It’s once again the peak season for electrical fires; it’s essential to learn preventive measures

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In summer, due to the sudden rise in temperatures, electrical equipment can overheat; coupled with factors such as aging wiring, electrical fires are likely to occur. This issue specifically introduces relevant electrical fire prevention knowledge for reference. There are three types of short circuits in electrical equipment: ground short circuit, inter-wire short circuit, and complete short circuit. 1. When installing and using electrical equipment, the wiring should be done properly according to the voltage and current levels of the circuit, as well as its intended use. 2. In areas with acidic conditions, high temperatures, or high humidity, acid-resistant, corrosion-proof, heat-resistant, and moisture-resistant wires should be used. 3. The wires should be installed firmly to prevent them from falling off; wires must not be knotted or tied tightly to wires or nails. 4. The wires of portable power tools should have a proper protective layer to prevent damage or detachment. 5. It is strictly prohibited to insert the bare ends of wires into sockets. 6. Both the main power switch and the individual switches should be equipped with appropriate fuses, and the current usage should be checked regularly to eliminate potential hazards promptly. To prevent overload, all wires have a certain load capacity. When the current intensity exceeds this capacity, the temperature of the wire rises sharply, which can cause the insulation layer of the wire to catch fire and ignite any flammable materials in the vicinity, leading to a fire. 1. All electrical equipment must have appropriate wires selected in strict accordance with electrical safety regulations and installed correctly; wires must not be connected haphazardly. 2. For circuits that are overloaded, appropriate wires should be used, or excess power tools connected to those circuits should be removed; alternatively, usage should be controlled by determining priorities based on the level of production and requirements. 3. To prevent a three-phase motor from operating in single-phase mode, a signal light for single-phase operation must be installed on the three-phase switch panel. 4. Both the main circuit switch and the branch switches should be equipped with fuses whose rating corresponds to the safe current-carrying capacity of the wires. Fire protection for lighting fixtures mainly concerns the fire protection of light bulbs and fluorescent lamps. When the light bulb is powered on, its surface temperature is quite high. If the heat dissipation conditions are poor, their intense radiant heat can cause the surrounding flammable materials to catch fire. The culprit behind fluorescent light fires is the ballast. Light bulb fire prevention: 1. It is strictly prohibited to use paper lampshades or wrap the light bulb in cloth. 2. Where impact is possible, the light bulb should have a sturdy metal mesh cover. 3. Do not place the light bulb too close to clothes, mosquito nets, walls, straw, cotton, and other flammable materials; maintain a distance of at least 30 centimeters. Flame prevention for fluorescent lights: 1. When installing fluorescent lights, pay attention to ventilation and heat dissipation; avoid placing them too close to wooden surfaces, and prevent water leakage and moisture. 2. When installing the ballast, its bottom should face upward; it must not be installed vertically to prevent the asphalt from melting and spilling over. 3. If you hear noises coming from the ballast during use, if it feels very hot to the touch, or if you detect a burnt smell, turn off the power supply immediately and conduct an inspection. Contact resistance: When a wire has poor contact with another wire, or with switches, fuses, instruments, and electrical appliances, a type of resistance is formed, known as contact resistance. If the contact resistance is too high, heat is generated at the point of contact when current flows through, which can cause the insulation layer of the wire to catch fire, the metal wires to melt, sparks to be produced, and nearby flammable materials to be ignited, leading to a fire. 1. Whenever connecting wires together, or connecting wires to switches, fuses, or electrical appliances, it is necessary to first remove impurities such as oxidation layers and grease from the wires, and the connections must be secure. 2. Wires with a cross-sectional area of 6 square millimeters to 102 square millimeters shall be connected by welding. Wires with a cross-sectional area of 102 square millimeters or more should be connected using lugs. 3. The connection points of the wiring should be inspected regularly; if any looseness or overheating is detected, it must be addressed promptly. Spark-proof electrical equipment prevents the generation of sparks or arcs, which can easily lead to the ignition or even explosion of flammable and explosive gases and dusts. 1. External inspections and insulation resistance tests are often used to monitor the condition of the insulation layer. 2. Prevent bare wires from coming into contact with metal objects to avoid short circuits. 3. In buildings containing flammable and explosive liquids or gases, explosion-proof or hermetically sealed lighting fixtures, switches, and safety devices must be installed. If such explosion-proof equipment is indeed not available, switches, fuses, and lighting fixtures can also be installed outside or in a separate building; it is prohibited to replace light bulbs or repair electrical equipment while the equipment is still powered on. Extinguishing electrical fires: 1. When a fire breaks out in electrical circuits or equipment and spreads to nearby flammable materials, it is generally necessary to cut off the power supply in order to extinguish the fire. That is, depending on the specific circumstances of the fire, the power supply should be disconnected promptly before attempting to put out the fire. 2. It is important to note that one must never use water to put out fires, as electrical circuits and equipment are generally live; using water in such situations can lead to electric shock, and it will not achieve the purpose of extinguishing the fire, resulting in even greater losses. 3. In the event of an electrical fire, water can be used to extinguish it only after confirming that the power supply has been turned off. When it is not certain whether the power supply has been cut off, extinguishing agents such as dry powder, carbon dioxide, and carbon tetrachloride can be used.