Electrical Safety While Working from Home

While many people around the world are spending most of their time in their homes, that means more time to ensure your home is fire-safe.  Companies and businesses are asking employees to work from home if possible, and there’s much that’s uncertain in these times, but one thing can be certain: A home is meant to be safe and protective.

Do you have a home office or work from home?

Follow these electrical safety tips to keep you and your home safe from electrical hazards.  By taking simple precautions, everyone can avoid electrical-related fires, injuries, and property loss.

• Avoid overloading outlets
• Unplug appliances when not in use to save energy and minimize the risk of shock or fire
• Regularly inspect electrical cords and extension cords for damage
• Extension cords should only be used on a temporary basis
• Never plug a space heater or fan into an extension cord or power strip
• Never run cords under rugs/carpets, doors, or windows
• Plug in smartly. Make sure cords do not become tripping hazards
• Keep papers and other potential combustibles at least three feet away from space heaters and other heat sources
• Make sure you use proper wattage for lamps/lighting
• Make sure your home has smoke alarms that are up to Maryland code. Test them monthly, change batteries yearly, and replace the unit every 10 years
• Don’t leave laptops and phones charging on beds or sofas
• Protect your electronics and appliances with whole-house surge protection

With this increased usage, electrical surges can happen and damage or destroy expensive electronics and home appliances. Most newer appliances, cable boxes, exercise machines are at risk as it does not take much of a surge to destroy these items. Protect your entire home with a whole-house surge protector.

Learn the warning signs of an overloaded electrical system:

• Frequent tripping of circuit breakers or blowing of fuses
• Dimming of lights when other devices are turned on
• Buzzing sound from switches or outlets
• Discolored outlets
• Appliances seem under-powered

Wherever you work, it is always important to be safe, and electrical safety should be a top priority. Awareness of electrical hazards is the key to reducing the staggering number of electrically related home fires, injuries, and deaths that occur every year.