Electrical Safety Tips

• Have a licensed electrician inspect your home to be sure that it is properly grounded. Large appliances should have their own circuit and be grounded with a three-prong plug.
• Keep appliances in good condition. Always unplug them by pulling the plug, not the cord, when not in use. Have worn or frayed cords replaced immediately and always have a qualified technician make repairs.
• Electricity and water don’t mix! Keep appliances away from sinks, bathtubs, pools and wet hands.
• If power shuts off in your home, check your service panel. If everything appears to be in order and you are still without power, call Norwood Light at 781-948-1100.
• When replacing a fuse be sure to use a new one of the same rating. Never substitute when replacing a fuse. Using a penny or aluminum foil could cause a fire. If breakers/fuses trip or blow out often, call an electrician.

• Children’s curiosity can lead to danger. Cover outlets with plastic safety plugs.
• Explain the dangers of electricity beginning at an early age.
• Teach children to recognize *Danger High Voltage Signs*.
• Have children fly kites in open areas away from overhead lines. Electricity can travel through the strings of kites and balloons that have come in contact with power lines.
• Teach children to call an adult if a toy gets tangled in power lines or a fenced-in substation. The adult will call Norwood Light for help. Never attempt to retrieve it yourself.
• Never allow children to climb a tree with power lines near or running through it.

Call before you dig! Call DigSafe by dialing 811. It’s the law.

• Homeowners and even some contractors can make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked. But every digging job requires a call – even small projects like planting trees and shrubs.
• The depth of utility lines varies. And there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Call 72 hours in advance of digging and a DigSafe representative will send out someone to mark underground facilities.

• Keep drapes, newspapers, clothing and other combustible objects a safe distance away.
• Plug portable space heaters directly into the outlet. Avoid using extension cords.
• Always put heaters in a place where they can’t be tipped over easily. It’s best to keep them on the floor where they have less of a chance of falling and becoming a potential fire or shock hazard.
• Do not use heaters in wet or moist areas, such as bathrooms, unless they are specifically built for that purpose. Doing so can not only corrode the heater, but can be a dangerous shock hazard.
• Make sure that the plug of the heater fits snugly in the outlet. A worn-out outlet can overheat, burning up both the outlet and plug. If left unnoticed, this can start a fire throughout the house.
• Do not run cords under rugs or carpets. Doing so can cause the cord to overheat and start a fire.
• Broken heaters should be checked and repaired only by a qualified appliance service center. Do not attempt to make any repairs to the heater yourself.
• Don’t use space heaters in rooms where children are unsupervised. Children may stick their fingers or other objects through the protective guards, causing burns or shock.
• Turn off the space heater and unplug it when not in use.

• Electricity and Water DON’T Mix!
• Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet. Water can damage motors in furnaces, freezers, washing machines, dryers and other appliances.
• If an electric appliance has been under water have it dried out and evaluated and/or reconditioned by a qualified service technician.
• Have a licensed electrician check the wiring in your home to be sure the outlets are safe to use.
• When using a wet vacuum cleaner, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid electric shock.
• Do not allow power cord connections to become wet.
• Do not remove or bypass the group pin on a three-prong plug.
• Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) to prevent electrocution.
• Submerged circuit breakers and fuses pose a fire hazard. Replace all circuit breakers and fuses that have been under water and discard all circuit breakers and fuses that have been submerged.