NFPA - Electrical safety in the home

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Electrical safety in the home

ELECTRICAL SAFETY IN THE HOME

16

U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 47,820 reported home structure
fires involving electrical failure or malfunction 2007-2011. These fires resulted in 455 civilian deaths,
1,518 civilian injuries and $1.5 billion in direct property damage.

Cooking
Electrical
Electrical safety in the
home
Electrical safety tips
Electrical social media
posts
Outdoor electrical safety
Electrical circuitinterrupters
Tamper-resistant electrical
receptacles

NFPA helps Dan Doofus get grounded in the basics of electrical safety.

Safety tips

Heating
Dryers and washing
machines

Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.

Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.

Medical oxygen

In homes with small children, make sure your home has tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles.

Portable generators
Scalds

Consider having additional circuits or outlets added by a qualified electrician so you do not have
to use extension cords.

Portable fireplaces

See all of NFPA's safety tips.

Young firesetters
Emergency Preparedness
Escape planning
Fire & safety equipment
Gasoline & propane
Hoarding and fire safety
Seasonal
Occupancies
Outdoors
Populations
Vehicles

Facts & Figures

Roughly half (48%) of home electrical failure fires involved electrical distribution or lighting
equipment in 2007-2011.
In 2007-2011, 46% of electrical failure home fires involved other known type of equipment. The
leading other known type of equipment involved in home electrical failure fires are washer or
dryer, fans, and portable or stationary space heater.
U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 22,410 reported home structure
fires involving electrical distribution or lighting equipment in 2007-2011. These fires resulted in 325
civilian fire deaths, 950 civilian fire injuries, and $817 million in direct property damage.
Some type of electrical failure or malfunction was cited as factor contributing to ignition for 74%
of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires.

Mine fires and explosions

For public educators
Sparky the Fire Dog

Source: NFPA's "Electrical Fires," by John R. Hall, Jr., April 2013 Also see: Printable fact sheet on
home electrical fires. (PDF, 59 KB)

Safety tip sheets

Keep Your Community Safe and Energized

Fire Prevention Week

See NFPA's online toolkit of support materials to help fire departments conduct successful electrical
safety campaigns in their communities. It includes media templates, PSA cartoons, safety tips, fact
sheets and much more. Electrical safety messages in American Sign Language

Sparky School House

Safety Source blog
Partners in safety
Fire safety hero stories

Get an overview of the care that needs to be taken when using electricity, the proper way to plug in appliances, and what to do if

07-Apr-16 3:58 PM

NFPA - Electrical safety in the home

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fuses blows or circuit breakers trip.

In This Section
Electrical safety tips What you need to know to avoid an electrical fire in your home.
Electrical social media posts Use these sample social media posts to spread the word about electrical fire safety.
Outdoor electrical safety

8 Comments

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Add a comment...

Paul Langley
This is some really great information for anyone unaware of the dangers of
electrical fires. I know too many people who continue to use appliances,
small and large, which have frayed or fraying cords, which is a massive fire
risk. And I had never thought of simply adding more outlets to your home
when necessary, though I know the process of using multiple extension cords
and power strips can be very dangerous. Thanks so much for writing!
http://www.totalfireyukon.ca/en/extinguishers.html
Like Reply Mar 21, 2016 8:19pm

Mariedel Abella Coguita Works at MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

SCHOOL (CEBU), INC.
its goog but i whant more pictures and explination
T.Y
Like Reply Feb 16, 2016 11:43am

Johnny McCarron Georgia Tech

I feel like a lot of electric emergencies are caused by not only carelessness
but also people that always want to do things on their own. It only makes
sense to seek help if you don't know what you are doing. Do you have any
advice for hiring someone to help you out with a particular electric issue?
http://www.vallec.com.au
Like Reply Jan 27, 2016 9:37pm

Hassan Mirghani
Well done
Like Reply Sep 15, 2015 3:34pm

Nicole Beren
Thanks for the following useful blog, I agree with you that safety is first and
must while dealing with electrical work.
http://www.eliteelectrics.net/
Like Reply Aug 18, 2015 9:15am

Charlene Chainsmoker
....waw...
Like Reply Jul 27, 2015 3:38pm

Santosh Burman Works at Student

right
Like Reply Sep 6, 2014 7:54pm

Andres Berrio
An eye opener!
Like Reply Aug 26, 2014 5:15am
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