National Electrical Safety Month

This month is National Electrical Safety Month, and although we may not realize it, common electrical appliances in your household can lead to serious injuries, and accidents can even be fatal.

“There’s enough electricity in your house, in the circuits, to be fatal,” said Cameron Campbell, safety administrator for Rocky Mountain Power.

Every year, more than 60 people are electrocuted from consumer products. Are you taking precautions against your outlets and electrical appliances?

“An average household runs on 200 amps. It is enough to be fatal,” said Campbell.

“Electricity is always trying to find it’s way back to the ground, and it’ll travel whatever path is can get, and when you become a part of the path, that’s when injuries happen,” said Campbell.

It seems simple: 30,000 non-fatal shock accidents occur in American homes each year. Make sure electrical cords are not left too close to water. Throw out items with frayed or damaged wires, they can be a fire hazard. Childproof your outlets. Check your power chord extension rating, and never exceed that load.

According to Campbell, you also have to be cautious of electricity outside the home, like downed power lines.

“That’s where we have most our of problems, when people get too close to something that’s energized,” said Campbell.

The best thing to do is to keep yourself and others away from the downed power line and call your local power company to assess the situation.

Also, anything from climbing trees that are close to power lines to standing on an aluminum ladder. It’s the little things that we really need to watch out for.

Don’t forget the dangers of digging in your back yard. Call 811 to find out where electrical lines are located.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 70 percent of child-related electrical accidents occur at home when adult supervision is present.