Electricity - is your home safe?

The two year old little girl who died last week in Johannesburg after being electrocuted in her home should have alarms bells ringing in every parent or guardians ears.

Do you know whether your home is safe for yourself and your children when it comes to electricity in your home?

With ever increasing technology, there are more and more gadgets and appliances that need electricity to run and therefore need more power sources and outlets in your home. If you have children, these power points propose a very real danger.

Children are naturally inquisitive, and often mimic what their parents do, and they may want to play with a plug point after seeing their parent or guardian changing plugs and switching on the power. What would seem more natural to a child than fitting their tiny fingers into the almost perfectly sized hole in a wall? It is therefore absolutely necessary to have all open wall sockets fitted with safety plugs so that little ones do not have the urge to explore what would be in these small holes.

The voltage that surges through the adult body after and electrical shock in the home would cause some pain and discomfort and definite fright, but think about the same voltage surging through a young child's body! This could cause significant damage to their organs and they could go into immediate cardiac and respiratory arrest.

General safety tips in your home should be to inspect your appliances regularly, making sure that the power cords are not cracked or frayed; do not overload power sockets by having too many appliances plugged in; if an appliance sparks or smokes when it is switched on, replace the appliance immediately; make sure there are no unprotected live wiring sources in or around the home, think about DIY projects that you may have started where you would need to rewire an area, such as placing lights in your garden or setting up a pool pump.

Older houses, with older circuit boards and older technology when it comes to electrical wiring, are more at risk for short circuits and possible electrocutions. Have your circuits checked on a regular basis by a professional electrician.

Should an electrical shock occur, contact your local emergency services immediately or ER24 on 084 124, and do not touch the patient unless you are certain it is absolutely safe to do so.

Remember, the onus is on every parent or guardian to educate their children when it comes to safety around electricity in your home.