Nobody likes mice or rats on their property, but beyond the obvious reasons for keeping rodents out, here’s another one: they can chew your electrical wires and potentially cause a fire.

Damaged, worn, cracked or corroded electrical wires can increase the chance of electrical accidents. Have a qualified electrician check your wiring on a regular basis to make sure your home and workplace wiring is safe. If you need to, upgrade and replace old and faulty wires.

Some common home and workplace hazards include:

• Loose or improper connections, such as electrical outlets or switches
• Frayed appliance or extension cords
• Pinched or pierced wire insulation, which could occur from, for example, a chair leg sitting on an extension cord
• Cracked wire insulation caused by heat, age, corrosion or bending
• Overheated wires or cords
• Damaged electrical appliances
• And, of course, electrical wire that has been chewed by rodents

Dust can also be dangerous!

Too much dust is also dangerous, whether from coal, silica, cement, asbestos, grain, fabrics, flour, wood, metals or materials like leather and rubber.  A cloud of concentrated dust is potentially combustible, in addition to causing physical problems.

Use an exhaust ventilation system, a dilution ventilation system, or a vacuum that’s approved for collecting dust. The presence of dusts in ignitable quantities means that the area where they are present is considered a “hazardous location”, which means many new safety rules come into play.

For home, office, and workplace, make sure your portable fire extinguishers are inspected and tagged as often as needed, and that your family and staff know how to operate them.

And finally, always hire a licensed electrical contractor.  This is not the area to be a DIYer or to rely on an all-around handy person. Even a “small job” done carelessly or incorrectly can pose serious life-threatening fire hazards. A break in a hot wire or a loose connection won’t trip a circuit breaker (except for the newer arc-fault breakers) or blow a fuse, and the resulting electrical arc is literally the hottest natural phenomenon on earth.

Safety pays off in many ways!