Electrical Safety

Fire Prevention Canada messages 

THE DANGERS OF EXTENSION CORDS:

• Extension cords are a common cause of electrical fires. That is why you must be careful to use only extension cords that are rated for the power used by the device they are powering.       
• Extension cords must never be run inside walls or under rugs or furniture. They can be damaged by traffic or heavy furniture and start arcing, which can lead to a fire. 
• Extension cords can get warm during use and must be able to dissipate this heat or they can start a fire.

SIGNS OF AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM:

• Flickering lights: if the lights dim every time you turn on an appliance it means that the circuit is overloaded or has a loose connection.         
• Sparks: if sparks appear when you insert or remove a plug, it could be a sign of loose connections.   
• Warm electrical cord: if an electrical cord is warm to the touch, the cord is underrated or defective.   
• Frequent blown fuses or broken circuits: a fuse that continues to blow or circuit breaker that keeps tripping is an important warning sign of problems.         
• Frequent bulb burnout: a light bulb that burns out frequently is a sign that the bulb is too high in wattage for the fixture.