Electrical Safety Checklist
Keep your home and family safe. Do an electrical safety check in and around your home twice a year.
At the beginning of summer and winter, check each room in your home for electrical safety. Work through the attached lists below. Invest 10 - 20 minutes of your time now. It may save a life or prevent an accident in the future.
Make a note of any problems and make sure they are repaired.
Sockets and Switches
- Are all sockets, switches and multiboxes working properly with no damaged or broken plugs, sockets, light switches or light fittings?
- Are all sockets and switches cool to the touch?
- Do all electric plugs fit snugly into the sockets?
- Are all multi-boxes placed up high, out of the reach of children?
- Have you installed safety devices such as RCDs, shuttered sockets and recessed outlets?
- Have you limited the number of appliances plugged into one outlet, so as not to draw too heavy a load on the circuit?
- Do you have only one heater per outlet?
Cords
- Are all electric cords in good condition, with no cracking or fraying in the outer cover or any internal wires exposed?
- Are all electric cords clear of rugs and furniture?
- Are all extension cords used for temporary purposes only? If not, ask an electrician to install a socket-outlet where needed.
- Are all cords out of the way so they can’t be tripped over, damaged by furniture, or caught in any way?
Lighting
- Do you have the correct bulbs in your light fittings and lamps?
Portable Electric Heaters
- Do you follow the "heater metre rule" with all heaters at least one metre away from things that can burn?
- Are all heaters in good working condition with no broken parts, funny noises or smells?
- Have you recently maintained and cleaned your heater?
Electric Blankets
- Are all electric blankets in good condition with no scorch marks, kinks, exposed or damaged wiring?
- Are your electric blankets stored flat or rolled in corrugated cardboard when not in use?
- Have you had your electric blanket tested recently?
- How old are your electric blankets? (We generally recommend replacing an electric blanket after 2 or 3 years of use).
Read the electric blanket safety page for further information about electric blankets.
Large Appliances
- When moving or repositioning of large heavy appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, care must be taken not to damage the flexible power supply cords.
- Do you regularly check and clean the lint from your clothes-dryer filter?
- Do you consistently ensure that the stove-top is kept clear of things that could burn - such as paper towels and plastic cords - keeping them at least one metre away from the elements?
Small Appliances
- Are all small appliances around your home in good condition with no exposed wiring, funny noises or smells?
- Do all your small appliances operate correctly?
- Are all small appliances unplugged when not in use?
- Are all cords to electric appliances stored out of the way so that a child cannot pull them down onto him or herself?
Residual Current Devices
- Do you have RCDs installed in the damp areas of your home where you have electrical outlets - such as the bathroom and laundry?
- Do you test your RCDs regularly, and are they working correctly?
- Do you use an RCD or an isolating transformer with all electrical equipment outside?
- Download Residual Current Devices - Switching on to Safety for further information about RCDs or see further information about residual current devices on this website.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
- Can you change a fuse correctly?
- Are all fuse wires the correct size for the circuits on your switchboard?
- Is it a rare occurrence for a fuse to blow in your home?
- Further information is available on Fuses and Circuit Breakers.
Outdoors
- Are all power lines well clear of buildings, structures and trees?
- Are all outside electrical outlets protected by an RCD or an isolating transformer?
Electrical Emergency
- Do you know what to do in an electrical emergency?
- Have you taught your family to be safe around electricity?
- Do you have smoke alarms installed in your home?
- Have you tested your smoke alarms recently? Do you test them regularly?
- Do you have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher in your home?
- Do all people who live in your home know the safest evacuation route in case of an emergency?
- Do you have an emergency plan?
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