Damaged electrical cords and equipment are a major cause of devastating workplace fires.
As part of our commitment to helping you stay safe on the job, we’ve put together some easy-to-follow electrical cord safety tips to protect your business and coworkers from harm.
Read over the following safety hints from the experts at ServiceMaster, and then let’s see if you can put them into practice.
Electrical Cord Safety Dos and Don’ts
- DO regularly inspect electrical cords for damage, and repair or replace them as needed.
- DON’T use cords that are loose, damaged or frayed – they could pose a fire hazard.
- DO keep cords safely out of high-traffic areas.
- DON’T leave electrical cords dangling where people can trip and harm themselves.
- DO use extension cords only when needed. Plug items directly into the wall when possible.
- DON’T string extension cords together. Get one long enough for your needs.
- DO use approved ties or devices for cord bundling if you have more than one in one place.
- DON’T overload outlets or surge protectors.
- DO check the maximum capacity of electrical cords and stay within a safe range.
- DON’T nail cords to a wall or staple them together or to other objects.
What’s Wrong with These Electrical Cords?
Electrical cord safety issues in the following pictures:
These cords are dragging across a work site, where they could cause someone to trip and injure themselves.
In the long run, these cords are more easily frayed or damaged, which increases the risk of sparks or fire.
This homeowner is overloading his outlet big time.
If you’re a business owner, you probably have plenty of electrical devices you need to use at once, but it’s better to keep them from crowding a single outlet.
With wireless technology, you can spread items out and reduce the load on outlets, too.
This picture shows an orange extension cord plugged into a surge protector.
Extension cords can get hot fast, especially when other plugs are plugged in nearby.
If you’re working with equipment that needs extension cords, get ones that are long enough to plug directly into an outlet that is reserved just for the extension cord.
Proper use and care for electrical cords and components can keep your business safe from fire, but if disaster strikes don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at ServiceMaster Advanced Restoration.
Our experts are standing by, 24/7, to help you get your business back up and running as quickly as possible.