Electrical & fire safety tips for your home

Written by Carol Cairns
June 20, 2012

Use only ULC OR CSA Listed electrical appliances and power tools.
Check all electrical and extension cords on all appliances, power tools, and garden equipment for frays, cracks, or cuts. All extension cords should bear a ULC or CSA marking. Don’t sue an electrical cord that is damaged. Touching an exposed strand of wire can cause an electric shock or burn.
Keep appliances and their cords away from water. If an appliance falls into the water, don't retrieve it until you have unplugged the appliance.
Keep all portable and countertop appliances unplugged when not in use. Appliances plugged into an outlet have electrical voltages inside even when they are turned off.
Every home should have working, ULC OR CSA Listed smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms outside every sleeping area and near fuel-burning appliances. Replace batteries in smoke detectors and CO alarms at least once a year. Add monitoring of smoke detectors to your security system. Test and clean smoke detectors and CO alarms regularly. Hard-wired units (permanently wired into a home's electrical system) should be tested monthly. Battery-operated units should be tested weekly.
Keep fully charged ULC OR CSA Listed fire extinguishers strategically placed in the kitchen, garage and workshop.
Never run an electrical cord under a rug or carpet, or drape it over a hot surface such as that of a radiator or space heater. If a rug or other items cover the cord, heat cannot escape, the cord can become too hot and a fire could possibly start.
When replacing a light bulb in a portable lamp or fixture, make sure that the replacement bulb is of equal or lesser wattage than that recommended by the lamp or fixture manufacturer. Using a light bulb of higher wattage than the manufacturer recommends can cause the lamp or fixture to overheat and start a fire.
Only use portable electric air heaters as a supplementary source of heat; these devices are not intended to replace home heating systems and should not be used without supervision. Always keep flammable materials including bedding, clothing, draperies, rugs and furniture at least three feet away from the heater.
Inspect the fireplace and chimney for fire hazards.
Use only ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and workshop.
Develop and practice a fire escape plan for your household. Every family member should know at least two ways out of each room.
Check fuse and breaker boxes for possible malfunction and shock or fire hazards.

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