Campaign aims to raise awareness of electrical hazards

South Carolina residents might be interested to know that May 2016 is National Electrical Safety Month. The annual campaign sponsored by the Electrical Safety Foundation International is an effort to educate people about electrical safety and raise awareness of electrical hazards. The purpose of the ESFI is to promote electrical safety and reduce the incidence of electrical-related fires, injuries and property damage.

This year’s campaign theme is ‘At Home and at Work: Make Electrical Safety Everyone’s Priority.” The third issue of ESFI’s National Electrical Safety Month publication called Electrical Safety Illustrated is a free resource that highlights important safety practices at home and in the workplace. The features in the 2016 issue include safety tips for electricity in the workplace, advice on safe use of extension cords and community-awareness ideas. This publication, along with other documents on electrical safety, is available for download on the ESFI’s web site.

The main causes of electrical-related home fires are misuse of extension cords and overburdened electrical systems. ESFI estimates that about 3,300 home fires every year start with extension cords. It is suggested that households that rely heavily on extension cords could consider having additional electrical outlets installed in the home.

Electrical fires are also a problem in construction and other industries and are a source of many serious workplace injury accidents, some of which can be fatal. The ESFI campaign is also focused on workplace safety. Workers who are injured in such an accident may be entitled to file a claim for benefits under their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage. These benefits can include hospitalization and other health care expenses as well as some wage replacement. An attorney could be of assistance during the claims process.