Practice Electrical Safety: Power Strips

2/4/2021 (Permalink)

Know the dangers of having power strips in your home and how to properly use them.

ELECTRICAL extension cords and power strips – in the cable soup that is an office today these items are convenient and cheap.

And because they are so easy to use, we also tend to ignore the safety issues they create in a busy office environment.

Quite apart from any trip hazards that loose cabling provides, power strips and extension cords are the biggest single cause of electrical fires, with a fire breaking out every six minutes in the US because of inappropriate use of this equipment.

General advice for good electrical safety in the office – or home – includes replacing any loose or frayed cords, not running extension cords under carpets or across doorways, avoid overloading outlets with high power appliances, and shutting off any outlet that feels warm.

Power cords need to be treated with care – they may look fine but be hiding problems. Throw away any cords that are cracked or cut and do not try to repair a cut cord, it is not worth the risk for the cost of replacement.

Power cords and extensions should never be coiled when in use – this creates a large build-up of heat leading to fires. By their very nature, they are designed for temporary use and should not be attached to baseboards as a permanent solution.

Never adopt a three-pronged plug to fit into a two-pronged outlet as this removes the ground pin and can lead to electrical shocks.

If you find you are relying on lots of extensions and power strips to keep your office equipment running it is a sign you need to upgrade your electrical wiring – call a qualified electrician to install more outlets, which will be neater, safer, and code and backed by bonded insurance.

If you do need to use an extension cord, ensure it is up to the job you are using it for – is it rated for indoor or outdoor use and can it handle the power needs of the tool or device being used? Remember that power strips do not increase the amount of electricity available at an outlet, merely allow more items to tap into the power already provided. This means it can be easy to overload a circuit with too many devices, especially if you are using higher consuming items. Add up the total wattage used by everything you want to use and ensure both the circuit and the cable can handle this need.

Give SERVPRO of Canton a call if you are in need of fire damage restoration!