Electricity is very friendly but at the same time very dangerous if one does not treat it like a friend. It is very important to take safety precautions when using electricity. As a friend electricity would do everything for you, but be wise! Yearly people get injured and souls are lost in Eswatini. These are consequences of lack of following the correct procedures on using electricity. Eswatini Electricity Company is a company that is socially responsible and therefore in its endeavor to satisfy its customers, reducing electricity injuries and unnecessary death is also one of the highest mandates by giving safety tips to the community. As mentioned above, electricity is a friend that brings light, warmth and makes your life easy but safety must be considered when using it. Use it with respect!

Following are safety tips that can help you and your family to use electricity in a safe manner at home.

• Don't play with socket outlets (plugs).
• Do not put too many appliance on one socket outlet (plug)
• Electricity cables or codes must not run on busy surface, i.e. where people walk.
• Do not pull a plug out by the cord because it can expose bare wires. Switch off first, hold the plug itself, and pull it out.
• Electric cords must not run on door hinges and windows from one room to another because it can expose bare wires.
• Replace all electric cords for appliances with exposed wires with new cords.
• A heater must not be used for drying clothes. It should be placed away from material that could be ignited.
• Electrical appliances should be used for their purpose.
• Taking supply from another house is prohibited and it is also dangerous; it can injure or even kill you.
• Do not ignore hot electrical codes because that may mean a loose connection in the plug or in the appliance you are using.
• "Water and electricity do not drink tea together". Do not use any electrical appliance in the bathroom!
• Do not put off fire that has been caused by faulty electrical appliance by pouring water. First remove that appliance from the plug or trip the main switch from the distribution box or use fire extinguisher.
• Do not use oven and stove plate to warm your kitchen because it may cause the cords of the stove to become extremely hot. Stoves are for cooking.
• Every time before you change a globe or you repair wiring, make it a point your mains from the distribution box is switched off.
• Do not fill electric kettle with water while plugged.
• When you iron, do not hold other metals with the other hand.

Fallen Power Lines:

• Stand at a safe distance. Be on guard and ensure animals or livestock and other people are kept away from fallen lines.
• Do not leave until you notify another person to call the nearest EEC offices or the police.
• Wait on guard until EEC or police arrive.
• Do not assume there is no electricity on fallen lines; always think of live and dangerous fallen lines. Report to EEC when you see or come across fallen power lines.
• Do not climb a tree, which is next to power lines.

Structures:

• Do not build a house or any structure under power lines; it is dangerous in case the line falls. Besides EEC will not connect power on buildings constructed underneath power lines.
• When you want to embark on a construction process, particularly in urban areas, EEC should be consulted before the process to ascertain whether there are underground cables or not.
• Aluminum ladders and metal pipes should be carried in a horizontal form when working under power lines.
• Do not throw stones or objects at insulators, because the whole electrical structure may be electrified when insulators are broken.
• Do not play and climb on electrical structures, it is dangerous. You could be electrocuted.

Babies and Electricty

• If you have turned a heater on, watch your child he/she does not stick his/her finger through the grill and touch the hot bars of the heater.
• Keep all unused plugs in the house covered with a safety plug. Babies like to stick their fingers into the plughole.

Tempering or Fiddling with Electricity is a Game of Fools.

This is you have to know:

• Death and injuries are the consequences of theft of electrical cables and illegal connections.
• EEC has lost a lot of money through theft and illegal connections.
• Tempering or fiddling with electricity can lend you in the arms of the law. Chances are that you can be killed or injured and be disabled for the rest of your life.
• Connecting electricity from your neighbor without the concern of EEC is theft and you can be prosecuted.
• The power at our homestead has a potential to injure and kill if not properly used.

People have been killed in the past, now it is time the public take action and put this to end. Most people now know about electricity how friendly it is if you do fiddle, and how dangerous it is. It is about time we enjoy electricity as our "friend", who makes ones life easy and simple, provides job opportunities and keeps our environment pollution free. Mourning because one of our friend/relative has been injured or electrocuted must be a thing of the past.

The nation must work hand in hand with EEC to bring deaths and injuries to an end. EEC thanks all its customers and potential customers who have reported lines that may cause danger to the public, and those who receive welcome advices on electricity safety. Safety is for us all.

Eswatini still has a problem of improper electricity usage, electricity theft, cable theft, illegal connections, connecting a house which has been disconnected for none payment or other reasons and vandalism of infrastructure. Such people (in SA are known as "IZINYOKA") who perform what has been mentioned above must be reported to EEC or RSP (Royal Eswatini Police).

Do not hastate to use electricity with respect, you will be saving your life and life will just flow for you. Mostly those who fiddle and temper with electricity are "fools" but they call themselves the "wise" yet they put other people's life in danger. If you temper with your own electricity, it will be disconnected by EEC and to reconnect you will be charged.

Think about you have lost your relative or have a disconnected home because you have or your neighbor has fiddled with electricity structures and you decide to take no action about that. Why don't you take action now report "snakes" or if you are, stop right now because EEC cannot be in every homestead and communities at the same time to see all the abnormalities. SAVE YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS.