Using Basic Household Electronics Safety Hints (Wiring, Fire and Shock)

Most, if not all, people know that mains electricity in the home is lethal. This means that if you come into contact with a live terminal, live wire or metalwork, which because of a fault is charged with electricity, you will receive an electric shock which could be fatal.

Electricity at the mains voltage of 240 V is present at every ceiling rose, lampholder, switch, socket outlet and other outlets. It is also present at every electrical appliance connected to the mains when plugged into a socket outlet and the switched socket is ‘ON’.

Every cable and wire of an installation, except the earth conductors, carries electric current at mains voltage, so should you accidentally severe a cable or damage its insulated sheath you are likely to make contact with a live conductor and receive an electric shock. With more than 15 million homes in Britain receiving a supply of electricity from the mains and these having an estimated average of 25 appliances each it may seem surprising that the number of deaths due to electrical accidents per year is usually below 80. Although these are tragic and bring much distress to the families concerned, they are but a tiny portion of the 8000 deaths arising from all accidents in the home each year. This figure usually exceeds the number killed in road accidents. In the main electrical accidents can be regarded as avoidable and are often due to carelessness.

The relatively few deaths from electrocution are due principally to the high quality of cables and wiring accessories which are made to rigid British Standards designed to prevent wires and contacts being exposed to touch when properly installed. Modern switches and other accessories have high quality moulded plastic faceplates whereas older switches have easily removable screw-on covers which expose the terminals.

Socket-outlets and ceiling roses were usually of porcelain which readily fractured and exposed the live terminals. Flexible cords are now sheathed instead of being merely insulated, wiring cables have a tough PVC sheath. Modern mounting boxes, which have replaced the old wood blocks, ensure that the unsheathed ends of cables are totally enclosed in non-combustible material as are the contacts and terminals of the accessories connected to the cables.

Danger from fire

Although deaths from electrocution are relatively rare, the same cannot be said about fire. Many fires in the home have been traced to bad or overloaded wiring, though these do not necessarily result in deaths. In fact many of the fires reported as electrical are caused by fats and oils igniting in cooking utensils left unattended on the cooker. Such fires also occur on gas cookers and although this does not excuse accidents from electric cookers it is necessary to get the right perspective. There are however many fires caused by electricity, which being small and extinguished by householders, have not been reported and do not appear in official reports.

Causes of fire and shock

The principal causes of fire and shock from electrical installations are faulty wiring,the misuse of appliances and using appliances which are no longer safe.

Faults on appliances can usually be eliminated by periodic inspection but the misuse of appliances is within the hands of the householder and his family. Faulty wiring is more complicated but this too can be rectified by periodic inspections.

DIY wiring and safety

The do-it-yourself enthusiast has, in the past, often been blamed for fires and electric shock accidents due to faulty wiring installations and to incorrect procedures being followed.

Although there is some justification for this and the facts have been substantiated by official reports, there is evidence to show that most amateurs are responsible people and take great care when dealing with electricity. It cannot be disputed that the householder carrying out his own work, whether electrical or other forms of home improvement, is likely to be extremely conscientious. The householder having good mechanical aptitude, experienced in doing jobs about the house, using good quality cables and wiring accessories and carrying out the work in accordance with the information, need have no fear that the finished job will be safe and can be expected to pass any inspections and tests carried out by the electricity board when connecting the wiring to the mains supply.

Never add more lights or socket-outlets to circuits or to parts of a circuit than those specified or you will risk overloading a circuit.

In the interests of safety, though with some repetition the following summarises the principal points which should be observed when carrying out electrical installation work.

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