As the heatwave intensifies in Vidarbha, the cool air from air coolers feels comforting; however, a technically unsafe cooler can turn into a ‘Messenger of Death’ inside the home. In recent months, heartbreaking incidents of electric shocks from coolers claiming the lives of innocent children and housewives have come to light in Nagpur and surrounding areas. This situation is serious, and MSEDCL (Mahavitaraṇ) has appealed to citizens to take special precautions while using coolers.
Data clearly indicates that housewives and young children are the primary victims of cooler-related accidents in Nagpur and nearby regions. Housewives, busy with domestic chores, often overlook safety while filling water in the cooler or handling switches with wet hands, while children playing in corners often touch the cooler’s iron mesh. Recently, accidents caused by cooler shocks in various parts of the city have devastated several families. This minor negligence invites an electric shock, making this summer even more hazardous.
According to information from MSEDCL’s technical department, if there is a fault in the cooler and the house lacks proper earthing, the electric current flows through the entire iron body of the cooler. Upon contact, the person receives a fatal shock. Before starting a cooler, the earthing should be inspected by an authorized electrician. Only coolers with the ‘ISI’ mark should be purchased, as inferior quality wiring significantly increases the risk of short circuits.
Installing an ‘Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker’ (ELCB) in every home is the need of the hour as a vital safety shield. It disconnects the power supply within a fraction of a second as soon as a current leak is detected. Before filling water in the cooler, the switch should be turned off and the plug should be removed from the socket. Touching any electrical appliance with wet hands must be avoided. Children should be kept away from coolers, and the cooler should always be connected to an independent power socket.
Furthermore, special care is necessary while filling water in the cooler. Before doing so, turn off the main switch and completely remove the plug from the socket. Avoid touching any electrical device with wet hands. It is essential to follow certain golden rules of electrical safety, which include always connecting the cooler to an independent power socket, not overloading a single socket with multiple devices, keeping children away from the cooler, and getting repairs done immediately by experts if a fault is found.
Unfortunately, if someone does receive an electric shock, they should be moved away from the cooler using a dry wooden object without touching them directly, and medical help should be sought immediately. To report any electrical accident, one can contact MSEDCL’s 24-hour toll-free numbers: 1912 or 19120, 18002123435, and 18002333435. Control these ‘electrical messengers of death’ in every home through technical inspections and experience a safe summer, appealed the MSEDCL administration.
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