Safety with power cords

Exposed wires in a cord are dangerous and should be unplugged and fixed immediately.
Source: Image courtesy of Office of Compliance

Most electrical accidents in the home involve damaged or old power cords .

Power cords that are frayed or damaged or have wires exposed are dangerous and should be replaced.

Two-pin plugs, which do not have proper barriers between the wire connectors, should be replaced with modern three-pin plugs.

Cords should not be left in places where they might be damaged; such as near a hot stove or near sharp corners. It’s also important to avoid running power cords across places where people walk and could be tripped-up by the cord.