Safety

SAFETY SWITCHES

Safety switches save lives. A safety switch protects you and your family against the most frequent cause of electrocution - a shock from electricity passing through the body to earth.

How they work. If a fault occurs in an appliance or wiring - causing current to flow to earth - a safety switch's earth leakage sensor responds to the imbalance and cuts the power. This happens in less than a heartbeat, potentially preventing electrocution.

Do you have one? Ask mum or dad about checking your switchboard by looking for a TEST/RESET button.That tells you that you have a safety switch installed. It's recommended that all homes have one, but it is required by law that all rental properties have one installed by 1 March 2008.

Is it working? If your mum or dad have had a safety switch installed, they should make sure to test it every 3 months. You can watch them carefully while they test the switch. All your mum or dad need to do is to simply press the 'test' button once and the switch should automatically trip - that means it's working. Then they must reset the switch by turning it back 'ON' and remember, if they're unsure, they should call in a qualified electrical contractor.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR MUM OR DAD: This 'test' will cut your power supply, so be aware that you'll need to reset your electrical clocks, microwaves, videos, etc.