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May 2, 2008
GOVERNOR DEJONGH PROCLAIMS ELECTRICAL SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH IN THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Gov. deJongh has proclaimed May 2008 as “Electrical Safety Awareness Month” in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The efforts of the National Electrical Safety Foundation, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are to promote and educate the public about the importance of practicing electrical safety in both their homes and workplaces. The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is actively helping to move this effort forward in order to reduce the number of electrical injuries and deaths from electrical hazards. Consumers are encouraged to check their homes and workplaces for possible electrical hazards to help protect lives and property. Property damages due to electrical fires amount to over 1.5 billion dollars each year and there are about 900 deaths due to residential electrical fires annually. Following basic electrical safety precautions can help prevent injury or death to thousands of people each year. Consumers are urged to install ground fault circuit interrupters, which is an electrical device that helps protect consumers from serious injuries due to electrical shock. They are also encouraged to check the batteries of their smoke detectors on a regular basis to ensure they are functioning properly. |
