How to Stay Safe from Electric Shock?

As electricians, we know this: electricity is awesome! It keeps our homes lit, comfortable, and equipped with the electronics we love. However, the danger of electric shock is a potentially fatal one that every homeowner needs to keep in mind.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International estimates that 30,000 Americans suffer electrical shocks in their homes each year. That’s too many — especially since safe electrical use eliminates the risk of electric shock. Since we are focused on keeping electricity awesome — and safe — we want to give you the best ways to prevent electric shock in your home.

How to Prevent an Electrical Shock at Home

Here are some simple and safe ways to avoid electrical shocks:

Do not cut through a wall that may have electrical wires within them.
Do not use damaged or defective outlets, power strips, or extension cords.
Keep wet hands away from outlets.
Avoid or dispose of frayed electrical cords
Install ground fault circuit interrupters in your home

Below are some additional and more detailed ways to keep you, your family, and your home safe from electrical accidents.

Never use a power tool to cut through a wall if you don’t know what’s on the other side.

Good advice in general — but crucial advice if there’s a chance that charged electrical wires could be on the other side.

Connecting the metal blade of a power tool to the wiring in a wall can lead to dangerous electric shock.

Install tamper-resistant outlets.

Of the 30,000 electrical shocks every year, 2,000 of those shocks injure children. The number one electric shock risk for children is that they stick their fingers or metal objects into outlets.

Now mandated by the National Electric Code, tamper-resistant outlets are designed to prevent electric shock by blocking anything but a plug from connecting to the electrical source.

This completely prevents the possibility of shock from an outlet. Work with us to upgrade your outlets to the tamper-resistant variety.

If you don’t want to install tamper-resistant outlets, at least use outlet covers.

Tamper-resistant outlets set the standard of electrical safety. However, if you don’t want to make the switch yet, basic outlet covers can provide you with some protection.

These inexpensive plastic caps do a good job of keeping foreign objects out of outlets. However, even a young child has the ability to pull them out, exposing the dangerous outlet.

Keep wet hands away from outlets.

One of the simplest causes of electric shock is also the most common and the deadliest. Although everyone knows that wet hands conduct electricity, people in a hurry still make the mistake of plugging in or unplugging electronics with wet hands.

This most frequently occurs in the kitchen or the bathroom — when people are in a hurry.

Have an electrician remove unsafe outlets or other electrical system components.

Outlets within a certain proximity to sinks violate the NEC because they are unsafe, putting homeowners at risk for electric shock.

In addition, some outdated electrical panels prove both a shock and fire hazard. In order to remove these hazards, bring out an electrician to remove or replace these hazards.

Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters in Your Home

A ground fault circuit interrupter is a safety countermeasure that cuts the power when it detects a current flowing through an uninterrupted path, like a person.

Mandated for all new homes by the National Electric Code, these devices are one of the most powerful tools to prevent electric shock and electrocution in your home.

Bring out a Mister Sparky® of Lancaster electrician for an electrical safety inspection.

Keeping electricity fun—and not dangerous is easier said than done. However, our expert electricians in Lancaster can examine your electrical system for the signs of a dangerous electric shock.

Among the many important services Mister Sparky® of Lancaster's electricians perform for our customers, an electrical safety inspection is one of the most important ways to protect against electric shock and electrical fire hazards.

5 Ways to Prevent Electric Shock