Making Your Home 'Electricity- Safe'

What do you think is the scariest thing at home?

Many of you would say that your home is very much protected and may be the thought of somebody sneaking inside could be a bit terrifying. No! According to a recent survey 'electricity' is one of the scariest things for Indian households. With hundreds of electrical fires each year and other thousands of minor accidents that go unreported, the issue definitely demands attention. The surprise element of this survey report was that more than half of the reported electrical accidents at homes arise due to negligence on the part of the residents.

We all want our loved ones to be safe and with a little bit of effort and caution we can definitely ensure this.

So, here comes a checklist to make your home electricity-safe:

# Electrical Wiring: The life span of electrical systems is around 30 years and if your residential property is celebrating its 30 + anniversary then it's definitely time for a check. You can ask your electrician to do that for you. In addition to this, if you witness issues like regular flickering of lights, shrinking of TV pictures, visibly damaged wires, buzzing sounds from panels and frequently blown up fuses/trips at home then the reason for this could be the faulty wires.

# Sockets and Switches: Switches become a source of a potential safety hazard once worn out or damaged and hence you should replace them immediately. In case, you witness any kind of discoloration over the sockets then the reason for it could be the overheating of wires beneath it and this needs a check as well.

As a preventive measure, always go for child-friendly sockets and panels if you have kids at home.

#Power and Extension Cords: Ensure that all electrical cords at home including the one between power supply, extension cords and wall outlets are secure without any kind of exposed prongs. With this, you also need to also take care that the plugs fit in properly into their outlets and you don't need to force them inside. And, yes! never try to overload any circuit or extension cord as it could lead to a short-circuit or a fuse blow( you need check their capacity first before plugging anything in).

# Using Standard Electrical Fixtures: Never just never, try to save money on electrical fixtures and use only standard devices/ fittings and that too from a quality supplier (ISI marked) for everything from electrical cables to power sockets and switches at your residence.

If by any chance, some electrical fire accident happens then switch off the main supply immediately and never use water to extinguish the fire, instead use sand or a Class C fire extinguisher and call the fire department( Emergency helpline Number: 101) at the earliest.

Try to follow these simple tips and make your home a safe abode.

If you have any concerns about such hazards or wish to add something to the checklist, then do share it with us. It would be of great help!!