Government And Private Organizations Kick Off National Electrical Safety Month 1992

By making a tour of your home's electrical system, you may save your own, or a member of your family's, life. That's what the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) said today as they kicked off National Electrical Safety Month in May.

The theme of this year's National Electrical Safety Month is "Home Inspection." According to CPSC, about 240 people are electrocuted at home each year in the United States. CPSC reports there were about 156,000 residential electrical fires in 1989 (the most recent year for which data are available), claiming an estimated 880 lives and injuring about 6,320. Property losses were estimated at $1.2 billion.

"Many of these fires and electrocutions need not have occurred; the conditions that caused the fires and electrocutions probably could have been detected by an electrical inspection," said CPSC Chairman Jacqueline Jones-Smith.

Home electrical systems can develop problems with age and wear out, just like other parts of the home. The same energy that drives power tools and heats or cools a home can also start fires or cause electrical shock, if developing problems within the system are ignored.

CPSC, NEMA, and UL urge consumers to check their homes' electrical systems at least once a year. Consumers should be on the lookout for overheated plugs and receptacle covers, lingering odors, dim or flickering lights, power outages, sparks, and damaged insulation. If you experience any of these warning signs, a professional electrician or electrical inspector should be called to inspect your home.

Having an up-to-date professional home electrical inspection is also a good idea. A thorough electrical inspection is strongly advised if your home is more than 40 years old or if additional outlets or high-wattage appliances have been added.

"Perhaps one of the most important precautions homeowners can take to protect against electrical shock is to have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) installed as specified by the National Electrical Code," said Tom Castino, President of UL. These devices constantly monitor current passing through electrical products and wiring. If the current leakage to the ground exceeds a specified safe level, the GFCI interrupts the flow of electricity so quickly that the possibility of electrocution is virtually eliminated. It is especially important that GFCIs be used in potentially wet or damp areas such as kitchens, basements, bathrooms, garages, and in outdoor receptacles.

In the event of a fire, a vital way to prevent home fire deaths is to have operating smoke detectors installed. These detectors should be tested monthly or according to manufacturers' instructions.

"National Electrical Safety Month provides an opportunity for government and private organizations to work together to increase consumers' awareness of electricity. Electricity is an important aid in all of our lives. It should not be taken for granted," said CPSC Chairman Jacqueline Jones-Smith.

CPSC is participating in National Electrical Safety Month as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce injuries and deaths each year associated with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction.

NEMA is the leading U.S. organization representing and serving America's electroindustry manufacturers.

UL is an independent, not for profit organization that has been evaluating products in the interest of public safety since 1894. More than six billion UL Marks appear on products each year.