Electricity is one of the greatest inventions of mankind which was inspired from nature. Although it was started in the early 19th century, it has developed so rapidly where it became inevitable in our daily lives. We are now living in a space where almost everything is powered up or runs by electricity.
Today, we are so dependent and occupied by electricity that a small mistake can led to an electrical hazard and put our lives in danger. Thus, we need to take necessary safety measures to protect ourselves from electrical hazards.
This article Electrical Safety for Kids is written especially to educate every child about the electrical hazards and safety measures they need to take, to stay safe from electricity.
Electrical Safety for Kids
Kids are born curious, they are highly enthusiastic and always in pursuit to learn new things by themselves. They conduct experiments all the time, sometimes with plants and sometimes with insects. But sometimes they may also encounter electricity too. Thus, kids must be aware of electrical hazards and safety measures to keep them safe.
This article will cover topics related to electrical safety at home, school and outside. This article Electrical Safety for Kids will also cover dangers of electricity and common things which children must not do like why it is unsafe to plug in DC toys into AC circuits and many more things.
Before we get started with the article, let’s learn what exactly is Electrical Safety.
As we know, our human body is a good conductor of electricity, thus when we come in contact with electricity, our body can become a part of the circuit, which causes an electric shock. Thus, taking safety measures against electricity to prevent unwanted situations is known as Electrical Safety. Now, let us understand why Electrical Safety for Kids is important.
Dangerous of electricity for children
Why electricity is dangerous? As said mentioned, the human body is a good conductor of electricity. It can withstand only a small amount of electricity to pass through the body (which is less than 10mA). You might also have encountered some form of electric shock in your lifetime either while placing your hand on an an iron knob or a water tap. This is due to static electricity and it gives very small tingling sensation. On the other hand, electric shocks current electricity are very painful and can also lead to death. Here are some things which our body experiences when subjected to electric shock.
1. Electric shock can cause pain in our body due to the passage of current. But it is still the least significant effect of an electric shock.
2. Electricity causes a burning effect as electric current dissipates energy in the form of heat. This generated heat is enough to burn the tissue beneath the skin and in some cases can even burn the internal organs.
3. Electric current tightens the muscles and causes choking, making the child difficult to breath.
4. Electric current affects the nervous system, our nerve cells communicate to each other through transmission of electrical signals in very small voltages. When higher electric current passes the human body, it will affect the tiny electrical impulse generated by the neurons, overloading them and preventing internal signals.
5. Electric current causes irregular heartbeat and can make blood vessels to contract which can lead to a heart stroke.
Electrical safety at home
1. Never puts your fingers or any conducting objects/materials in electrical sockets.
2. Never keep your hands on the electrical cords that are worn out, and make sure that they are covered with an insulated tape or replaced with new cord.
3. Always turn off the switches when they are not in use.
4. Keep the electrical cords away from the water surfaces (like sinks and bathtubs)
5. Never turn on/off the electrical switches or touch any electrical appliance with wet hands.
6. Make sure that you do work like ironing or heating water with an electric water heater under parental guidance.
7. Make sure that you turn off all the switches and unplug while cleaning the electrical appliances.
Electrical safety at school
1. Never put your hands in the broken switches to turn them on/off.
2. While performing experiments with electrical equipment make sure to use insulated gloves and shoes.
3. Never throw/spray water on the electric bulbs.
4. Never go or play near the main power supply of the school building for any reason.
5. Never put the amputated wires or mathematical tools (compass, dividers, pens and pencils) in the electric sockets. This can leads to a short circuit or sometimes you may get an electrical shock.
Electrical safety outside
1. Never play near electrical units like transformers or electrical poles.
2. Never throw stones on the electrical units.
3. Never fly kites near electrical lines or pull the kites that are hanging on the electrical lines.
4. Never climb trees that are close to electrical poles.
Conclusion
It is always better to consult an electrician for safety and we recommend you don’t take risk. These are just some of the safety measures of electricity which should be taken to save yourselves and educated younger ones about the electrical safety.
Stay Curious & Explore Everyday!
Abbreviations
mA – milliampere(milliamps)
AC – Alternating Current
DC – Direct Current
About Author
Chanukya is an engineer turned educator who currently teaches physics for high school and college students. His motive is to enhance the knowledge of students by unraveling the laws of nature in a lucid manner. He believes that small steps towards the world of physics will make huge leap in the field of physics.
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