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General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

CLUING YOUR KIDS UP ON THE DANGERS OF ELECTRICITY (Guest Post)

As we move into a technological world, electricity has become a big part of our lifestyles, from our televisions at homes to our computers in our workplace. It’s more than likely that you’ve probably been shocked by static electricity before, like when you walk across carpet or when you go to touch a car door, but as electricity becomes a vital part of modern life, we forget just how dangerous electricity can be. According the electrical safety council, during 2011/2012, there were 2,899 fires, 223 injuries and 10 deaths from electricity supply such as wiring, cabling and plugs. These figures emphasise just how important it is to treat electricity with respect.

Children are naturally curious and don’t know the dangers of electricity. With your children growing up in the technological generation, it is vital to educate them so that they understand the dangers of electricity. Of course you don’t want to completely frighten your children, but teaching them the basics about the power of electricity can keep them safe.  Here’s a few methods you can use to get your kids more clued up about electrical hazards.

Safety Lessons

Although electricity safety starts in the early years of school, it’s important that you educate them at home as well. Make learning fun by giving your children some fun activities to complete around electrical safety. There are lots of different child friendly YouTube videos on electrical safety as well as interactive games and quizzes available on the internet that they can complete to help them remember important facts.

If your children are slightly older (8 and above) get involved with your children by starting to let them use electrical appliances themselves. Give them the opportunity to show you how they understand the dangers of electricity by letting them, for example, show you how to work a microwave in a safe way. Supervise them and talk them through the steps until they can talk you through the steps themselves. Praise your children to show them how pleased you are that they understand how to be safe around electrical devices and they’ll feel rewarded.

Lead by example

You’re children learn a lot from the way you behave so don’t let your child catch you mistreating electrical objects, as its more than likely that they follow your bad habits. So when you go next go to get your piece of toast out of the toaster with a metal knife, don’t – for your own safety as well as your child’s.

Make sure you don’t leave any electrical appliances unattended or cords draping over surfaces, where small hands and mouths might be able to get hold of.  Keep any appliances out of reach and for smaller electrical appliances, like a hairdryer, make sure you store them away or put them in a place out of reach of your children.

Check your appliances

Take the time to take a look at your appliances to see if they are safe. It is sometimes possible to see when your appliances look unsafe, for example if the cords are looking frayed or if there are any burn marks on the sockets. If any of your electrical cords are looking this way, don’t try and ‘patch’ them up as this is only increase the danger for you and your family.  If you don’t trust your own judgement, it’s always worth getting in an expert with electrical test equipment to double check your devices and replace them.

Make it clear to your children that electricity is dangerous

If you have very young children that are too young to understand detailed explanations about the dangers of electricity, be clear and use strong, consistent language so they learn to understand that they are not to approach electrical devices because they are dangerous.  As they start to get older you can gradually start to begin to give them more detailed explanations as to why electrical appliances are dangerous.

The earlier you start to teach your children about the dangers of electricity, the better educated they will be, reducing the risks of them getting hurt.

 Our thanks to Katharine Ogilvie,  katherine@fountainpartnership.co.uk;

Fountain Partnership Ltd is registered in England and Wales as company number 7551957

 

General Safety Issues

FIVE SAFETY ITEMS TO ENSURE A SAFE AND SECURE GARAGE (GUEST POST)

Most people take their garage door opener safety for granted but there are several things to take into consideration when owning a garage door opener.  Here are some helpful tips that should ensure your experience stays safe and secure for you and your loved ones:

 1)  Replace Old Springs – Your garage door’s springs are arguably the most important and can be the most dangerous part of your door.  Springs do wear out and when they break, an injury could be the result.  If you have an older garage door, have a professional inspect the springs and replace them if needed.

 2) Check Your Cables – Visually inspect the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of the door.  If these cables are frayed or worn, they are in danger of breaking, which can cause injury.  Due to the dangers associated with high spring tension, these cables should be replaced only by a trained technician. 

3) Squeaky Springs? – Springs can squeak and be noisy.  This is caused by normal wear and tear and does not necessarily indicate a problem.  Before calling a professional service technician, use a spray-on lubricant.  If the noise continues, call a professional garage door installer for service. 

4) Safety Cables – If your garage door has extension springs, you need a safety cable that runs through the spring and secures to the wall or ceiling at each end.  When your garage door is down, extension springs are under high tension.  If the spring breaks, it may cause injury.  A safety cable can keep that broken spring contained.  If you have extension springs but do not have a safety cable, call your local dealer for a safety inspection. 

5) Struggling Door – If your door does not go up and down smoothly, you may have an unsafe condition.  Even older door systems should operate smoothly.  If the awkward operation continues when the door is manually operated, you may have a spring system out of balance.  This can cause premature wear and tear on other important door components.  Spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals. 

Be sure not to place your fingers between the door sections to pull down on the door.  If you manually open or close the door, use the handles or safe gripping points.  Your garage door is probably the largest moving part in your home and is typically used everyday.  Over time parts can wear out and break creating potential safety problems.  Monthly safety checks and necessary maintenance are recommended.  An annual visit from a trained door systems technician can keep your door operating safely and smoothly for a long time. 

Author Bio: I am Aaron Lerner and my team and I write about the Garage Door Industry! We help expose all the Garage Door Hardware companies to give you the TRUTH! We provide extremely relevant information about all Garage Door Openers, Remotes, Parts, and more through our blog. Our experience of 20 years in the garage doors industry makes us an authority to provide you FREE and IMPORTANT information. For more info click here.