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PDF requires adobe acrobat pdf reader. download Appliance Safety return to main fire prevention page | home Regularly inspect your extension cords for fraying and never use an extension cord as permanent wiring. Instead of a simple extension cord, get a UL-approved unit with built-in circuit breakers. Routinely check your wiring. Look for outlets that don’t work, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker. Never overload outlets or extension cords. Immediately repair appliances or lamps that sputter or spark. Keep appliances away from wet areas in the kitchen, bathroom, basement and garage. If an appliance has a three-prong plug, never force it into a two-slot outlet or extension cord. Don’t let children play near electrical space heaters. Keep clothes, curtains and other flammable items at least three feet away from heaters. In case of a fire, stay low to the ground, beneath the smoke, and have an escape plan already worked out. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Test the batteries every month and change them at least once a year.

Did you know? Eighty percent of all fire deaths occur in the home. Electrical fires in our homes claim the lives of 700 Americans each year and injure 3,000 more. Some electrical fires are caused by electrical system failures and appliance defects, but many more are caused by misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, and overloaded circuits and extension cords. Having a working smoke alarm more than doubles one’s chances of surviving a fire.