  Credit Points 2 LET'S BE FRIENDS WITH ELECTRICITY Plan a Hazard Hunt Electricity can be your important lifelong friend and helper, so you will want to know all you can about it and how to treat it properly. However, careless and improper use of electricity can do a lot of harm. Used properly, and treated with respect, electricity can do wonderful things to help you every day in many ways. For safe and proper use of electricity, all wiring, fittings, insulation, cords and plugs must be in good condition. You can be a detective and track down defects in any such type of electrical equipment that you may be using in your home or on your farm. When you find anything that is wrong, and know where it is, and know what to do about it, you can very likely correct the condition yourself, such as replacing a worn extension cord with a new one. If you find defects in permanent wiring, or some places where wires are bare or terminals are needed, you should tell your parents about them. SAFETY FIRST, remember, should always be on your mind when working with anything electrical. WHAT TO DO:1. Have A Hazard Hunt Go on a Hazard Hunt to see how many electrical hazards you can find. Look for defects such as broken insulation, worn cords, splices that are not properly soldered and taped, loose connections, or switches that aren't working properly. There are many ways to have a Hazard Hunt. Choose the method that will be the most fun. Use the Hazard Hunt Guide in this outline to check your home, and other buildings. Maybe you'll want to have a friend help check your home, then you help him check his. Or, why not give each member of your family a Hazard Hunt Guide and have a contest? Parents may want to team up against you and other younger members of your family to see which team can find the most electrical hazards in some set time—say 30 minutes. Have a Hazard Hunt Committee in your club check all member's homes and buildings and report its findings at the next club meeting. To Make It More Fun 1. Put a hazard tag, like the one shown, (Figure 1) by each hazard that is found. Leave it until the hazard is corrected. Have another contest to see which member of the family corrects the most hazards. Figure 1 2. Report on your Hazard Hunt at the next club meeting. Tell about the Hazards found, and what you have done or plan to do about them. 3. Suggest that the entire club have an Electric Hazard Hunt at your club meeting places or any community building. This could be part of one meeting. 4. Have a contest between two teams in the club to see which team can get the most homes in your community checked by the Hazard Hunt Guide. Losers could give a party for the winners. 2. Get Others Interested Promote a community Electric Hazard Hunt. Enlist the support of power suppliers, electric supply and equipment dealers, schools, newspapers, radio and television stations. What To Look For Make a complete tour of your home and other buildings and see how many hazards you can locate. When you find a hazard, put a tag near it to mark it. SAFETY TIPSPut hazard tags near the hazard but not directly on broken or frayed wires, insulators, fittings, or other wiring equipment. Do not touch them either. Badly-frayed wires should be disconnected immediately from the power supply. In this way, you will not expose yourself to shock by accidentally touching an exposed live wire that may be carrying current. 4-H Electric Hazard Hunt GuideWiring and Protective Devices 1. Cable or conduit splices not in boxes—— 2. Cable or conduit not securely clamped in boxes—— 3. Conduit or armored cable not properly grounded—— 4. Cracked or broken insulators (Figure 2)—— 5. Wire not completely covered with insulation—— 6. Worn insulation on wire—— Figure 2 7. Old unused wiring not yet removed—— 8. Outlets, junction and switch boxes not securely fastened and covers not in place—— 9. Switches not working properly (sparks fly as switch is flipped) (Figure 3)—— 10. Fuses not of proper ampere rating for circuit—— 11. Extension cord used in place of permanent wiring—— 12. Pull chain socket without an insulating link in the chain—— 13. Pull chain socket near plumbing fixtures or where hands may be wet or one may stand in water—— Figure 3 14. No moisture-proof cords for outside weather conditions or heavy rubber cords for motors and motor driven appliances Lighting 1. Fixtures in farm buildings installed so that they might be easily damaged 2. Lights in haymows and other dusty locations not protected by dustproof globes 3. Outside sockets not waterproof 4. Heat lamps not properly supported by non-current carrying wire, chains, or brackets (Figure 4) 5. Light bulbs not frosted, shaded, or placed so that light is diffused to prevent glare Figure 4 Auxiliary Wiring 1. Outlets overloaded—in other words, "octopus wiring" 2. Extension cords placed under rugs 3. Extension cords run through doorways (Figure 5) Figure 5 4. Extension cords or lamp cords should use underwriters' knot (Figure 6) Figure 6 5. Plug connections fuzzy (Figure 7) Figure 7 6. Extension cords run over heaters or radiators 7. Extension cords, or appliance or lamp cords, worn or frayed 8. Heating appliances without regular asbestos covered wire 9. Open sockets or outlets where a baby or small child might stick a finger or metal toy 10. Broken plugs (Figure 8)—— 11. Loose prongs on appliance or lamps plugs—— Figure 8 How Many Hazards Did You Find?Make a chart listing the hazards, their locations and what you did about them. Make your own chart and list what you find. Demonstrations You Can GiveShow and tell others how to have a Hazard Hunt. For Further InformationCheck with your leader, then ask your power supplier or a local electrician to tell you about safe electrical wiring, connections and fixtures.
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