Written by Paul Dickinson

Electricity has become a very important part of society in recent years, especially when it comes to the home and most houses in the UK are now very heavily reliant upon electricity to perform a range of tasks and to ensure that our appliances are working efficiently. Although electricity is something that we have come to acknowledge as second nature, it still has the potential to be dangerous so it’s important that we take the appropriate steps to ensure electrical safety around the home. 

Ensuring that your items are well tested, purchasing quality assured products and looking carefully before making any second-hand selections are all good ways that you can help to ensure your safety and if you do happen to have young members of the family then it’s very important that you take the appropriate measures to ensure their protection. 

What steps can you take to make your house safe? 

There are a number of steps that you can take to help improve safety around your home and in general this means looking at your electrical equipment and ensuring that it’s kept up to date and well-maintained at all times. Electrical equipment has the ability to degrade over time so you need to take particular care with items which might be slightly older and might therefore require a little extra care.

The main problem with electrical testing is that most people don’t do it – some can’t be bothered and others doing realise that your appliances actually need it – the reality is that electrical appliances don’t last forever and that’s why it’s crucial that you take the appropriate steps to ensure that you are able to extend their lifespan as much as you possibly can. This means testing your equipment at regular intervals and if necessary, getting an expert to help you out.   

What equipment can you use? 

Electrical testing equipment might seem completely unnecessary in your home, but this is simply not the case and there is a range of equipment that you can use to help ensure the safety of both yourself and your family around the home. Items include:

• Plug covers – these can be easily inserted into open electrical sockets to prevent young children from putting their fingers into the sockets
• PAT testers – can be used to quickly and easily test portable electrical appliances
• Solar panel testers – if you are looking to incorporate solar power into your home then these are often invaluable devices
• Energy monitoring equipment – can help to test how your electrical appliances are working and hopefully identify any potential problems before they happen, helping to save you both time and money as well as to promote your safety.

Article provided by http://www.isswww.co.uk/ISSWWW, a leading retailer of electrical safety and testing equipment.  Written by Paul Dickinson.

Another tip is to never overload extension cords.  pb