As you watch leaves fall off the trees, keep electrical safety in mind!
Speaking of leaves falling, this is the time of year to clean out the gutters on the house. Remind the person who cleans the gutters where you live to keep ladders away from the power lines that come to your home.
If autumn storms bring down power lines, stay away from them! You can’t tell if a power line is live or not by looking at it, so treat all downed lines as though they are electrified.
If you see a power line on the ground, tell an adult or call 911 or your local electric utility to report it, then stay away.
Keep a handy stash of flashlights, batteries, charged power banks and charging cords that you can find quickly if a storm knocks out power to your home.
If your family hangs holiday lights outdoors this season, make sure extension cords are rated for outdoor use.
Use light strings with LED light bulbs. LED bulbs use less electricity than older styles of bulbs which saves money on your power bill. Using less electricity means LED bulbs are less likely to overheat leading to a fire hazard, and they’re less likely to overload your outlet.
Make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a GFCI outlet or a power strip with a GFCI on it. A GFCI is a Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor. A GFCI can protect against a fire or getting shocked by faulty or or overheated cords.
Inspect cords and light strings for damaged cords. If a cord is damaged, replace it.
Cooler weather means you may need to use a space heater. Inspect the cords for damage before using the heater for the first time each season.
Never leave space heaters unattended. Make sure the area around the heater is free of flammable materials such as clothing or curtains.