I think of myself as a pretty safety savvy person, in fact if you asked my family they’d probably say I am overly cautious. Imagine my horror at finding out that I’ve regularly been putting my family’s safety at risk from electrical fire hazards in the bedrooms that I’d never even thought of!
Your family might be at risk too, so if you or your kids use electronic gadgets like tablets, computers and phones in the bedroom please read this short article and share it with your friends. It will only take a minute or two of your time and could save lives. This is a modern day safety issue we all need to be aware of and act upon TODAY!
Registered charity Electrical Safety First are campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers of electrical fires that children and parents face when you:
- Leave your phone, tablet or laptop charging on your bed.
- Sleep with your phone under your pillow while it’s charging.
- Use an cheap unbranded charger.
Have you or the kids done any of these? I’m afraid to say that I am guilty of all three and never dreamt that they could result in catastrophe!
HOW TO AVOID ELECTRICAL FIRE HAZARDS
Where Are You Charging Electrical Devices?
If your house is anything like mine then you have gadgets galore such as phones, games consoles, tablets and computers. These can be great fun but potentially deadly if left charging on a bed. Bedding and pillows can lock heat in causing the electrical device to get hotter and hotter. Combine that heat with flammable materials and you’ve got a potential fire. What a deadly combination!
Not only have I been guilty of leaving things charging on the bed but I’ve also used my computer in bed on my lap whilst it’s been charging. I noticed that it got hot but I never dreamed it could be hot enough to start a fire! Needless to say from now on all electrical charging will be done on a hard surface!
What Type Of Charger Are You Using?
I’m also guilty of using unbranded chargers. We never seemed to have enough chargers to hand so I bought a few cheap ones online. Little did I know that many of these chargers don’t satisfy UK safety regulations and can cause serious electric shock, injury or fire. Ours are now in the bin. I’m not taking any chances!
When Are You Charging?
Another safety issue I’d never thought of was when I was putting devices on to charge. Mostly I’d put them on to charge overnight or whilst I was out and not actually needing them. Electrical Safety First strongly recommend avoiding charging devices when they are unattended or overnight.
I’m now trying to get in the habit of putting things on to charge when we get home from school. It’s a simple switch to make and means that nothing is left charging overnight and we’re always on hand and awake in case the unthinkable should ever happen.
Here are some simple steps to start doing TODAY to keep your home safe for you and your family:
- DO make sure electrical devices are charged on a hard surface.
- DON’T charge any electrical device on your bed, under a pillow or anywhere the device might overheat.
- DON’T use or let children use fake or unbranded chargers. Many of these chargers do not satisfy UK safety regulations and can cause serious electric shock, injury or fire.
- DON’T charge devices when they are unattended or overnight.
Electrical Safety First has more information here and a great guide for family safety here. It details the dos and don’ts for charging safely in children and teenagers’ bedrooms and is definitely worth a minute of your time.
Are there electrical fire hazards lurking in your kids’ bedrooms? Be aware of the risks and make your simple changes TODAY.
(This is a sponsored post.)
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