On any job site, having the right electrical safety gear is essential. For electrical projects, there are often special considerations, as some tasks can have unique hazards that require special gear.

Eye injuries are serious and for most electricians are a daily hazard. Having, and using, the right eye protection can make all the difference.

Electricians often work at heights, either on roofs, scaffolds, or elevated work platforms. In some locations, even working on a step ladder can require fall protection gear.

When the potential exists to fall more than 6 ft., fall protection gear should be worn. This includes an approved and inspected harness and a lanyard with the correct weight rating. Always ensure that the fully extended length of the lanyard is short enough to prevent the worker from contacting the ground in the event of a fall.

Hand injuries are the most common type of workplace injury, therefore selecting and using the right kind of gloves is vital.

Along with proper knife safety practices, using cut-resistant Kevlar gloves can greatly reduce the potential for cuts and scratches. In cold weather, ensure that insulated gloves are worn. When dealing with potentially hazardous chemicals, use gloves rated to handle the specific associated hazards.

Some winters pass quietly, others live in infamy. As one of the latter, this winter many of you may have had to resort to a “by any means necessary” approach to staying warm. Hopefully you had carbon monoxide detectors in your home to help you make it through safely. Manage without them? You might want to seriously consider the addition of these useful appliances.

Who needs a carbon monoxide detector? Anyone using any type of combustion heating such as wood stoves, fireplaces of any kind, gas and oil furnaces, in addition to gas appliances such as water heaters, stoves, and more. The incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, wood, charcoal, kerosene, propane, and natural gas used to power these items naturally produces CO (carbon monoxide) fumes. If you made it through this winter without a detector – great! But don’t push your luck. CO is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in the U.S. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) reports 200 people are killed each year from accidental CO poisoning, with another 5,000 injured. Chimneys get clogged, appliances malfunction or suffer venting issues, and today’s airtight homes increase the chance of CO accumulation. In short, stuff happens – be prepared!

We love carbon monoxide detectors. Why?

How they work Though design varies slightly by model, carbon monoxide detectors use a CO gas sensor to identify and measure the concentration of carbon monoxide in your home in parts per million (ppm). When dangerous levels are detected, an electronic pulse is sent to activate the alarm – the higher the levels, the faster the response.

Are your carbon monoxide detectors safely installed?

Know the signs of CO poisoning so you can react quickly:

Need to add a few carbon monoxide detectors to your home? Contact Mr. Electric® today. Our professionals technicians use the latest in technology to ensure the safety of you and your family.

When working in an industrial environment you may have a variety of equipment pieces that are plugged into a standard electrical outlet. If this equipment vibrates, you may find that the cord eventually unplugs itself. In other situations, if the equipment is critical to operations and you find that it is being disconnected frequently it can interrupt the workflow. For these situations, a twist lock receptacle would be the ideal solution.

A normal three-prong outlet can simply be pushed or pulled to connect with a standard wall outlet. To add a layer of protection to this process, a twist lock receptacle requires that it be twisted in order to connect properly. The male connector usually has curved prongs that plug into the receptacle and then are twisted to lock into place. To unplug, the plug must be twisted the opposite direction. Without this process the electrical device cannot be disconnected from the wall.

A twist lock is beneficial in those environments where the electrical equipment is critical to operations, is semi-permanent, and should not be easily unplugged. This should not be used as a solution to prevent foot traffic disconnections. Others may continue to trip over the cord, which can damage the cord and create stress. This will expose the wires and create an electrical hazard. If the cord is a tripping hazard it should be rerouted or secured to the ground to prevent this from happening.

If a weather-resistant twist lock is chosen it can be useful when the receptacle is exposed to the elements. It can prevent water from entering the connection and causing electrical surges. The twist lock creates a tight connection and seal. The plug will not become loose and create exposure of the prongs and receptacle holes.

If you can think of a device in your home or workplace which is semi-permanent, will not or should not be unplugged easily, then a twist lock receptacle could be beneficial. This will require the male plug to be replaced on the electrical device and also the wall receptacle to be replaced. We highly recommend that a licenced electrician complete this replacement. A mistake in this task can cause damage to the device and constant electrical shortages or surges.

If you are interested in twist lock receptacles, contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338. We can help you to determine if a twist lock is the ideal solution and help complete the installation properly and up to code.

MyLEDLightingGuide.com’s

Each kit measures 6.8″ L x 4.9″ W x 1.5″ H and weighs about 1.5 lbs. These lights come in 100-277 (Standard) | 347-480 (High Voltage), and can be installed in environments ranging from -30°C to +45°C. Three color temperatures are available: 4000K | 4500K | 5000K (Standard). MyLEDLightingGuide stocks 5000K, but can order in 4000K or 4500K.

These retrofit kits are specifically designed for smaller fixtures that have bulbs up to 400W. Three models are available to match the right output with your application. These lights fit well into wall packs, highbays, parking lot lights, canopy lights, low bay lights, flood lights. In fact, the only limitation is the fixture itself.

2 models make up the Large Series of LED Retrofit Kits, the 150W and 200W. These lights are powerful enough to retrofit and replace Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium bulbs all the way to 400W-750W. These lights are designed to provide more than the normal 400W retrofit replacement kits. There are times when more light is needed, and these kits were designed to provide more light than our normal retrofit kits designed to replace 400W Metal Halide

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Between buying presents and decorating your home, the holidays can get expensive. Not to mention, your

Let's face it: stringing your house with thousands of additional holiday lights is going to get the meter running in overdrive. To help put this in perspective: Americans spend

When you're hosting loved ones over the holidays, you have more lights turned on throughout the house as guests fill up previously unused bedrooms. Offset this increase by limiting the amount of time that you keep the decorative lights on with a timer. These decorations may be festive and amp up the Christmas spirit, but you only need to leave them on for a few hours every night to enjoy them.

If you really want to set the mood, rely on candles and the fireplace to provide light as well. This small adjustment can make your home feel more intimate and ignite the holiday spirit in all of your guests. Just remember to follow the necessary

You're cooking for a horde of people when the family stops by for holiday meals. Between your electric stovetop and microwave, the wattage is going to be through the roof. To minimize costs, optimize the preheated setting of an oven.

Preheat your oven only when you are ready to use it and cook your dishes at the same time (if they need the same temperature) or in a row (from lowest to highest temperature). This will prevent wasting the energy needed to preheat the oven prior to cooking.

By following these five electric bill savings tips, you can prevent your debt from being out of control when you start the new year.