Every year, hospital emergency rooms deal with thousands of injuries associated with cables. Almost half of these injuries are caused by people tripping over cables, while burns and electric shock make up most of the other injuries.

Practicing cable safety can prevent many of these injuries from occurring. Such safety measures are becoming increasingly important as we continue to introduce more electronic devices in our homes.

Below are 5 of the most important cable safety measures you can implement now to avoid costly damages in the future:

No. 1

Tidy away trailing cables

Injuries from tripping over cables are very common. By finding ways to tidy cables out of the way, you can prevent such types of falls that can result in preventable injuries.

Running cables along walls instead of running them along the floor is one way to keep them out of the way. Cables can be attached to the wall via cable clips; these are clips that you can screw on and clips that you can stick on. Another option is to attach cables to walls via cable trunks which can completely hide the cable.

Of course, there are times when it is much more convenient to run a cable along the floor (for example, if you only have a short cable). In these instances, you may still be able to prevent a cable from becoming a trip hazard by running it under the carpet or by covering it with a cable floor cover. You can also buy cable floor covers for outdoor use, which can be useful for placing over pavements when charging EVs.

As for using machines like vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers, always unplug and tidy away the cable when not in use. Switching to wireless rechargeable options could be another way to deal with this problem.

No. 2

Unwind cable drums before use

Cable drums are one of the most useful cable covers you can buy when it comes to instrument cables and extension cables. These allow you to wrap cables up when not in use. 

You do, however, need to be careful when using plug-in appliances that are still partially wound around a cable drum. Most cables give off heat when electricity is flowing through them; inside a drum, these tightly wound cables can easily overheat and cause a fire. This is why you should make sure that cable drums are fully unwound before use.

It is worth noting that some cable drums are specifically designed to prevent overheating, so you can still use them even if the cable is partially wound around the drum. Choose these if you want to keep some of the cables inside of the drum when in use.

No. 3

Avoid daisy-chaining extension cables

Sockets are only designed to handle a certain amount of watts. The more appliances you plug into a single socket, the more chances there are of overloading that socket. 

The chance of overloading a socket increases once you start using extension cables. Many extension cables contain multiple socket extensions that allow you to plug multiple appliances into one socket.

Devices like phone chargers and desk lamps will generally not use too many watts, but devices like toasters and hair dryers can require a huge amount of wattage and should not be plugged into extension cables that are shared with other devices.

Daisy chaining extension cables or plugging extension cables into extension cables is where things can get really dangerous. This could potentially allow you to plug many appliances into a single socket, which is almost certain to overload it and potentially lead to a fire. Always stick to a maximum of one extension cable per socket to prevent this.

No. 4

Replace frayed cables

Frayed cables can pose two big dangers. Firstly, if the wire is exposed, someone could potentially touch it and get an electric shock. Secondly, the hot exposed cable could come into contact with something flammable nearby and potentially cause a fire.

Some people think that taping up cables can prevent these dangers. However, quite often this can increase the risk of an accident as most forms of tape are flammable.

Electrical tape will generally withstand heat for a while, but even this can melt over time. This is why you should always get rid of frayed cables.

No. 6

Know the early signs of an electrical fire

Being able to react early to an electrical fire can make a big difference. You will have time to turn the power off at the mains, which could prevent a fire from breaking out. 

Warning signs to look out for include:

• Burning smells coming from cables or sockets

• Visible smoke coming out of a socket, cable, or item near a cable

• A loud buzzing sound is coming from a socket or cable

• A blackened socket or partially melted cable

• Frequent circuit breaker trips when using a certain cable or appliance

  
  

Takeaways

Preventing cable-related hazards takes initial effort, but with these protective measures in place, you will be assured that you can avoid costly damages in the future. Whether it be for your home or office, ensuring that you are protecting yourself and your property from such dangers as electrical fires will give you peace of mind and protect your valuable personal property and assets.