electrical safety

Measures taken to protect human beings from electric shock or from fires caused by electrical faults. They are of paramount importance in the design of electrical equipment. Safety measures include the fitting of earth wires, and fuses or circuit breakers; the insulation of wires; the double insulation of portable equipment; and the use of residual-current devices (RCDs), which will break a circuit and cut off all currents if there is any imbalance between the currents in the live and neutral wires connected to an appliance (caused, for example, if some current is being conducted through a person).

The effects of electric shock vary from a tingling sensation to temporary paralysis and even death, and depend upon the amount of current passing through the body, and upon whether it passes through the central nervous system thereby affecting brain and heart function. Fires are usually caused by overheated cables or loose connections.