Safety with electricity

It may look funny, but electric shocks are no laughing matter. Shocks like this can really hurt your body.

Electricity can help us do many different things, but it’s very important to use it safely.

Did you know that a human body can conduct electricity? In fact we use electricity to help our body work. Our bodies are full of salt water that can conduct electricity so that messages from our brain, through our nerves can reach our muscles, allowing us to walk and breath.

Normally, dry skin in good condition (without cuts, sores and scrapes) can protect the body against electric shocks up to 120 volts AC (alternating current).

However, in larger amounts electricity can interfere with how the human body works. A strong electrical charge can even stop a person’s heart, causing death!

The electricity we have in our homes must be used with care to prevent an electrical charge from entering anyone’s body.

Some of the things you can do to protect your family in your home are to avoid inserting anything that could conduct electricity into an electrical powerpoint, switch off electrical appliances before handling them and following your household rules about who is allowed to use different electrical devices.

To help keep people safe when using electricity, a number of devices and practices have been developed.