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9/1/2014
Some things are best learned by doing. But when we tell you how dangerous electricity can be, you’ll just have to take our word for it. Only highly trained and skilled lineworkers are qualified for any hands-on work with electricity.
We live our lives surrounded by electricity, so we tend to take it for granted. Yet many home electrical fires, injuries and electrocutions can be prevented when we understand and practice electrical safety. This is especially true for our youngest co-op members.
Perhaps it’s time for you, as your children’s first and most important teacher, to have a talk with them to reinforce those lessons.
Start at an early age, teaching them about the physical dangers associated with electrical components and how to handle electrical plugs, outlets, switches and other devices. Keep in mind, talking to your children about electrical safety should also include fun activities and facts about the basics—what is electricity, the need to respect its power and how to use it efficiently as they study, work and play.
As we all know, kids will be kids. Getting them to show interest in some of these lessons won’t be easy. Just remember that what your children learn from you today can be a lifesaver later when they encounter potential hazards like downed power lines in their path, play hide-andseek behind those big metal electrical boxes in the neighborhood or are tempted to clamber up a utility pole.
Gather your youngsters around the kitchen table or on the front porch—some of the best teachable moments about electrical safety can happen in and around your home. Look around. There are plenty of opportunities to demonstrate safety that are as close as the electrical outlet on your living room wall.
For example, show young children how plugs work, and let them know that even if they are curious about the slits of an electrical outlet, nothing else should be placed inside. Each year about 2,400 children end up in the emergency room after suffering injuries caused by inserting objects—paper clips, pens, screws, nails, forks, hair pins, coins and more—into electrical receptacles. That’s about seven children a day who sustain injuries ranging from electric shock to burns.
But this isn’t the only electrical mishap that impacts youngsters. Our reliance on electronics and gadgets have left both youngsters and their parents at risk when they overcrowd electrical outlets, continue to use frayed wires, place devices near liquids or leave electronics on for long periods of time. Some of the same guidelines your electric power association offers to protect adults also help protect children. We should all set good examples for our youngsters. They may not always listen to us, but they watch what we do.
Supplement your lessons at home with resources galore; including those provided by your electric power association. The Electrical Safety Foundational International (www.esfi.org) is among the many national organizations offering free kits, videos and interactive online tools that make learning and practicing electrical safety fun for you and your children. And as they grow older, remember to keep teaching them about the power of electricity and how to use it safely. Some day, maybe they’ll pass the message along to your grandchildren.
