Winter typically calls for spending more time indoors and using more electricity – to heat our homes & enjoying multimedia via entertainment appliances. Electricity, while having numerous benefits in our daily lives also comes with a hidden danger to the residents in your vicinity & co-workers at your office.

Because this force is frequently used, people usually tend to underestimate the risk potential and dangers that come with electrical fires. Fire caused due to electricity issues tend to be difficult to identify and they are much more dangerous and destructive than other types of fires.

In our everyday lives, electricity plays a vital part. Using electricity, we can turn on lights, prepare meals and complete home improvement projects in a jiffy. However, it is important to understand that electricity is a very powerful force and if proper safety measures are not taken, it can be lead to extremely dangerous and even deadly consequences.

Every year, over half of the accidental domestic fires in Pakistan are caused by electricity.  Most of these are caused by either through misuse or faults in electrical products. Nearly, half of these electrical fires start in the kitchen with cooking appliances and sometimes due to electricity outages & fluctuations.

In order to ensure safety, prevention measures should be taken care of in the first place. Without any doubt, an electrical fire can be scary and extremely lethal but there are certain ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If any of your home appliances goes up in flames, your first resort should be avoiding a panic situation as the more mentally present you are, the more smartly you’ll be able to handle the situation.

Although, you always have the firefighter team’s number at your disposal, it is important to know some life-saving tips in case an emergency erupts.

Just follow these simple guidelines to keep your home & workspace safe from electrical fires:-

Action When It is All Going to Ashes

• The first thing you ought to do is unplug the appliance or if that is not possible, turn off the circuit.

• If you discover that an electrical appliance has caught fire then do not try to put it out with water as it is a conductor & will cause further damage to the affected area and the individual trying to put it out. A common household product here would do the job, use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the smoldering area with a layer of baking soda can block oxygen flow to the flames. Due to the marvelous property of sodium bicarbonate present in baking soda, it is used as an active agent in most fire extinguishing equipment.

• Throw in a heavy blanket right onto the flame to cut down its oxygen supply.

• For larger fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher to put it out. Extinguishers should be checked on a frequent basis to ensure that they haven’t expired.  

Preventive Measures for Ultimate Safety

So, here is how you reduce the risk of fire from faulty electrical appliances:-

• Make sure all cords are free of fraying or cracking, replace if found damaged.

• When unplugging electronics, always pull out from the plug, not the cord.

• Avoid using extension cords for a longer period of time.

• Unplug all appliances when not in use.

• Keep all electric appliances away from water sources.

• Never use metallic objects when dealing with electric appliances.

• Avoid overloading an outlet.

• If someone gets an electric shock, do not touch them, immediately turn off the power source & call for medical assistance.

• Never store combustible materials (clothes, papers, cleaning materials etc.) close to your main power board.

• Heating products must be kept away from inflammable objects.

• Keep all of your home appliances clean and in working order.

• Contact a qualified electrician if you sense anything burning or discolored.

• Practice kitchen safety at all times.

• Always buy home appliances from reputable brands and follow the instructions supplied for installing and using it.

In an effort to keep your community & surrounding safe, please keep these tips handy for combating an electrical fire and share them with friends and family. Knowing how to respond rapidly could be the difference between a small fire and a devastating disaster.

If you have more to add then don’t hesitate to comment in the section below.