Electrical Hazard Warning Signs

Electrical hazards pose a dangerous threat within a home or work environment. To ensure home safety, it is important to understanding how electric current travels, along with electrical conduction and insulation. It is important to recognize common hazard warning signs that can indicate a potentially serious electrical problem before it leads to fire, shock or even death.

What Causes Electric Shock?

• Electric current travels along a closed circuit by way of a conductor. Common electricity conductors include metal and water, while common insulators or materials that stop the flow of current include wood, glass, clay and plastic. Electric shock occurs when an unintentional electricity conductor becomes part of an electric circuit and receives electric current resulting in a shock. Electric current may come from multiple wires within an electric circuit, through one wire in contact with an energized circuit and the ground or through an exposed metal part that has been energized with current through a break in insulation or another conductor. Moist human skin can act as a conductor. Electric shock can occur when you come in contact with live current available at any electric source including outlets, exposed wires or other areas where electric current is present.

Electrical Hazards

• According to the New York Consumer Product Protection Board, there are approximately 31,000 fires and 200 deaths involving home electrical systems. In the home, the Board suggests a licensed electrician should inspect your home for electrical hazards. Identifying electrical hazards will usually include inspecting electrical cords, outlets, circuit breakers and switch plates to look for any clues that may indicate damage, such ads exposed wire, evidence of burning through marks or odor and flickering lights. There are a number of warning signs that you should be aware of in your home or work environment that may indicate serious electrical issues, but it is also important to understand the risks associated with live current in your work or home space.

Electric Service Equipment Warnings

• Important places to check for any potential warnings signs of electric hazard include electric service equipment delivery points within your home. Electric service equipment carries power from external lines outside the home directly to the home's electrical panel. Though not an internal wiring problem within the home, you may need to contact your electric company to assess service equipment outside of the home to ensure it is working correctly. Common warning signs of problems with electric service equipment may include dimming or flickering lights within your home. Issues with large appliances, such as a shrinking picture on a television screen, may also indicate damage along with arcs or sparks visible in your home's electrical system.

Electrical Panel Box Warnings

• The electrical panel commonly contains fuses or circuit breakers used to manage electric current to single or multi-family dwellings. A service cable carries electrical current from an external meter to an internal panel within the building structure. Branch circuits connected to these panels provide electricity to outlets, lights and appliances throughout the home. Electrical hazard warning signs commonly linked to the panel box may include tripped or overrated circuit breakers in the panel box leading to random power outages. Additional signs include any buzzing sounds coming from appliances using current or strange odors emanating from equipment that has suddenly stopped working due to a power outage. Odors usually indicate burned or overheated wires that signal a serious electrical hazard that may be linked to your home's power source.

Plugs and Cords

• Outlet sites are another area to inspect carefully for any electrical hazard warning signs. In particular, potential warning signs for hazard within the home will include attachment plugs that wobble or pull out of a receptacle too easily. You should also carefully inspect extension cords that are used as permanent or long-term cords for appliances that have a cord that is too short to reach an outlet. Extension cords were designed for temporary use and may potentially prove hazardous if used heavily for an extended period of time. Additional hazard warnings may include broken or cracked insulation around outlets or damaged outlet plates.