Appliances are your best buddies when you’re at home performing chores. Whether you’re cooking dinner, cleaning up afterward, or doing laundry, your refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washer, and dryer are at your side, allowing you to complete your household tasks quickly.
The fundamentals of home appliance safety
Appliances aren’t just passive helpers who lighten the load of your domestic responsibilities. They are electricity-powered machines. They generally run well, but they can be dangerous if not correctly maintained or handled. The most dangerous aspect of appliances is fire, which no one wants to expose themselves to.
Fires spread swiftly and unpredictably, posing a high risk of injury, property loss, and even death. When utilizing appliances, it is critical to know the correct safety precautions. When it comes to electric appliances and electronics, there are some general guidelines that everyone should follow:
• Keep an eye on the water: Never use or store your appliances in a wet environment.
Avoid sinks, and keep away from basements and garages where water likes to gather.
• Do not force plugs: Do not force electrical plugs into outlets that are not designed to accept them. Fit a three-pronged plug into a three-hole outlet if you have one.
• Avoid electric shocks: If one of your appliances shocks you or sparks when you use it or unplug it, replace it or have it fixed immediately. Sparks and shocks signal a potentially dangerous electrical problem.
• Use your common sense: When utilizing extension cords, use caution.
Throw them aside if they are torn or damaged. Use only heavy-duty extension cords designed to handle high amperage for major appliances. Extension cables should never be touched if they are hot.
• Double-check everything: Check your wiring regularly for broken outlets, flickering lights, and switches that are hot to the touch. If you discover any, have an electrician inspect them.
• Wiring monitor: Use extension cords as temporary wiring only. Instead, consider having a professional electrician install more outlets or circuits. • Heavy duty: For added security, consider purchasing a laboratory-tested extension cord with built-in circuit breakers that shut down when overloaded.
Cook with caution.
• Clean anything flammable, such as grease or oil, from the stovetop quickly. Store flammable goods away from the stovetop, such as oven mitts or aprons.
• Appropriate attire: Dress appropriately for cooking, pulling up long sleeves and tucking in shirttails to prevent garments from catching fire. Wearing shoes is also good if you accidentally spill a hot beverage.
• Wide open eyes: When cooking, keep an eye on the stove to ensure that nothing spills and catches fire. Ensure the pot handles are turned inward, so no one bumps into them. • Stop spraying: Even if some food products are available in aerosol form, never spray an aerosol near an open flame, as this might cause a fire.
