Electrical injuries can be life-threatening, especially to young children. Around the home, there’s a number of potential causes of electrocution accidents. Our team has put together a list of tips to help you protect your family from electrocution injuries around the house.
Tips to Prevent Electrocution Injuries:
- Don’t use the circuit breaker switches to power on and off circuits. This can cause damage to the breaker, and it may cause electrical shocks.
- Know how to turn off the power in an emergency. Generally, there will be a disconnect switch on or near your main circuit breaker.
- Avoid using power tools to cut through walls when you are unsure of what is inside the wall. If a metal tool connects with live wiring in the wall, it can have deadly results.
- Have a professional electrician install tamper-resistant outlets. These outlets can prevent children from sticking little fingers or other objects into the outlet. Many areas mandate that new development uses these outlets automatically, but many older homes do not have tamper-proof outlets. If you do not want to upgrade your outlets, invest in child-proof outlet covers.
- Keep outlets covered by furniture when possible. Placing a piece of furniture can help keep children from playing with plugged-in cords or the outlet itself.
- Avoid reaching near outlets with wet hands. This includes plugging in or unplugging appliances, as well as using electrical appliances, with wet hands. Water is highly conductive and can transfer electricity from the outlet to your body. These accidents are common in the kitchen and in the bathroom—especially when you are in a hurry.
- Hire a professional electrician to replace outlets in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or other spaces where there may be water with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) outlets, which can protect you against electric shock by interrupting the electrical circuit when there’s a surge or short in the circuit.
- Schedule a full inspection of your home’s electrical system. They can advise you about any dangerous electrical wiring, damaged components, and other issues with your home’s electrical system, as well as what can be done to make your home’s electrical system safe.
- Always check all power cords and extension cords for damage before plugging them in. Damaged shielding or frayed wires can cause an unexpected shock.
Protecting your family is important, and our team at the Paulsen Law Group is dedicated to ensuring that your family is protected. If you or a loved one has been injured by another’s negligence, our experienced Tampa Bay personal injury attorneys are prepared to help you understand your legal options and assist you in every step of your case. Let our legal team fight for your rights and ensure that you receive the compensation you’re entitled to. Schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help you today.
Contact our law firm by calling (727) 270-8260.