If you have corded appliances such as hairdryers, straighteners, an iron or any types of electrical charging devices there are certain things that you need to be aware of.

Many electrical fires are due to poor cord care rather than an item merely overheating or causing something else to catch fire.

When using your corded item you should first, before plugging the item into the power outlet, check that there are no twists, knots or damage to the cord. Any exposed wires or cracked casing could be extremely dangerous and could result in a fire or an electric shock when the item is being used.

You should also check the point that the cord goes into the appliance and into the plug and again no wire should be exposed and there should be no signs of stress on the cord casing at these points.

Most damage is done to appliance cords from either overstretching the appliance causing too much tension on the cord or from incorrect storage of the appliance wrapping the cord tightly around the appliance weakening the inside structures and again causing unnecessary strain on the material.

If you notice any signs of damage do not use the item and take it to a qualified appliance electrician to repair before attempting to use the appliance again.