How To Prevent Electrical Hazards

We might sound like a broken record here, but when it comes to electricity you can never be too careful! At every opportunity, you should be on the look out for how to prevent electrical hazards in your home.

Why? Because electricity is dangerous. A faulty electrical system can cause damage to you, your family and home, business, and even your bank account.

Which is why we can’t recommend highly enough that you have your home’s electrics checked out. And not just by anyone: by a trusted, licensed electrician, for faults, wear and tear, and poor workmanship.

What types of electrical hazards are most likely?

Danger of Electrocution

When electrical equipment is damaged, faulty, or insulated badly, the threat and chance of electrocution increases dramatically. And depending on the electrical equipment, it can be fatal.

Electric Shocks

If a piece of equipment, such as power points and connected power cords, is not properly grounded, it can shock anyone who comes into contact with it.

Hazardous Electrical Burns

An electrical burn can be extremely serious, painful, and can cause long lasting if not permanent damage or scarring. Most electrical burns occur on your feet and hands or wherever the electrical current entered and exited the person’s body.

Secondary Electrical Injuries

When a person experiences an electric shock or burn, they can fall, or tumble. If they happen to fall onto something in close proximity, this could cause further injury.

Property Damage Due to Electrical Hazards

Yes, faulty electrics can not only burn out electrical fittings. However, they can also cause major system failures in appliances. These include your TV, and they can also cause house fires.

This is why when it comes to electrical work, it’s important to know the hazards associated with electricity. You must also follow the law and safety requirements. An electrical safety inspection, conducted by our expert electricians, is the first step. We can make sure your home or workplace is safe from electrical hazards and meets today’s standards.

And we know from experience that when it comes to electrics, there are more than a few older homes in Sydney that need to be brought into the 21st Century!

Now we know the dangers: how to prevent electrical hazards?

Overloaded circuits

This is a super common problem, especially for older homes, that aren’t designed for today’s electrical usage. We rely on electricity way more than we did even 30 years ago. When too many devices are connected to one circuit, it can melt the wire’s insulation. This can cause electrical faults such as arcing (where the electricity jumps), and fire!

Dodgy wiring

Badly installed wiring or incorrect wiring is a real hazard. If an electrical current flows through a wire that’s too small for its intended purpose, any number of problems can occur, including fire due to overheating. Wiring can also lose its insulation. This exposes electricity to the elements like water and dust, and exposes your household to electric shocks.

Hazardous use of temporary wires

DIY is never a smart idea when it comes to electrical work. It’s dangerous and against the law, but that doesn’t seem to stop people! Many electrical incidents are caused due to temporary wiring. This is nowhere near as safe, protected or insulated as properly installed wiring. Which means it can break and deteriorate quicker, leading to… you guessed it, electric shocks, burns and fire!

Luckily, at Electrician To The Rescue we know how to keep your home, family and bank account safe from electrical faults and resulting damage! So give us a call we’ll come round, conduct a safety inspection and help you keep your home running smoothly and safely.