Electrical Safety Tips for Commercial Buildings

Everyone wants to work in a safe work environment to get the maximum productivity out of their efforts. Feeling safe gives you peace of mind and lets you concentrate on the job at hand. Unfortunately, a poorly managed commercial building is prone to hazards such as an electrical fire.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports one of the top leading causes of commercial building fires is electrical fires. Because of the complexities involved in dealing with an electrical fire, it particularly causes more damage to equipment and property.

Here, we have listed essential safety tips to keep you and your workspace safe from electrical hazards.

Important Safety Tips for Your Commercial Building

1. Damaged Receptacles

It’s important to keep a close eye on the health of the receptacles in your workspace. Usually, several electronic appliances in commercial spaces are connected to a single receptacle, causing it to wear out. As a result, heat can build up and cause a fire.

For any danger signs, check if:

• the wall outlet is cracked
• the wall outlet has changed its color
• plugs have fallen out
• the lights start flickering
• you hear an unusual buzzing sound
• you see any sparks
• you smell anything burning

2. Damaged Cords

Sometimes the cords get frayed due to excessive heat in the wires. The exposed wires can cause sparks and ignite a fire which can be caught by materials like carpets, curtains, and rugs, eventually engulfing everything in its path.

Keep a check on any damaged or exposed cables and replace them timely.

3. Extension Cords

Extension cords are useful in connecting your office appliances, but they’re prone to heating up and catching fire. Once fully loaded, it’s not built to handle excessive current so avoid them as much as you can.

Instead, hire the services of an electrician in Philadelphia and get wall outlets installed for easy and safe connectivity of your appliances.

4. Circuit Breakers

In a commercial building, there are different types of appliances consuming varying watts. For example, an air-conditioner consumes more watts than a light bulb.

These appliances have different levels of amp circuits designed for their power consumption. If excessive current flows through one of these, then it may heat up and ignite a fire.

This is where a circuit breaker box comes into play. It’s connected to amp circuits to stop the current flow once it detects excessive current to stop the circuit from overheating. Make sure you have specific circuit breakers for different appliances in your commercial workspace.

5. Remember to Switch Off Appliances

Don’t let your appliances stay connected to wall outlets or power outputs overnight and when not in use.  Turn them off and plug them out because there’s always a possibility of excessive current causing harm to the chords.

BG Electric Service LLC deals in all kinds of electrical installation, repairing, and maintenance services. We provide residential as well as commercial electrical services in Philadelphia. We also offer electrical rewiring services in Philadelphia. Get in touch with us today.