each year in the US alone, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries - atop more than $750 million in property damage. The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) estimates that AFCIs could prevent more than 50% of these electrical fires each year.

According to the EFSi:

• Extension cords hidden in walls or under carpets can cause them to overheat, possibly leading to a dangerous arc-fault
• The most common AFCIs are advanced circuit breakers that replace the standard breakers in a home's electrical service panel
• The National Electrical Code® currently requires that AFCIs be installed in bedrooms and living areas of all newly constructed homes
• Standard circuit breakers can easily be upgraded to AFCIs
• AFCIs need to be tested monthly to ensure their efficacy

The EFSi also cites that approximately 2,400 children suffer from shocks and/or burns from sticking foreign objects into outlets - that's nearly 7 a day in the US alone. It's estimated that there are 6 to 12 fatalities a year related to this. Tamper-Resistant Receptacles (TRRs) look ordinary from the outside, but inside they contain spring-loaded cover plates designed to close off the receptacle openings, or slots, when anything other than a standard plug is inserted. When a standard plug is inserted, equal pressure is simultaneously applied to both sides, and the receptacle's cover plates open to allow the plug to make proper connection with the receptacle. Tamper-Resistant Receptacles have been required in hospital pediatric care facilities for more than 20 years, according to the EFSi. They've been proven so effective that the National Electrical Code now requires them to be installed in all newly built homes.

TRRs cost roughly 50¢ more than a traditional receptacle. In homes being newly constructed, TRRs would add as little as $50 to the total cost of the home. In existing homes, standard electrical outlets can be replaced with TRRs for as little as $2 an outlet – a very small price to pay for a safer living space.

A U.S. CPSC's study, cited by the EFSi, has concluded that there are nearly 400 electrocutions in the U.S. each year. Roughly 15% of these are related to consumer products, and about 8% involve power drills, saws, sanders, hedge trimmers, and other electric power tools. Additionally, 9% of product-related electrocutions each year are caused by accidents involving lawn or garden equipment and ladders, which come into contact with overhead power lines. Electrical conductors do not always have to be touching an electrical source to receive its current; currents can jump to the nearest conductor from up to 10 feet away.

Here are some power tool safety tips outlined by the EFSi:

• Use GFCIs with every power tool to help protect against electrical shock
• Do not use power tools with an extension cord exceeding 100 feet in length
• Never use power tools near live electrical wires or water pipes
• Use extreme caution when cutting or drilling into walls where electrical wires or water pipes could be accidentally touched/penetrated
• If a power tool trips a safety device (ie. GFCI, AFCI) while in use, take the tool to a manufacturer-authorized repair center for service
• When working with electricity, use tools that have insulated grips.
• Wear all appropriate personal protective gear when using power tools
• Do not use power tools without proper guards
• When using a wet-dry vacuum cleaner or pressure washer, follow all of the manufacturer's instructions to avoid electric shock