May 2016 is National Electrical Safety Month

rot1May is National Electrical Safety Month, and NIPSCO is joining Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. ESFI sponsors National Electrical Safety Month to educate the public in order to reduce the number of electrical-related fires, fatalities, injuries and property loss.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that 47,700 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments each year involve some type of electrical failure or malfunction as a factor contributing to ignition. These fires result in 418 deaths, 1,570 injuries and $1.4 billion in direct property damage.

“Electricity plays a major role in our lives every day, and the biggest risk people can take is assuming there’s no risk when it comes to electrical safety,” said Ben Felton, NIPSCO vice president of power delivery. “National Electrical Safety Month serves as a platform for us to continue to spread awareness and understanding of electrical safety principles and precautions.”

Household electrical safety tips from ESFI

  • Extension cords: Inspect cords for damage before use. Check for cracked or frayed sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections. Don’t attempt to plug extension cords into one another. Don’t nail or staple electrical cords to walls or baseboards.
  • Appliances: All major appliances should be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Only plug one heat-producing appliance into an outlet.
  • Lighting: Use bulbs of appropriate wattage in all lighting fixtures. Using higher-wattage bulbs could cause a fire.

For ESFI’s complete collection of National Electrical Safety Month resources, visit www.esfi.org.

And, to learn about other electrical and power outage safety information, visit NIPSCO.com/StaySafe.