It can take time to rebuild after a fire, but often, the takeaways are immediate – such as reminders around fire insurance, smoke alarms and electrical hazards.
This may seem a bit random but sometimes house fires are caused by a malfunction in a power bar and Technical Safety B.C., which oversees electrical safety provincewide, has safety tips regarding the use of power bars. In hope of preventing a future tragedy, we pass the tips along.
First off, according to Technical Safety B.C., it’s a good idea to use power strips that have a Canadian certification symbol.
It should go without saying that power bars shouldn’t be plugged into one another to increase length and especially not to provide more outlets than the circuit can supply. Residents don’t generally consider the amperage of our electrical devices, but it’s possible to excessively load the power bar and cord. It’s recommended that energy-intensive appliances like air conditioners, space heaters and fans be plugged directly into the wall and be the only device plugged into a particular outlet.
Our firefighters keep us safe and our houses protected. But we all start out safer if we can look out for ourselves, and for fire hazards.