Teach kids about back-to-school electrical safety

The beginning of a new school year seems like a good time to teach your children about electrical safety. Some bases to cover:

• Stay away from power lines and transformers at school or along the way.
• Same goes for electrical equipment on school property.
• Don’t stick pens, pencils or other objects into electrical outlets. The Electrical Safety Foundation International reports that almost seven children a day are treated in hospitals for burns or electrical shocks because they tampered with wall outlets.
• Warn teens who are driving to slow down when they see utility crews working on the road.
• If an electrical power line is on the street, assume it is live and stay away from it.
• Don’t plug too many electric devices into an electrical outlet or a power strip. Especially in an older dorm, the wiring isn’t equipped for an overload.
• Extension cords are intended for temporary use only; don’t plug one in and leave it there for the whole school year.