It’s the time of year when college campuses are preparing for students to move all their worldly possessions into their home away from home — the dorm. While this is an exciting time for the students, it can be a nerve-racking time for parents. Safe Electricity reminds parents and students to keep electrical safety in mind.
When planning to move into a shared space, communicate with roommates before shopping for items for the room. When there is no communication beforehand, rooms end up with duplicates of appliances, which can lead to a circuit overload.
Plus, be sure to check with your university’s housing department on its specific housing rules. Many colleges across the U.S. ban cooking appliances from on-campus housing, including hot plates, coffeemakers and microwaves. Many of these institutions provide a designated area for the use of these products.
Whether you’re a parent or a student, here are some safety tips to help keep college life as safe as possible throughout the school year.
Electrical safety
- When shopping for items that run on electricity, look for a safety endorsement label, such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories) or ETL (Intertek).
- Do not put a cell phone under a pillow or place it on or under bedding — especially if it is charging. It could overheat or catch fire.
- Keep all electrical appliances and cords safely away from bedding, curtains, paper and other flammable material.
- Make sure outlets near water sources are equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). If they are not, contact the resident assistant, campus housing staff or landlord.
- Use power strips with an over-current protector that will shut off if too much current is drawn.
- Avoid overloading extension cords, power strips and outlets.
- Do not hang decorative lights with nails or tacks; always use plastic hooks.
- Do not run electrical cords across traffic paths or under rugs.
General safety
- Never disable a smoke detector, and never ignore a fire alarm. Every time a fire alarm sounds, calmly and quickly follow practiced procedures and immediately exit the building, even if you think it is just a fire drill.
- Learn about the safety department on campus and how it functions, and ask about the services it offers and the steps it takes to prevent crime.
- Locate emergency call buttons or phones across campus in case of an emergency.
- Walk with friends, especially after dark. There is safety in numbers.
- When attending events or parties, go with at least one person you know and trust. If your friend leaves, do not stay.
- Always be aware of your surroundings and be alert. Avoid being distracted (listening to music or texting, for example) while walking on campus.
- Find out what types of mental health services or counseling the campus offers.
To learn more electrical safety tips, go to SafeElectricity.org.
