It can be a very overwhelming experience when an electrical emergency occurs. While the obvious and correct thing to do is to contact an emergency electricianas soon as possible, sometimes you need to take steps to ensure the situation is made safe before an electrician gets there. This article will detail three common electrical emergency scenarios and detail what you should do in the event of each of them occurring.Electric ShockElectric shocks are a very serious matter. If someone near you is suffering an electric shock, your first instinct might be to go towards them and move them away from the source of electricity. However, doing this is very dangerous and could result in you being shocked as well. The correct thing to do in this situation is to not touch the person being shocked, even to move them away. Instead, you should cut the power as soon as possible by turning off the circuit breaker at the fuse box. You must then immediately call an ambulance for assistance so the shock victim can be assessed and treated if necessary. While the victim may say they feel fine, it’s important to note that effects of an electric shock can take some time to appear, so it’s important that they’re assessed by a doctor.Electrical FireWhen an electrical fire breaks out, it’s important to act fast. Electrical fires can be caused by anything from a faulty appliance to a frayed wire that’s located too close to a flammable material. The first thing to do once you detect smoke or a flame is to cut the power to whatever is causing the fire, whether it be an appliance or a wire. Don’t attempt to unplug anything from the wall – instead, turn off the circuit breaker. Once the electricity is off, you should then attempt to put out the flames with a suitable fire extinguisher. If the fire continues to grow and spread, call the fire brigade and evacuate the building as fast as possible. If the building is filling with smoke, stay close to the ground on your way to the exit.Power OutageA power outage might not be as serious as the other electrical emergencies on this list, but it’s still one that can cause a lot of headaches, especially if you rely on electricity for cooking, heating and cooling. If your power goes out unexpectedly, the first thing to do is to contact your electricity provider to see if there’s an issue affecting the network. Sometimes things like bad weather or trees falling onto power lines can cause disruptions to the power supply. If your energy provider informs you of no such issue, you’ll need to investigate other potential reasons for the outage. For example, it could be a short circuit or a tripped fuse. It’s best to get in touch with an emergency electrician who can help you identify the problem and get it fixed promptly.
