We all remember how exciting the world was as a kid. Everything was an adventure, whether it was hide-and-seek in the basement, or riding bikes with our neighbors. Everything was within our grasp and we were invincible. For children, the difference between what is safe and what is dangerous is often hard to distinguish, especially when it comes to electrical safety. Often times, outlets look like fun spaces to put small things, electrical boxes are good hiding spots, and power boxes have fun switches. It is important to teach your kids about being safe around electricity, so here’s some tips on how you can start talking about it with your family.

Start Early

When it comes to safety, the earlier the better. When your kids reach an age where communication is easy and they understand what you say, start talking about how to be safe. When you start an early conversation with your kids, they are more likely to retain that information overtime and be able to recognize a dangerous situation the more it is talked about.

Show Them Around

The more your child can associate the world around them with the words you say, the better it will stick in their minds. Take a tour around the house and point out the electrical sockets, the power cords, the electrical panel, and talk about the safety precautions with each. For example, tell them about how it is not safe to put things in the electrical socket, or not to pull on the power cord.

You can also venture outside to talk about electrical boxes, the power lines, or outdoor outlets. By making electrical safety interactive, your kids will have fun while learning how to be safe.

Make the Information Interesting

The internet has so many valuable resources when it comes to fun safety lessons! Watch a Youtube video with your kids or find different activities online. Making lessons interesting could also be as easy as taking a mini fieldtrip around your house!

Whatever your method, ensure that your kids know the dangers of electricity. Electricity is engaging and powerful, but should still be treated as the hazard that it can be.

Electrical fires can be extremely destructive and uncontainable, once they break out. An electrical fault and severe sparking in the electrical installations in one part of your property can easily spread to the other areas very quickly. This means the destruction caused can be extremely high and the fire can pose a threat to the people living or working on your property as well.

When you get the electrical system on your property installed by credible professionals, you can rest assured that there will be no problems and that they will be quite safe. However, if you live on an older property that also has old wiring, it can deteriorate or get damaged over time, and can prove to be extremely dangerous. This is why you should make it a point to conduct routine checks on all the electrical installations in your home.

Most electrical companies also design preventive electrical maintenance contracts based on your specific needs; they will visit your property at pre-decided intervals and conduct thorough checks on all the electrical fittings and installations. This helps identify potential & existing problems beforehand and these can be fixed before they pose a major hazard.

Aside from this, it’s also important that you be wary and conduct some basic checks on all the electrical installations. Here are some signs you should look out for:

If you find that a particular circuit breaker trips once in a while, it may just be an indication that you have plugged in too many electrical appliances and devices all at once into that particular circuit. However, if you find yourself resetting the circuit breaker too often, it’s crucial that you don’t ignore it.

The circuit breaker is built specifically to alert you when something is wrong with the system; this is why you should call in a skilled electrician and get it checked without delay. The constant tripping could be an indication of a much bigger problem.

If you hear buzzing sounds or notice sparking in an electrical outlet or if you detect a burning odour emanating from the outlets, that’s a very strong warning that something’s wrong with it, and that it needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Not only will the electrician check the outlet, but will also check and update the wiring connected to it.

If you experience an electrical shock while operating any appliance or device in your home, it’s an indication that there is electrical current leaking at some point. This could be caused by faulty wiring or even a grounding fault. The electrician will use special testing devices to see where the problem lies and will fix it quickly and efficiently.

Sometimes a light bulb might flicker because it hasn’t been fitted correctly in its socket. However, there are times when this problem is caused due to a loose circuit or loose wiring. It’s the same with other electrical outlets that don’t function as they should.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS): RoHS Compliant

RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. Certain materials used in electronics and electrical products have been deemed hazardous to people and the environment and, therefore, must be limited. For a product to be RoHS compliant, testing must be performed and documented to show limited or no use of cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Warranties

Super Bright LEDs, Inc. offers a minimum 2-year warranty to protect against manufacturer defects and malfunctions. Longer warranties are available depending on the product. If you experience failure of an LED or other component not caused by negligence, abuse, unauthorized repair, or disassembly, we will replace the product within the warranty period. If the same product is no longer available, a product of equal value may be substituted.

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Lifetime Warranty

Super Bright LEDs, Inc. offers a Lifetime Warranty on a variety of products to protect against manufacturer defects and malfunctions. If you experience failure of an LED or other component not caused by negligence, abuse, unauthorized repair or disassembly, we will replace the product. If the same product is no longer available, a product of equal value may be substituted.

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CE: Meets European health, safety, and environmental standards

In order for certain products within controlled categories, such as electrical and electronic devices, to be legally sold in the European Economic Area, they must bear a CE label, which stands for Conformité Européenne (European Conformity). Products with this label meet environmental, health, and safety standards put into place by European legislation.

UL Recognized: Product component safety and environmental certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC is an independent testing agency that works to verify product safety and quality. A UL-Recognized label ensures that a product component, such as a power supply or LED light strip, has been tested and verified as safe to use in a UL-Listed product. UL-Listed product samples are tested by UL and meet their Standards for Safety requirements.

DLC: Listed as a quality, energy-efficient product by the DesignLights® Consortium (DLC®)

The DesignLights Consortium® (DLC®) partners with energy-efficiency groups and utility companies to establish a set of standards for commercial LED light fixtures. The product is tested and must meet quality, energy-efficiency, and performance requirements to be added to the DLC’s Qualified Products List. For more information, click

DOT Approved: Approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT)

The Department of Transportation (DOT) sets strict guidelines in respect to external vehicle lighting that must be followed in order for a light to be street legal. Vehicle fixtures, such as headlights and tail lights, that have a DOT mark are legal, safe, and considered to provide suitable illumination for street use.

SAE International Class 1: Classified for use as emergency vehicle lighting by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Vehicle warning lights are ranked by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) according to class. A Class 1 LED light delivers the most amount of light (in comparison to class 2 and class 3 lights) and is ideal for emergency lighting on ambulances and fire trucks as well as police and rescue vehicles.

ETL Listed: An ETL-Listed product meets national safety standards

A product that bears an ETL-Listed label has been evaluated by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and meets national product safety standards. An ETL certification is accepted in the U.S. and in Canada.

FCC: Complies with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. Won’t cause harmful interference.

Products with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) label meet all requirements and rules set forth by the FCC and won’t cause interference with other electronic devices. According to FCC’s website, “The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.” Products that generate radio frequency (RF) energy, such as RF remote controls and certain LED light bulbs, are tested to ensure that they are within the FCC’s guidelines and limits and do not cause harmful interference.

SAA: Standards Australia (SA) compliance

Standards Australia (SAA) is a company that establishes guidelines and rules known as Standards. In an effort to create a sustainable environment, these Standards are designed to ensure that products are safe and function consistently. Products with an SAA label were tested and comply with set Standards.

IP65

The weatherproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against jets of water and may allow limited liquid entry.

IP66

The weatherproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against strong jets of water and may allow limited liquid entry.

IP67

The waterproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against the effects of immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter.

IP68

The waterproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against long periods of immersion under pressure.

IP69K

The waterproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against high-temperature, high-pressure water and steam.

UL 844: Meets requirements from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC for use in hazardous (classified) locations

UL 844 requirements cover fixed and portable luminaires for installation and use in the following hazardous (classified) locations in accordance with the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70:

These requirements cover luminaires for use only under the following atmospheric conditions:

Are you constantly dealing with tripped circuits? What about blown fuses? If you’re experiencing any of these problems as you go about your daily routine, it may be time to consider installing dedicated circuitry in your home. Certain appliances in your home draw more power than others. Without a dedicated circuit, you might experience constant electrical problems. A dedicated circuit ensures enough power is provided to the major electrical appliances, reducing tripped circuits in your Tampa area home!