I Scour the Internet! : A PSA for 12/21/11

I was wandering through the nightmare known as Twitter, and came across the latest twitterings of advice from Christine Brown, AKA rosecolored6.

One twit tweeted to Christine: "Sometimes when making toast I recall an early episode of SW and wonder, what does Christine know about toasters that I don't??"

Evil toaster about to BLOW

Good point, twit. I for one know that one shouldn't use metal like a fork or knife to retrieve that errant piece of toast if the toaster is still plugged in the wall socket. Also, one should always unplug the toaster when not in use. Oh yeah, and keep the toaster away from the kitchen sink and running water. And if it's smoking...RUN LIKE HELL CUZ ITS GOING TO BLOW!

Well, Christine's tweet back to the twit was "...access google.com and type in toaster dangers and then you will see it all. Raising toaster danger awareness!"

So that's what I did, and guess what I found out?

From the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) website, we learn about "The Danger of Electrical Shock" which apparently is more important to know because there are many appliances in the modern home that uses that old demon ELECTRICITY to run, rather than sharks.

Electric power does a tremendous amount of work. But because it’s such a powerful force, we need to be very careful with it.

People are injured or killed every year by electricity. The reasons are almost always carelessness, a faulty appliance or tool, or a lack of knowledge about how electricity works.

You can reduce electrical injuries and death by doing three things:

1. Understanding how electricity works
2. Recognizing potential electrical hazards
3. Learning about safety devices that prevent shock.

In the kitchen. An ungrounded faulty appliance, such as an electric toaster, used near a grounded kitchen sink can be dangerous. Do not handle or operate appliances when your hands are wet or when the appliances are on wet surfaces, such as a countertop that has water on it. Receptacles within six feet of a kitchen sink must have a ground fault circuit interrupter.

Not a good idea

Well, duh!! But Christine made it seem like the toaster was like a shark, slowly circling its victim before taking a tasty chunk out of an arm or leg.

I mean, who in their right mind would knowingly handle a toaster with wet hands? Or use a toaster near a sink of water?

And Christine, did you know that there are hazards associated with any electrical appliance? Like ironing clothes with your right hand and reaching into the washer with your left hand? I didn't even know about that, but in reality, my washer is in this small closet and even if I wanted to plug my iron in, there are no electrical outlets for me to use...ummmm...do you think that was done on purpose?

 So, dearest Christine, not only are toasters dangerous, so are toaster ovens! And irons! And hair dryers! Any appliance that uses E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-I-T-Y is, in fact, dangerous if not used properly.

 So next time you start spouting off that there are more people killed by toasters than by sharks, why not follow your own advice and google for the FACTS about using ALL electrical appliances safely?

PSA courtesy http://www.tva.gov/power/homesafety.htm