General indoor safety tips
Periodically, do a quick safety check around your home to make sure your appliances and wiring are in good shape. Here’s are some tips:

 

Appliances

• Do not use electric appliances when you are taking a bath or standing near a sink.
• Never use any electric appliance on a wet surface, while wet or standing in water.
• Make sure your hands are dry when using an appliance.
• Use electrical appliances with three-pronged plugs.
• Use appliances with the Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) symbol.
• Never hang clothes or place furniture near an electric heater or hot plate.
• Keep electric heaters at least four (4) feet from furniture and drapes.
• Keep electric heaters on a level non-flammable surface.
• Never go to sleep with a heating pad or space heater turned on.
• Never place appliance cords where they will come into contact with the stove or other heated surfaces.
• Unplug all electrical appliances when not in use.
• Unplug all electrical appliances before repairing or cleaning.
• Unplug an appliance that has fallen into water before attempting to retrieve it.
• Turn off a light before replacing the bulb.
• Never pull out an electrical plug by the cord.
• If your smoke detector runs on electricity, have a battery backup in case of a power failure.
• Do not touch an electrical appliance with a metal object.
  

Wires/Fuses/Outlets

• Do not stick any object other than an electrical plug into an outlet.
• Replace frayed or cracked electrical cords with new ones; you can purchase these at your local hardware store.
• Keep electrical cords out of traffic areas in the home.
• Keep electrical cords out from under rugs and heavy furniture.
  
• Do not overload outlets with too many appliances; instead, make use of other outlets in the room.
• Use extension cords minimally.
• When outside, use only extension cords that are approved for outdoor use.
• Use a long extension cord. It is better than using several shorter lengths.
• When replacing circuit breakers and fuses, use the correct size device.
• Protect outdoor outlets with protective, weatherproof covers.
• Hire an electrician to install a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in your bathroom and kitchen where appliances are used near water.
• Hire an electrician to install GFCIs on all outdoor outlets.
• Keep outdoor wiring on a separate circuit.
• Know the location of the main electrical switch in the home.
• Never force a plug into an outlet.