Surviving Load Shedding: The Safety Risks You Haven’t Considered
Say what you will, us South Africans are a resilient bunch. When the power goes off right in the middle of cooking dinner – sure an inappropriate word or two may escape our mouths – but chances are we laugh it off with “another day in Africa”, break out the candles, light up the braai and come together in a way not many people do. Problem solvers by nature, we always find a way to survive even when the technology we’ve become reliant on is taken away.
It’s been all hands-on deck at Blue Security after our control centre received over 25 000 signals this past weekend, compared to the average 13 000 signals. “Just a normal load shedding day” at Blue consists of bringing in more staff to assist in the control centre, deploying additional vehicles, and as we wade our way through the thousands of signals, asking our clients to help lighten the load by cancelling false alarms and making use of your Blue Mobile Panic button in a real emergency.
We’ve shared with you our safety tips to keep your alarm powered, but load shedding has many other effects beyond your security system and what to have for dinner. Here are 10 load shedding tips for some of the risks you probably haven’t thought of:
1. First things first – it’s time to flip a switch – and no we don’t mean get mad because this is the second time load shedding has hit today. Switching off all the appliances 10 minutes before load shedding kicks in and turning them on one by one after the power returns should lessen the fire risk or damage caused to appliances, due to power surges.
2. Ideally, you should be checking the load shedding schedule, however, things don’t always go as planned. Be aware of interruptions in cooking during power outages. Remember to turn off the stove or oven when load shedding begins, to avoid a potential hazard in the kitchen when the power resumes.
3. Save the fire for the braai, invest in a few battery or solar powered lights. However, if you do rely on candles for light then remember to be careful of the open flame. A fire can start and spread so quickly due to an overturned candle or one that is too close to a curtain or other nearby flammable material.
4. If you’re one of the more prepared ones with a generator or if you’re thinking of getting one, be aware that generators can cause fires if there’s a faulty connection to the home’s power supply or if it hasn’t been installed correctly. It is also critical that generators are never used inside homes or in an enclosed area because they produce carbon monoxide which can be highly flammable and fatal if inhaled.
5. You can never have too many batteries. Every South African knows the value of having an extra battery or two lying around – especially when the remote starts acting up during the cricket, or when you’ve burned out all the candles and need to fish out the old camping torch.
6. Yes, we know you’re probably up to your eyeballs in batteries, but when it comes to something as important as your fence, gate or garage door- installing reserve batteries is a must to avoid being locked out of your property or left with a driveway gate or garage door wide open. Remember to test your garage or driveway batteries regularly, especially if you haven’t replaced them for a few years.
7. Unfortunately, your cellphone battery isn’t something you can pick up at your local Checkers. You can however invest in a power bank, keep it charged and carry it with you wherever go, so you never have to see that dreaded low battery alert.
8. Don’t get lost when your phone loses signal. One of the impacts of load shedding is that cellphone towers often can’t fully recharge, which results in a loss of signal. If you are someone who relies on GPS to get around, plan ahead by saving your routes offline and – when all else fails – read the road signs!
9. No WIFI, no network and no way to contact anyone – think – what would a person in the pre-cellphone era do? It’s a good idea to write out and carry around emergency contact information, and to know the whereabouts of the local police stations and hospitals.
10. During the heat of February, hearing the drone of the fan slowly fading away is probably one the most disheartening sounds. You’ve probably just stocked up on supplies for the braai, which now run the risk of spoiling. Freeze a bottle of water to help keep food cold, for longer.
What is your load shedding routine? Share your safety tips with us by replying to the Siren.
Source:
Businessinsider.co.za. (2020). 11 ways to stay safe in your home during load shedding – including having frozen water and avoiding carbon monoxide. [online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/ways-to-stay-safe-during-eskom-loadshedding-2019-2 [Accessed 17 Feb. 2020].