Hi friends-

We hope you are doing well. Recently this week, Kat may have over-heated an outlet, causing a small spark and the need for a fire extinguisher #multitasking.

So in this newsletter we wanted to talk about the minimum personal protective gear and equipment you should own as a homeowner and how to select these three items to make sure you are protected in case of an electrical emergency. We like to call our kit the Home Electrical Safety Kit (HESK for short) and we have it stored in a readily accessible place.

Items you will need for your own HESK:

Safety Glasses

When choosing the proper safety eye-wear, it all boils down to two things: 1) personal preference and 2) the lighting conditions you will be working in.As a homeowner going with the clear lenses safety glasses will be the most cost effective/best choice since you will only be using them occasionally and for very short periods of time. If you are someone whose job or hobbies require you to wear safety glasses for long period of time you will need to consider the lighting conditions and lens colors. Below is a chart to help you make your choice.

Gloves

Gloves are an important part of your personal protective equipment while doing almost any activity. But how do you know if you will need gloves? And how do you choose the correct type of glove for your task at home? There are some cases where gloves are not a good idea, like when operating very specific power tools. The reason behind this is that your glove can get caught on the machine putting your hands and/or limbs at risk.  

Here are the 4 most common types of gloves and how they can be used:

-Fabric & Canvas:

These two types of gloves can be used in a variety of scenarios but the most common would be: yard work, painting, when using long handle tools, installing insulation, roofing and HVAC.

-Full Leather:

This type of glove is most commonly used in construction, woodworking & electrical. In electrical you would need to also wear a rubber insulated glove under the leather glove to remain safe.

-Latex & Neoprene:

These gloves are popular because they are disposable. Latex and Neoprene gloves are great when your projects require precision. You can use these gloves when: painting, cooking with raw meat or even handling some chemicals. Take a look at the image below to learn about the many types of disposable gloves available in the market. We suggest looking to biodegradable natural rubber latex gloves if you are interested in utilizing this type of glove as they will lessen your impact on the environment.

-Rubber,PVC:

These two types of gloves can be used when gardening, applying pesticides and as part of your safety routine when doing electrical work. A rubber or PVC glove should be worn under your leather glove whilst working with electricity.

Fire extinguisher

-How to choose the proper fire extinguisher?

For those that do not know what a fire extinguisher is, it’s basically a portable mechanism used to suffocate a fire. It is a pressurized can that can contain different extinguishing solutions, that come out as a foam.

These different solutions exist to that they can extinguish different types of fires. Some fire extinguisher can be used to combat more than one type of fire. Let’s briefly discuss the 4 common types of fire extinguishers and the reason why you do not necessarily need to break the bank and purchase all 4 types:

-Water Extinguisher:

The water type extinguisher should only be used to put out the following: fires on paper derivative products such as cardboard, wood and finally on plastics.

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-Foam Extinguisher:

This type of extinguisher is a little more versatile than the water extinguisher and can be used in two different situations. It can safely be used on paper, wood, plastic and flammable/combustible liquids.

-Co2 Extinguisher:

This extinguisher really comes in hand when trying to extinguish a fire composed of flammable/combustible liquids and electrical equipment.

-Dry Chemical Extinguisher:

As Hector went through his schooling and training he learned that dry chemical fire extinguishers can be utilized on any kind of fire: paper, plastic, combustible liquids or electrical equipment. With this in mind, in his opinion, getting a dry chemical fire extinguisher saves the most space in your home and is the most affordable option.

By wearing the proper eye protection, gloves and purchasing the fire extinguisher that best meets your needs you will be better prepared in the case of an emergency. Be sure to let all of your family members know where you store your HESK and how to safely use the items in the kit.

We hope you found these tips helpful. Let us know via Instagram about your next home project, or HESK. You can also ask us questions and share pics of your latest home renovations.

Until next time, friends.

Hector and Kathryn Torres (the power couple)

azpowercouple