Electrical shocks and fires lead to several tragedies every year and investigation reports suggest that most of them could have been avoided. Ignoring electrical safety standards can have dire consequences including both a loss of property and life. Therefore, it is recommended that we all take the time to know more about common electrical hazards and how they can be avoided.

Damaged, Old Wiring

Frayed, damaged, and exposed wiring can remain undetected for a long time. In buildings where periodic inspections are avoided in fear of the ensuing EICR cost, undetected damaged electrical wiring is a common electrical hazard. Old and damaged wiring remains one of the most common reasons behind short circuits, house fires, electrocutions, and voltage fluctuations.

Faulty wiring can be a result of poor installation, but it is more often a side effect of long-term neglect. Unless the wiring in your home was recently checked and an electrical test certificate for safety was provided by a licensed electrician, there is no way to be sure of whether there is old, exposed wiring behind the walls.

Get your home’s electrical test certificate for safety by ordering an EICR inspection every 3 – 5 years. That’s a mandatory electrical safety testing protocol, which all landlords must undertake. For ensuring the safety of your home and family, the 5-yearly EICR certificate cost is nothing to worry too much over. Besides, you can always calculate your EICR certificate cost online and work with a fixed-rate electrical testing service provider for better value.

Outlet Overloads

If any of your electrical outlets are being supplied by underpowered wiring, an outlet overload is almost like a ticking timebomb. Eventually, you will end up plugging in something that will overload the outlet. This will in most cases damage the plugged-in device, but in worst-case scenarios, an overloaded plug may also lead to electrical fires and serious shocks.

Sometimes, an outlet will overload even if the wiring behind it is up to the outlet’s amperage standards. That is likely to happen if you plug multiple electronic devices into one outlet. Avoid using multi plugs, power strips, and extension cords as much as possible.

The same can happen even when just a single device is plugged but the device requires more amperage than the outlet can deliver. For example, water heaters and power drills should only be plugged into outlets with sufficient wattage to handle 30A – 50A requirements. You can find out more about electrical outlets and equipment safety standards here.

Ground Faults

Grounding is an essential step that must be taken before any electrically connected building can even be considered safe to use. However, the earthing wire can fail over time, especially in buildings without an up-to-date electrical test certificate.

When the earthing starts to fail, mild to moderate shocks will be the first noticeable signs. Smartphones and laptops to water heaters and hair dryers will all start to deliver electric shocks on being held. As the current cannot travel into the ground properly anymore, it will start traveling into people instead. This can and often does lead to deadly electrocutions.