AEP Ohio Shares National Fire Prevention Week Safety Tips

Identifying and Preventing Electric-Related Hazards in Your Home

GAHANNA, Ohio, October 12, 2022 — This week is National Fire Prevention Week, a time dedicated to raising awareness to potential dangers in your home. With electrical hazards being a leading cause of house fires, it’s important to practice safety to protect yourself and your loved ones. These tips can help you stay safe:

Improperly installed or damaged wiring can pose a significant fire risk. Keep an eye out for these warning signs in your home, which could be early indicators of wiring concerns.

Call an electrician immediately if you spot:

.Flickering or dimming lights.

.Outlets that are hot.

.Burning plastic smell.

By leaving your electricity to the professionals, you can rest assured you are reducing the risk of fires caused by DIY fixes. You should never:

.Attempt to splice or reattach wires on your own.

.Consider any remodels that involve hammering or drilling into walls without first consulting an electrician.

.Try to install your own in-wall wiring for applications such as lighting.

Consider doing a “cord check” of your home to assess for potential hazards. It’s also important to:

.Never run cords under carpeting, bedding or other flammable materials and make sure no cords are pinched or pressed under another surface (under a chair, leg of the couch, etc.).

.Discard broken or damaged cords and never splice two cords together.

.Never overload your outlets.

If your home has a fuse box, be sure to practice the following when working on or around the fuse box:

.To prevent electric shock, turn off all appliances on the circuit before changing a fuse.

.Make sure your hands are dry when changing a fuse, and never change a fuse while standing on a wet surface (puddle, in the rain, etc.).

.Always screw fuses in as tight as you can.

Changing a lightbulb incorrectly is more of an electrical danger than you might think. Stay safe and keep the following in mind:

.Before changing a bulb, turn off the main power source—turning off the light switch doesn’t stop the flow of electricity to the bulb.

.Removing a bulb should be easy. If it’s not, use a thick glove to grip and unscrew the bulb, being extra careful not to apply too much pressure, which could shatter the glass.

.Check your fixture’s power rating to ensure you are using the correct bulb wattage.

To learn more about what you can do to make your home safe, visit AEPOhio.com/Safety