Making Electrical Safety A Breeze This Winter
As winter welcomes us with her bitterly cold kisses of snow, wind and ice, we can’t let her catch us slipping on safety. As we spend more time indoors to shield ourselves from winter’s icy touch, our increased dependence on electricity to stay warm can breed avoidable safety hazards.
Stay Safe and Warm
Familiarize yourself with these safety tips so you don’t find yourself desperately deciding between the comfort of warmth and safety in your home.
Never leave a space heater unattended and avoid using near pets and children. Turn heaters off when you go to sleep.
Keep heat-producing appliances, such as toasters, space heaters and irons at least 3 feet away from flammable items.
Never use your oven, grill or clothes dryer to heat your home. This could cause a fire or the buildup of dangerous carbon monoxide gas.
Never fold an electric blanket while using it. This can damage wires inside of the blanket, causing it to overheat or spark.
Gasoline- or diesel-powered generators can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide and should never be operated inside the home or garage.
Keep your cooking area around the stove/oven clear of combustibles, such as towels, napkins, and pot holders.
Have heating equipment & chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Check cords occasionally for signs of wear or damage and never use extension cords as a permanent substitute for safe wiring.
Whether you are working or playing outside, if you must brave the blistering cold of the outdoors this winter, remember these three words while navigating around electrical equipment to stay safe:
Stop. Look. Live.
Every year there are preventable injuries and deaths due to accidental contact with electrical equipment. If you are ever unsure whether an activity poses a safety risk, remember to:
STOP what you’re doing to consider your personal safety before working or playing around power lines or electrical equipment.
LOOK around for potential hazards and ways you might come into contact with electrical equipment and identify a way to avoid the hazard.
LIVE, and prevent serious injury or death by taking precautions to avoid accidental contact with electrical equipment. There is nothing more important than your safety.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook all year long for tips and resources to stay safe when using electricity in and around your home. A variety of safety information for families, contractors, first responders and more is also available at www.firstenergycorp.com/publicsafety.
CONTACT: Josh Duke, 330-374-6544