National Fire Safety Week

10/19/2017 (Permalink)

October 8th through the 14th was National Fire Safety Week!

The one of best ways to keep your home safe from fires is through preventing them in the first place.  Check out these statistics and tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) on how to prevent electrical fires in your home or business.

• AFCI Breakers and Outlets can prevent 50% of residential home fires.
• Each year 2,400 children in the US are treated for injuries caused by outlets. 1/3 of parents do not have outlets childproofed. Install Tamper Resistant Receptacles.
• 470,000 counterfeit smartphone batteries were recalled in 2010 due to burn and fire hazards. Purchase electronics at reputable retailers.
• 3,300 home fires originate from extension cords each year. Heavy reliance on extension cords is a sign to have more outlets installed.
• The CPSC found 47% of electrocutions could be prevented with GFCI protection in homes.
• Frequently tripped circuit breakers or flown fuses and cracking, sizzling or buzzing from outlets can be signs of an overloaded circuit. 47,700 home fires in the US are caused by electrical failure or malfunction each year.

Learn more about how to keep your home safe from fires from the ESFI from their website http://www.esfi.org/

Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International