Prevention is always better

You can avoid many household electrical accidents by doing some basic electrical safety checks around your home. While any electrical installation and maintenance work must only be handled by a licensed local electrician, there are also things you could do to stay safe.

We look at what you can do around the home to secure your home from electrical accidents.

1. Check your appliances

Do not use appliances that are not accredited by Standards Australia. Always remember to unplug any device not in use. Keep them out of children’s reach.

For appliances that use heat (irons, electric heaters, etc.), make sure they gain enough air circulation.

Read manuals and always put appliances away from water or any possible wet areas.

2. Check your outlets

Outlets are exposed to a lot of things including your pets and kids. Make sure you cover outlets or childproof caps to avoid accidents. Use outlets mindfully. Never overload them with adapters and power lines.

3. Check your cords

Cords are useful to extend the reach of electrical appliances but constant use also poses danger. To avoid these, make sure you check your cords regularly for cracks, kinks, burns, or frays. Cords should be plugged fully or securely into your outlet. If they are loose, you may need to replace the outlet.

4. Test safety switches monthly

According to electricians in our Tradebusters® Connect Top 3 Local Choice network, you should test your safety switches monthly. This tells you if they are operating correctly.

If the test button doesn’t activate the safety switch or turn back on, that indicates a fault. Make sure you get a licensed electrician in as soon as possible to investigate further and fix it.

5. Use proper smoke detectors and LED lights

Firstly, always check to see if your smoke detectors are working properly. You simply need to press the test button. Best practice is to replace batteries every 6 months.

To save on energy costs, you may also want to downgrade to LED.

Make sure the lights are properly installed to avoid mistakes. You can ask a Sydney electrician to do this and check the rest of your lights.

Find a local electrician in Sydney right here

If you are looking for a reliable electrician in Sydney you can also try one from our Tradebusters Connect Top 3 Local Choice directory. The details of highly recommended local electricians in Sydney are listed here and you can contact them directly today.