Safeguards

Here’s some of the main types of safety equipment for your home.

Safety switches
Smoke alarms
Safety plugs
Surge protectors
Fire blankets and extinguishers

Safety switches

Safety switches on power and lighting circuits save lives.

All new homes built since 1991 must have safety switches fitted on all power circuits, and electrical authorities recommend people with older homes also install safety switches on both the power and lighting circuits.

Safety switches are designed to protect people against the most frequent cause of electrocution - electric current passing through the human body to earth. When an electrical fault occurs, safety switches turn the power supply off within a fraction of a second - fast enough to prevent most cases of electrocution.

There are three different types of safety switches:

Switchboard Mounted Safety Switches
that protect your whole home and must be installed by a registered electrical contractor
Power Outlet Safety Switches
that protect a single circuit or area of your home and should be installed by a registered electrical contractor
Plug-In Safety Switches
that protect only the appliance plugged into them.

Safety tips
- If your property is not fitted with safety switches, you should seriously consider having them installed by a registered electrical contractor (look under "electrical contractors" in the Yellow Pages).
- Safety switches should be tested every three months. Simply press the test button and it should automatically turn the switch to off.
- If a safety switch trips – that is, the power supply is disconnected - then there is a fault with the last appliance used.

The Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector’s website has more information:

Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector

Smoke alarms

All residential dwellings should have at least one smoke alarm installed per level of the home.

There are two different types of smoke alarms:

Ionisation smoke alarm
very sensitive and detect particles that cannot be seen by the human eye. They are recommended for bedrooms and hallways. They are not designed for kitchens, small units, flats or apartments due to their sensitivity.
Photoelectric smoke alarm
detect visible smoke and are recommended for kitchens, small units, flats or apartments.

Safety tips
- Test the smoke alarm weekly by pushing the test button with the end of a broom handle.
- "Change your clock, change your battery" - change the smoke alarm battery on a significant date, such as the end of daylight savings.
- Clean the smoke alarm when vacuuming or dusting.
- Ensure smoke alarms are suitably located around the home
- Do not fit smoke alarms in the kitchen as they will go off to frequently. Instead place them just outside the kitchen.

Safety plugs

Safety plugs or power point covers can be quick and easy to use around the home. They fit over power sockets that are not in use to prevent young children from pushing things into them.

Safety plugs are designed to be difficult for children to remove. They are inexpensive and are available in supermarkets and hardware stores.

Important
- Insert safety plugs in unused power sockets
- Choose a style that cannot be removed from the socket easily

Surge protectors

Surge protectors may prevent damage to appliances which may be caused by a lightning strike, or power surges caused by wind blown debris, birds or animals coming into contact with powerlines.

There are three different types of surge protectors:

Surge diverters and protectors
provide basic protection for electrical appliances and must be installed by a registered electrical contractor.
Power point protectors
provide specific protection in key areas and must be installed by a registered electrical contractor.
Portable protectors
provide protection to single appliances.

Safety tips
If you own any sensitive electrical equipment, such as computers, videos, fax machines, etc, ask a registered electrical contractor to install a surge protector to prevent damage to these appliances

Fire blankets & extinguishers

Every property should have a fire blanket and/or a fire extinguisher to extinguish small fires. They are available at most large hardware stores.

Fire blankets are inexpensive and very easy to use. All you need to do is simply pull the tabs to open the blanket and then smother the fire. There is no mess to clean up after using the fire blanket.

Fire extinguishers are a fast and effective way to extinguish small fires before they spread. Remember there are different types of extinguishers for different types of fires. If you are placing an extinguisher for the kitchen make sure it is marked "For use on cooking oil and fat fires".