Just like you teach your children how to stay safe and protect themselves out of the house (such as when crossing the street or what to do if a stranger approaches), you must also teach them how to be safe inside the house too – specifically, we’re talking about electrical safety. Since electricity can be dangerous and lead to serious harm or even be fatal, it’s extremely important that children are taught about electrical safety precautions from a young age.

Below, take a look at the top 10 things we believe you should teach your children right now:

1. Avoid plugging too many cords into one outlet, extension cord or power strip. Overloading any of these can result in electrical damage or even a fire.
2. Never yank on an electrical cord to remove it from your outlet. Not only can this damage the outlet, but it could also damage the cord itself and your electrical appliance too.
3. When a plug is going to be removed from the outlet, it should always be taken out by holding onto the plug itself, not the cord.
4. Always make sure that electrical cords are kept far away from water. This is especially important when it comes to the bathroom – blow dryers and other hair products that need to be plugged in must be kept away from the sink.
5. Don’t keep drinks near items that use electricity such as computers, radios, and televisions in case they spill.
6. Keep all electrical cords as neat as possible to prevent anyone from tripping and pulling the plug out of the wall accidentally. This is also important for those families that have pets – they should be tucked away neatly so that the animals don’t chew on them!
7. If an electrical cord looks frayed or damaged, don’t touch it!
8. Never touch a downed power line – in fact, you really shouldn’t even go near one!
9. When outdoors, avoid playing in areas that have power lines nearby – this is especially important for children to know if they like flying a kite.
10. If help is needed, don’t be afraid to ask an adult! Even if the task is simple, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

TFC Electric Inc. is a full service residential and commercial electrician that serves all of Suffolk County, from Huntington to Brookhaven. To learn more about the services offered, please call (631) 589-2800.