Electricity and fire: friends or foes ?

As we all know, electricity is a good servant but a real bad master. While it can be used to provide comfort in various ways (light, heat, cooking, transport, communications, etc), any slight misuse or carelessness is likely to cause a shock or a fire, both of which can result in serious injury or even death. While life without electricity is unthinkable, its improper use could even make you will loose your life.

                With higher standards of living and the availability of an ever-increasing number of electrical appliances that make life more comfortable, it is very likely that many households will connect more items to their electric outlets than they had envisaged at the time of the initial laying of electric wires in the house. overloading an electrical circuit is one the major fire hazards.

                Poor quality fixtures, improper maintenance and repairs can lead to electric shocks. Hence, it is prudent to put in extra-thick wire for the anticipated loads right at the beginning instead of having to suffer fires caused by short-circuiting, blown fuses, or undertaking costly wire replacements.

                Automatic circuit breakers are better than wire fuses whose effectiveness can all too easily be annulled by using a thicker wire than necessary for the specific amperage/load.

                The box containing electrical cutouts ad fuses should be easily approachable. It should not be locked. All mature members of the family should know how to use the fuse-box and what to do in times of emergency.

                Label all the fuses and circuit breakers so that the room or appliance to which each is connected is easily identifiable.

                This comes in handy during an emergency. Do not rely on your memory.

There should be a main switch for each room so that it can be used in case of an emergency. Having to run to the main switch for the entire house, which may be located on a floor other than the one where emergency has arisen, could be difficult. This could have a fatal effect because in electrical emergencies even seconds count.

Do not play with electrical switches. Some of the poorer quality ones may become loose or get broken, and when used give a shock. Any cracked, broken, or exposed switch, plug, or socket must be replaced right away.

On all electrical appliances, 3-wire plugs should be used. The electrical ground or earth should be a definitive one and not a superfluous one. With sophisticated and costly electronic items and personal computers, etc. being used these days, the need for the proper earthing has become more important.