1. Office and Home Electrical Safety
This month’s safety meeting topic is electrical safety. May is National Electrical Safety Month.
University of California Office of the President
Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

2. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Has Found:
Electrical Fires – Majority Caused by Aging Wiring and Misuse of Surge Protectors
In the U.S. Over 750 People Are Killed Every Year by Electrical Fires
Extension Cords - Leading Cause of Home Electrical Fires in the U.S.
An Extension Cord Related Fire Occurs Every 6 Minutes
The United States Consumer Production Safety Commission has found:
- The majority of the electrical fires in the United States are caused by aging wiring and the misuse of electrical surge protectors.
- Over 750 people are killed by electrical fires every year in the United States.
- The leading cause of home electrical fires is related to the improper use of extension cords. In the United States there is an extension cord-related fire every 6 minutes.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

3. General Electrical Safety
Replace Damaged or Frayed Electrical Cords
Do Not Run Electrical Cords Through Doorways and Under Carpets
Avoid Overloading Electrical Outlets
Plug Only One High-Wattage Appliance into Each Receptacle at a Time
If Switches/Outlets Feel Warm – Contact Facilities Management ASAP
General Electrical Safety Tips:
- Replace damaged or frayed electrical cords.
- Do not run electrical cords through doorways and under rugs. Cords run through doorways can be damaged. Electrical current generates heat as it travels through electrical cords. If electrical cords are run placed under carpets, the heat would not be able to dissipate and may result in the damage to the electrical cord.
- Avoid overloading electrical outlets. If you have several high wattage appliances, only plug in one appliance into each receptacle at a time
- If electrical switches or outlets feel warm to the touch, contact Facilities Management ASAP. The heat may be an indication of a possible electrical problem. If it is your home electrical switch/outlet, you should contact a licensed electrician to properly assess the situation.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

4. General Electrical Safety
Appliances, Extension Cords, Power Strips, Surge Protectors – Certified By an Independent Testing Laboratory, Such as:
Underwriters Laboratories, CSA International, ETL Testing Laboratories
Use Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Plugs Around Water
Test the GFCI Plug Every Month
Independent Laboratory Testing: All electrical equipment such as appliances, extension cords, power strips, and surge protectors must be certified by an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), CSA, or ETL. These independent testing laboratories conduct tests to ensure they meet industry standards for the specific type of electrical equipment. Look for the UL/CSA/ETL label on the product you purchase.
GFCI: To prevent accidental electrocution, electrical plugs around water (sinks, outdoors areas, swimming pools, etc.) should be a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) type of plug. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from the hot to the neutral wire. If there is any imbalance, the circuit will trip. The GFCI senses a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second to shut off the current. All GFCIs should be tested once a month to ensure they are working properly and protecting you from a electrocution.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

5. Power/Extension Cord Safety
Never Splice or Repair a Cut Power Cord or Extension Cord
Electrical Tape Will Melt
Never Nail or Staple Extension Cords To Walls, Baseboards or Other Objects
Never splice or repair a cut power cord or extension cord yourself. Electrical tape is not rated for the heat generated by the electricity running though the cord. The electrical tape will eventually melt.
Never nail or staple extension cords to objects such as walls or baseboards. If the cord is nailed or stapled, the insulation around the power cord may eventually deteriorate and may result in a fire.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

6. Power/Extension Cord Safety
Never Remove the Ground Pin (3rd Prong) to Fit into a Two-Prong Outlet
Extension Cords: Use On a Temporary Basis – Not Intended for Use as Permanent Wiring
Heavy Use of Extension Cords Means There are Too Few Outlets to Meet Your Needs
Power/Extension Cord Safety:
Never remove the ground pin from a plug to fit the plug into a two-prong outlet. Removing the ground pin may result in an electrical shock.
Extension cords are intended to be used only on a temporary basis and should not be used in lieu of permanent wiring. Heavy use of extension cords means there are not enough electrical outlets to meet your needs.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

7. Surge Protectors Protect Against Small Surges & Spikes
May Protect Against a Large Outside Surge
Need to Replace After a Large Surge
Joules – How Much Energy the Surge Protector Absorbs Before It Fails – The Higher, the Better
Look for Surge Protectors listed as a “Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor” – Would Typically Be Listed with an Underwriters Lab (UL) 1449
Surge Protectors: Protect against small surges and spikes. In homes small electrical surges may be generated by appliances such as refrigerators or washing machines turning on and off. In an office environment small surges may be generated by air conditioners or elevators.
- May protect against large surges such as lightning or problems along the power line. After a large surge, you should replace the surge protector.
- Typically listed with a “Joules” rating, which is the amount of energy the surge protector will absorb before it fails. The higher the number joules, the greater amount of protection.
- Look for surge protectors which are listed as a “Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor”, which may are listed with an Underwriters Lab (UL) 1449 on the tag/label.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

8. Power Strips
Only Allow the User to Plug in More Products into the Same Outlet - Power Strips are Not Surge Protectors
Power Strips - Only allow the user to plug in more products into the same outlet. Power strips are not surge protectors.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

9. Avoid Exceeding the Capacity of the Electrical Outlet
Never Overload the Capacity of the Power Strip or the Surge Protector
Only Plug One Surge Protector or Power Strip into a Single Duplex Electrical Outlet
Never Plug a Surge Protector or Power Strip into Another Surge Protector or Power Strip
Never overload the capacity of the power strip or surge protector
Only plug in one surge protector/power strip into a single duplex electrical outlet.
Never plug a surge protector/power strip into another surge protector/power strip
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

10. How to Determine the Capacity of a Power Cord, Power Strip, or a Surge Protector
Assume 125 Watts per Amp to Calculate the Conversion
Total Watts Should Not Exceed 80% (0.80) of the Rated Capacity
Example – Surge Protector Rated at 15 Amps
15 Amps X 125 Watts/Amp = 1875 Watts
1875 Watts X 0.80 = Watts Capacity of the
Surge Protector
How to Determine the Capacity of a Power Cord, Power Strip, or a Surge Protector:
To calculate the conversion, assume there are 125 watts per amp.
The total watts should not exceed 80% of the rated capacity.
Example – For a surge protector rated at 15 amps, the capacity is 15 amps times 125 watts per amp, which equals 1875 watts. Using the 80% capacity, we multiply the 1875 watts times 0.80 which equals 1500 watts. This is the capacity of the 15 amp surge protector.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

11. Example of Multiple Items Plugged into a Surge Protector
Multiple Items Plugged into a 15 Amp Surge Protector:
Computer – 2 amps = 250 Watts
Monitor – 1.2 amps = 150 Watts
Coffee Maker – 650 Watts
Laser Printer
Idle – 2 amps = 250 Watts
Printing – 9.4 amps = 1175 watts
An Example of Four Items Plugged into a 15 Amp Surge Protector:
Lets assume we have 4 items plugged into this 15 amp surge protector: A 2 amp computer (250 watts); a 1.2 amp monitor (150 watts); a 650 watt coffee maker, and a laser printer which is rated 2 amps (250 watts) while idling, and 9.4 amps (1175 watts) while printing.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

12. Example of Items Plugged into a 15 Amp Surge Protector (Continued)
Total Wattage While Printer is Idle:
250 (Computer) (Monitor) (Coffee Maker) (Printer in Idle) = 1300 Watts
Total Wattage While Printer is Printing:
250 (Computer) (Monitor) (Coffee Maker) (Printer Printing) = 2225 Watts
While Printing, the 1500 Watt Surge Protector Capacity is Exceeded! – Plug the Printer into a Separate Surge Protector & a Different Duplex Plug
When you add up the total wattage, while the printer is idling, 1300 watts of electricity is being drawn through the surge protector. This is below the 1500 watt capacity. If the laser printer is in the print mode, 2225 watts is being drawn through the surge protector. This exceeds the capacity of the surge protector.
For this situation, the laser printer should be plugged into a separate surge protector which is plugged into a different duplex wall plug.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety

13. Summary Periodically Inspect Outlets, Appliances, Plugs and Cords
Extension Cords are Only For Temporary Use
Do Not Nail or Staple to Objects
Do Not Run Under Rugs or Through Doorways
Do Not Exceed the Capacity of the Electrical Outlet, Power Strip, or Surge Protector
Summary – Main Points:
Periodically inspect electrical outlets, appliances, plugs, and cords to ensure they are in good condition. Remove the item(s) from service if they fail the inspection
Extension cords are only for temporary use. They should not be used in lieu of fixed permanent wiring. Do not nail or staple the extension cord to objects. Do not run the extension cords under rugs or through doorways
Do not exceed the capacity of the electrical outlet, power strip, or surge protector.
University of California Office of the President - Be Smart About Safety
UCOP May 2008 Safety Meeting
Office and Home Electrical Safety