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St. Louis Volunteers Repair Homes

June 13, 2011

St. Louis Local 1 members made repairs to nearly 50 low-income homes for Electrical Safety Month in May.

“Electrical wiring is not just a property issue – it’s a life safety issue,” said Douglas R. Martin, executive vice president of the St. Louis chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association.

According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, home electrical problems cause more than 51,000 fires, 490 deaths and $1.3 billion in property damage on average each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that adults above the age of 65 and impoverished households are among the most at-risk groups for a fire-related injury or death.

In partnership with nonprofit Rebuilding Together, nearly 130 members and signatory employers donated $80,000 of manpower and materials to make repairs in homes of disadvantaged St. Louis families.

“IBEW Local 1 electricians and NECA contractors are essential to our mission of making these homes safe to live in,” said Dave Ervin, executive director of Rebuilding Together.

The Electrical Connection Web site lists some common home electrical hazards:

• Make sure that all electrical outlets near a water source have a ground fault circuit interrupter.

• Make sure that all prongs are plugged into an outlet, including the one that grounds the current.

• Check your service panel to ensure that it is firmly attached and all wires are neatly enclosed in the protective box. Check for signs of corrosion or other physical deterioration of the panel.

• Make sure that wire runs are in a protective conduit.

• Keep exposed wire from water pipes.

• All wire connections should be capped with wire nuts.

• Look to see if lights mounted with fixtures fulfill National Electric Code standards.

Photo used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user base10.