Backhand safety tip
This is a Hammer
Q: This might be a good tip for those do-it-yourselfers who feel they are ready to tackle electrical repairs. We recently had an electrician come in to update the wiring in our kitchen as part of a remodeling project. During a break we were chatting, and the electrician told us an important safety tip. Anytime you touch a wire, you should touch it with the back of your hand — not your fingertips!
The reason for this, he explained, is that the hand naturally closes around things. If you touch a wire with the fingertips and the wire is live, your hand may reflexively grip closed around the wire, leaving you unable to pull away. If instead you touch the wire first with the back of your hand, and it is live, you will be able to pull your hand away.
I thought this would be a useful safety tip for your readers. — Margie L., Kennebunk, Maine
A: That’s a great safety tip, Margie, and thank you for sending it! One must always shut off the circuit to the electrical outlet or switch being worked on, and test it using a voltage tester before commencing work. This step, touching the wire with the back of the hand first, provides an added layer of safety and costs nothing more than a few extra seconds of your time. But it should only be done after you have made certain the circuit is open (off).