Safety Tip

Summertime brings all sorts of outdoor activities and many of them involve electrical appliances or devices. Hedge trimmers and lawn mowers, patio light strings and the like get hauled out and put to use. Take a minute to consider safety. Electricity and water don't mix well, so let's review safe outdoor electrical practice.

First, make sure that cords and plugs are a grounding type (the third prong). Make sure to plug into a Ground Fault (GFCI) receptacle--these are required for all outside circuits. Check your GFCI' s occasionally by pushing the test and reset buttons on them. Finally, make sure to have weatherproof covers over outside receptacles. There are two types: one that protects the receptacle when nothing is plugged in, and another that protects the receptacle when something in going to be left plugged in.

- Stephen Corwin

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001