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Hello and welcome back to our Electrical Safety Series on Being Proactive here at Bill’s Quality Electric, LLC! We’ve been doing a tour of the home, looking for the possibility of electrical hazards to avoid. If you’d like to check out the earlier posts, Part I and II start in the bathroom, Part 3 and 4 are in the bedroom, Part 5 focuses on the living room, and Part 6 is focused on the children’s electrical safety, both indoors and outdoors. For today’s post, we will focus on the Kitchen and what electrical hazards you can avoid. The kitchen is, of course, the hub of the home, where food and family just go together, right? So we certainly want to be sure the environment is safe for all activity and that we are approaching the usage of kitchen related products properly. The first thing we’ll take a look at are the outlets in your kitchen. Depending on the age of your home, they may or may not be the best choice for your electrical safety. For older homes especially we need to be sure the outlets installed are giving you the best protection, otherwise, it’s best to upgrade. When we talk about the best electrically safe outlets for your kitchen, the GFCI is the Star of the Show! These handy helpers not only provide the power we need for all of our essential appliances and other powered products, but they also protect us from electrical shock around water. Yep, they do. A GFCI is short for Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor, and it essentially interrupts the power supply before you can get shocked. If you don’t have GFCIs installed in your kitchen, do carefully consider an upgrade for your protection! A most important reason to be proactive about your electrical safety. GFCIs are required by the National Electrical Code for any areas near water. The next issue to address is proper usage of those nifty electrical appliances that make our life so much easier. We just need to remember to care for them according to manufacturer’s instructions to avoid injury or electrical shock. Be sure to UNPLUG whenever you are cleaning your appliances; and remember not to use a utensil to remove something from the toaster without UNPLUGGING first. We may often be in a hurry to eat breakfast to get out the door, but it should never be at the expense of our health and safety. Take a moment to slow down and unplug. And be sure to teach your kids the same safe habits! Also, remember to plug appliances directly into the outlet and not use an extension cord, to avoid overheating and possible electrical fire. Our next point for the kitchen is Paying Attention when you are cooking. One of the biggest causes of electrical fires is with cooking. In today’s fast paced world, it’s easy to get distracted by all sorts of things, whether it’s taking a phone call, dealing with being called to your kid’s situations, or simply scrolling on social media and forgetting what you’re in the kitchen to do! Whether you’re baking something in the oven, using the stovetop to fry something up in the pan, or boiling water for pasta, be sure to Stay Alert and Be Present in the kitchen when you are cooking. It only takes a short time to turn a perfectly good meal into a crisis when a fire starts. Use your timers, and keep all flammable kitchen textiles away from heat sources. Not only do good cooking practices help reduce the possibility of electrical hazards and accidents, but it also helps you stay present while cooking to appreciate that good meal you’ll be enjoying in just a few minutes. Not to mention if there is more than one person cooking together, whether a friend, a significant other or one of your kids who enjoys time in the kitchen with a parent. Being Proactive with Your Electrical Safety is Key to enjoying time with family and friends making your favorite foods. Let’s make our kitchen time most enjoyable as we share special moments with those we love and care about as we take the time to avoid electrical hazards before they start. For more electrical safety, fire and shock prevention tips, do follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook, where we share relevant ways to Stay Electrically Safe and Smart, keeping you informed. You’re also welcome to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, which is Your Electrical Safety Resource, for future tips and updates! And remember, if you own a business or home in Collin County area of North Texas and are in need of electrical service, repair or installation, especially for keeping that kitchen up to date, give us a call at 214.697.3134 to schedule an appointment with Bill’s Quality Electric, LLC. We look forward to doing business with you! 