Safety Basics
Each year, 400 people are electrocuted in their home or yard.
- Electricity looks for the quickest path to ground. On its journey to the ground, electricity travels through conductors. Good conductors include water, metals, and people. Human beings are good conductors simply because about 70% of the body is composed of water.
When electricity travels through the body, it can overload the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Electric burns can cause serious injury or death. Electrical safety is something we should not take for granted.
How does the electricity in my home work?
- Electricity enters your home through a service entrance from a series of outdoor power lines or an underground connection. A typical service entrance consists of two 120-volt wires and one neutral wire that deliver power to lights and appliances in your home.
- The electric meter is mounted outdoors where electricity enters your home. This meter is used to measure the amount of electricity that is used. The meter is monitored by MVEA and is protected by law! Tampering with the electric meter is extremely dangerous and illegal!
- The service panel is the central distribution point for delivering electricity to switches, outlets, and appliances throughout your house. The service panel is equipped with a breaker that shuts off power to the circuits if an electrical system failure occurs.
- Grounding is the method used to connect an electrical system to the earth with a wire. Grounding adds critical protection against electric shock and electrocution by using a grounding rod to provide a third path for conducting electricity in the event of a short circuit or an overload. Grounding will help protect the person working on the system, the system itself, and any appliances and equipment that are connected to the system. (“Electrical Safety Workbook, A guide to understanding and maintaining your home’s electrical system,” A publication presented by the Electrical Safety Foundation International, pp.4, http://esfi.org/index.cfm/page/Electrical-Safety-Workbook/cdid/10792/pid/10272)
