At Jim’s Test & Tag, we’d like to wish you happy holidays! To celebrate this festive season, we’ve combined the two things we love – electrical safety and the holidays. Check out our electrical safety tips for the holidays and stay safe this summer.
Damaged Decorations
Thinking of decorating your space with lights? Make sure they are safe to use. A quick visual assessment will give you an idea of the condition of your lights, but in order to know if they are truly safe, ask about our electrical appliance testing services. At Jim’s Test & Tag, we offer inspection services to businesses across New Zealand.
If you’re decorating your building with lights, check out this list of lighting safety tips:
- make sure you only use indoor lights inside and outdoor lights outside
- purchase your lights from a quality manufacturer
- if you know that your lights are pretty old, replace them!
- if you’re using a power board or extension cord, check the voltage recommendations and make sure your items are appropriately matched. Only use these items outdoors if they are made for this purpose
- turn the lights off when you’re not in the building
Product Recalls
This one of our electrical safety tips for the holidays can be useful all year round. If you’re buying gifts for anyone this festive season, it’s always a good idea to check for the latest product recalls and make sure what you’re buying is safe. You can see local product recalls at https://www.recalls.govt.nz/
To get an idea of the risks, we’ve included some of the recent recalls below.
International Adaptor Set
This CD player came with an unapproved travel adapter. The adapter is dangerous and could potentially cause an electrical shock to the user. The travel adapter does not meet New Zealand manufacturing standards and any people in possession of this item should cease use immediately.
Casio Keyboard Adapter
This DC adapter is used in conjunction with Casio keyboards. In some cases, the housing on the outside of the adapter can come apart and expose users to live wiring. This can result in electrical shock. If you are using this adapter, switch it off at the wall before removing it from your keyboard and contacting the manufacturer for a replacement.
RCD Check-Up
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re big fans of electrical safety testing. At Jim’s Test & Tag, we love knowing that we’ve contributed to your safe environment. If you’ve been searching for electrical safety tips for the holidays, our best advice is a full electrical risk assessment of your property.
No matter what risks are present in your building, circuit protection will help you avoid electrical harm. Make sure the RCD switch in your building is completely functional to combat any dangerous electrical faults.
Portable Fans
Trying to cool down over the holidays? Fair enough – just make sure you’re using your fans correctly otherwise things might heat up.
Portable fans have a current rating. This means that if they are plugged into extension cords or power boards, the distribution equipment must match the current rating or exceed it. If you use an extension/power board that isn’t made to cope with the voltage of your fan, the circuits can be overwhelmed, heat up, and start an electrical fire.
Not a great way to celebrate the holidays!
You can prevent a mishap by plugging your portable fan right into the wall socket – this is the safest option. The other thing you can do is check the current rating on the side of each appliance before you use it. If this information is missing, contact the manufacturer or purchase new appliances.
Test and Tag Regulations NZ
If you’re interested in our appliance testing services, contact us today. We test and inspect devices for business owners and managers all round New Zealand. We inspect appliances and apply electrical test tags according to the current standard – the AS/NZS 3760:2010 standard for the in-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment. If, after reading our electrical safety tips for the holidays, you would like to know more about our services, contact us today.
