Electrical devices and fire hazard

In modern life, the role of electrical appliances is difficult to overestimate, because not a single house, apartment, or office can do without them. Regardless of which device is used and in what mode, it is necessary to clearly understand the handling rules.

Division of electrical appliances into groups

For clarity, we will try to systematize the types of electrical appliances and combine them into groups. So, today the main sections in the classification are:

• electrical appliances for cooking - stoves, ovens, all kinds of large and small Appliances, both built-in and free-standing;
• those devices with which water is heated (regardless of size and displacement);
• heating devices for residential and non-residential premises;
• household appliances to create the required level of electrical appliances for living comfort (irons and hair dryers, vacuum cleaners and waste shredders, etc.);
• tools (household and professional).

Each of the above groups has its own differences, but in general, everything is simple: all devices operating from the mains are considered potentially dangerous, since they are one of the most common reasons the occurrence and spread of fire in the room. Only by being aware that such equipment has an increased fire hazard can you protect your home or place of work from sometimes irreversible consequences.

Thus, cooking appliances are considered the least fire hazardous, but their operation should be closely monitored. If fat comes into contact with exposed heating coils, an immediate fire may occur. It is worth studying the instructions, in which each manufacturer necessarily indicates methods for cleaning from grease and other accumulations in order for the equipment to work correctly. Irons and hair dryers, as well as other small household appliances, will not tolerate neglect: an iron left on on an ironing board will cause a fire in a matter of minutes. Despite the fact that manufacturers carefully consider the issue of protecting the devices themselves, this also requires increased attention from the user.

Professional equipment, as well as power tools, are used in different conditions, including complex ones. It is very important to observe here temperature regime and monitor the humidity level in the premises. The limit values ​​are also indicated in the technical specifications and the manufacturer's instructions. Thanks to enhanced fire protection systems, this equipment is considered reliable. But heaters are perhaps the most dangerous segment. A special feature of this group are the heating elements, which are located in open access. During the operation of any heaters, you must strictly follow the rules, do not cover them under any circumstances, do not install them close to walls, and also monitor them extremely carefully for irregularities in operation.

Electrical network and number of devices

It is known that at the time of design electrical network in any building or premises, future loads are calculated. Often, household appliances cause fires in houses that were built 30-40 years ago, and the wiring in them is simply not designed for so many different devices. in this case are perhaps the most common scenario.

One of the main rules for using electrical appliances is control: if there is no staff on duty in the office or production area, all equipment and Appliances must be de-energized. In addition, in modern buildings, already at the design stage of the system, all kinds of protective systems, well, in “aged” buildings it is necessary to install well-proven systems fire safety, as well as alarms.

Among the most common causes of fire when using household appliances electrical engineering different directions you can note:

• faulty sockets and wiring problems;
• the use of morally and physically outdated equipment, which also does not have the proper level of fire protection (old irons and electric stoves, homemade and converted heaters);
• ignoring basic safety rules: for example, drying things on heaters, heating with stoves and ovens instead of special appliances.

There are also a number of prohibitions that are based on numerous tragic cases of fires that led to significant material waste and, importantly, harm to human health. Thus, one of the main rules states that it is strictly prohibited to place household appliances, especially heating ones, near switchboards, in boiler rooms, or in rooms where electric motors operate. In the same way, it is forbidden to use any electrical appliances that have visible damage to the cables or their insulation is broken.

All rules for the operation of electrical appliances are aimed only at ensuring the required result when complete safety for a person. Electrical appliances and fire hazards are in close proximity,

Microwave ovens have traditionally been accused of all sorts of sins, from radiation, which allegedly negatively affects the brain, to the preparation of “dead food”, which is - correctly - harmful. You will never find a single physicist among those accusing - these people understand how everything works.

Microwave oven: a source of danger. It might pinch your finger!

But among the opponents of microwave ovens there are many who have heard something somewhere and prefer not to take risks, as well as those who believe in a worldwide conspiracy: “They hide everything from us, this is business.” There is no hope of convincing the latter, but for the former, let’s briefly talk about why the myth about the dangers of microwaves is just a myth.

Explains Dmitry Mamontov, physicist, scientific editor Polytechnic Museum in Moscow:
« Microwave radiation is not ionizing radiation (that is, it does not knock electrons out of atoms, much less break up the nuclei of elements), and the only effect that microwaves have on food is normal heating. It is no different from any other heating method, be it charcoal frying, gas or electric oven, except for the fact that in a microwave oven heating simultaneously occurs not only on the surface of the food, but also inside, throughout the entire volume. But food after cooking in the microwave is really “dead”, just like after any heat treatment. I would be careful about eating it alive!" But physicists, by the way, also confirm some myths about microwave ovens: there is some truth in them.

Air conditioners

Air conditioners are accused of two things: firstly, they blow too much and cause colds, and secondly, they cause the spread of harmful bacteria and fungi in the air. Let’s say right away that the accused are guilty, but they can only be sentenced conditionally: both problems can be solved by competent use of the device, and if you leave the air conditioner to your own devices, it will certainly turn from a friend into an enemy.

With temperature control and correct installation air conditioner (to avoid hypothermia) everything is more or less clear, but modern models are already equipped with “smart” systems, sensors that “monitor” the user’s movement and direct the air flow to where no one is or disperse it so that no one is harmed by the targeted blowing.

Air conditioning: dangerous if you don't clean and change filters

But the main danger of an air conditioner is the accumulation of bacteria and mold in its filters and parts. indoor unit(especially for air conditioners with built-in humidification systems). If filters are changed less frequently than required, or not changed at all, then the air conditioner will distribute not only coolness or heat throughout the room, but also representatives of pathogenic microflora in dangerous concentrations.

Allergists also warn that poorly hygienic air conditioning is a serious source of danger for people with mold allergies.

Dishwashers

It would seem: what in dishwashers dangerous, full of benefits, both for physical and mental health. However, doctors in Europe and the USA have long been engaged in educating the population in this area, and international medical journals regularly publish the results of studies of “washes” from walls and parts of dishwashers. These results are different: sometimes half of the devices studied are potentially dangerous, sometimes a little less, sometimes more - depending, among other things, on the general level of culture and compliance with hygiene rules in different countries.

Dr. House could find in an unmonitored car dangerous fungi of the Exophiala species, which form real colonies in human lungs and cause a number of severe fungal infections. On the Exophiala side - high temperatures, humidity and alkaline environment, to guard our health - washing the filters, baskets and walls of the machine from food debris, timely unloading of dishes, ventilating and drying the working chamber of the dishwasher.

Dishwasher: Can be harmful to health if not taken care of

Ultrasonic humidifiers

Like other ultrasonic devices, such humidifiers are accused of the fact that ultrasound is harmful, although everyone goes to ultrasound and is not afraid, and they even have cats, which, like many animals, communicate with their own kind using sound at high frequencies inaudible to humans .

But there is another interesting “accusation” that is constantly encountered in discussions of these devices: supposedly a white coating, which is formed due to hardness salts during prolonged use of an ultrasonic humidifier with untreated hard water, “settles in the bronchi and lungs” and is harmful for allergy sufferers.

We asked Natalya Garskova, leading allergist at the MEDSI on Belorusskaya CDC, about this: “ If you open a window or simply go outside, something more harmful may enter your bronchi and lungs. Rather, it is something far-fetched. Any humidifier is useful for allergy sufferers, you just need to ensure its hygienic condition and not over-humidify the air to prevent mold from appearing", says the doctor. And we will add: the instructions for any air humidifier specifically stipulate that distilled or purified softened water should be used in this device.

Ultrasonic humidifier: safe, but needs to keep the tank clean

Induction cookers

Such plates heat the bottom of a metal cookware by induced eddy currents created by a high-frequency magnetic field. An induction cooker always means saving electricity, high efficiency, fast heating, thermal safety, precise power control, independence from mains voltage fluctuations and various other advantages.

You can still remember the time when in most families all household appliances consisted of tube TV and a refrigerator living in the kitchen. Now home modern man filled with a variety of assistant devices: electric stoves, microwave ovens, computers, air conditioners, hair dryers, multicookers, washing machines, mobile phones. We will not list everything, because it will take a lot of time. It's no secret that all these devices have electromagnetic radiation different power, with which they constantly scare us, and, apparently, for good reason. It is enough to pay attention to the fact that, fleeing from radiation, cockroaches, mice and even moths have disappeared from modern apartments. And mosquitoes instantly disappear as soon as you turn on the Raptor. Perhaps the increasing frequency of human ailments: fatigue, insomnia, headaches can also be associated with the appliances operating in our home.

How do household appliances affect the human body?

It is not correct to assume that low-power electromagnetic radiation is less dangerous than powerful radiation. It is possible that the impact of household appliances on the body may be stronger than if you were near power lines for a long time. That is, we have placed ourselves on a powder keg, thereby constantly disrupting the bioenergetic balance of the body. Scientists have been concerned about the problem of electromagnetic radiation and how it affects the human body for a long time. Italian scientists have found that these radiations can cause infertility. American scientists have come to the conclusion that electromagnetic radiation negatively affects the brain. Swedish scientists have determined a safe limit for the electromagnetic field, which, in their opinion, is equal to 0.2 microtesla. But they all clearly recognized that radiation from household appliances has a negative effect on the cardiovascular, central nervous, and hormonal systems.

How can you measure radiation from household appliances?

Of course, it is impossible to make accurate measurements using a home test, but the presence of electromagnetic radiation and its degree can still be determined. A regular radio may be suitable for this. Turn it on and find any wave on which no radio station is working, that is, only a uniform rustling sound will come from it. Turn on the appliances that you use most often: computer, iron, electric kettle, microwave (there is no need to turn on the refrigerator, since it is always plugged in). Approach each device with the radio turned on. You will hear what he started to make different sounds, crackle, make noise. Based on these sounds, it is possible to determine the radiation that comes from each device: the louder and more frequent the interference, the stronger the radiation.

We must not forget that electromagnetic waves can penetrate walls, so it is worth testing those places in the apartment where you are most often.

Dangerous household appliances.

Fridge.

The danger of a refrigerator directly depends on the time of its manufacture. The more modern the refrigerator, the more features it performs, the stronger its electromagnetic radiation. Probably many people remember the old ZIL refrigerator and other refrigerators of that time. Although it is believed that they are almost safe from the point of view of electromagnetic fields, however, sleeping in a place where an old refrigerator is working behind the wall is not recommended, and they do not like these devices if they are leaned against the wall. If we talk about modern models, it is worth mentioning that it is advisable not to approach the compressors installed in them closer than ten centimeters, since at this distance the permissible level of radiation intensity is exceeded. But to refrigerators equipped with non-freezing freezer, it’s better not to approach at all. Quickly take from it what you need and leave immediately, since exceeding the permissible electrical standards magnetic field near it it is noticeable already at a distance of a meter from the door.

Electric stove.

A distance of twenty-five centimeters of radiation from the front panel of an electric stove can be considered safe, only 1-3 µT, and from the burners - fifty centimeters. Therefore, it is better to prepare lunch and eat food, moving to this safe distance, where the field intensity no longer differs from the magnetic field of the entire kitchen.

Electric kettle.

These small devices, which have become familiar to us, become dangerous at a distance closer than twenty centimeters, since the radiation from them within this radius is 0.6 µT. Therefore, after turning on the kettle, it is better to move away from it.

Washing machine and dishwasher.

Control Panel washing machine creates an electromagnetic field with a power of more than 10 μT. A safe distance will be a radius of about one meter, so you should not observe the washing process close up. For a dishwasher, this radius is half a meter.

Vacuum cleaner.

The vacuum cleaner has a very powerful field - about 100 µT. However, the length of the hose saves harmful effects radiation. If you turn on the vacuum cleaner, do not stand next to it, but immediately get to work.

Iron.

In the heating mode of most irons in the heating mode, you can detect an electromagnetic field that exceeds 0.2 μT at a distance of twenty-five centimeters from the handle. You can protect yourself from harmful effects only by placing the iron aside while heating. Of course, this is not very convenient, but there is no other choice.

The most dangerous household appliances.

TV.

This is one of the most dangerous and most commonly used devices. Safe distance The distance you can stand from the TV is determined by its diagonal. As a rule, it should be at least one and a half meters. This is not only the permissible limit for exposure to radiation, but also the safest for the eyes. Try to reduce the amount of time you spend with your “family friend.”

Air conditioner.

This device is also on the list of the most dangerous. Try not to get closer to him than one and a half meters.

Microwave.

The microwave oven ranks first on the list of the most dangerous household appliances that can cause real harm to human health. The intensity of its electromagnetic field at a distance of thirty centimeters is 0.3-8 µT. It’s probably worth saying that their design is such that it can provide shielding. However, there is no guarantee that the field does not penetrate outside through the almost invisible gaps in the door seal. The most dangerous place is located in the lower right corner of the door. Therefore, treat the device with care, do not slam the door, so as not to break its seal.

Mobile and radiotelephones.

We can no longer imagine our lives without cellular communications. Mobile phones pose a greater danger not by the power of their radiation, but by their close proximity to us. During a conversation, we hold the phone to our ear and it actively affects the brain, in a shirt pocket - on the heart, if we carry it in a trouser pocket, then reproductive function suffers. Try by betting mobile phone to charge, stay away from it and, if possible, turn it off at night. Buy modern phone models that meet security parameters. Place the radiotelephone away from your vacation spots or places where you spend a lot of time.

Computer.

This is generally a topic for a separate conversation. The computer distributes electromagnetic radiation in all directions over a distance of no less than seventy centimeters. The Electromagnetic Safety Center conducted a study of the most common computer models. Based on the results of the study, it was found that the level of radiation that the user receives exceeds the biological dangerous level. Also, a safe distance from the monitor was determined (one and a half to two meters).

Desk lamp.

It’s hard to believe that such a primitive household appliance also poses a threat to the human body. However, the radiation from a table lamp can be put on a par with the radiation coming from a TV. Therefore, if you can do without a table lamp, it is better to do so.

Energy-saving lamps.

The danger of these lamps lies in mercury vapor, which begins to evaporate with the slightest damage to the bulb and it is hardly worth talking about in those cases when it breaks. Leakage of mercury vapor can occur due to improper disposal of lamps, and due to improper, careless use of them. The high degree of ultraviolet radiation that comes from these lamps cannot be discounted. People with sensitive skin or suffering from skin conditions should take particular care. Such lamps should only be used with shades and should not be installed in rooms where children spend a lot of time.

How to reduce harm from electromagnetic radiation.

Be sure to carry out the test with the radio receiver, which we wrote about at the beginning of the article, to determine which of the devices “living” in your apartment are the most dangerous. Try to spend as little time as possible near these devices. Remember that walls are not a barrier to electromagnetic waves, only distance can save you from them.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not purchase powerful household electrical appliances, because the radiation power of the equipment directly depends on it.

Do not turn on several dangerous household appliances at the same time.

Eliminate the habit of turning on the TV “for background”, as you and your family members will constantly be exposed to its radiation.

Use extension cords to connect equipment as little as possible, as they increase the radiation area.

Watch electrical cords so they do not become loops or rings.

An interesting fact is that properly done electrical wiring does not pose any danger at all.

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Technological progress has given humanity many functional household appliances that significantly improve the quality of life. Many processes that took time and effort from our grandmothers and mothers are now automated. But is everything so rosy and cloudless? Do these new technologies bring hidden danger to our homes and apartments?

As a result of numerous studies, scientists have found that due to weak electromagnetic radiation, measured in thousandths and hundredths of a watt, the human body suffers no less. Than from radiation more power. It turns out that each of us, coming to our “fortress,” is exposed to danger, since the bioenergy of the body is disrupted.

What kind of homemade household helpers the most dangerous? How to use them correctly to reduce their harmful effects to a minimum? Let's figure it out.

Top 10 harmful devices

1. First place in the anti-rating fridge. No, you can safely approach it, put and take food from it, but it is better not to approach the back wall of the refrigerator. The fact is that the compressor, which is a necessary part of any refrigerator, is powerful source radiation, many times greater than acceptable standards. This rule especially applies to models with non-freezing freezers.
2. If landlines have long faded into the background, then apartments in which they use radiotelephones, still a lot. The device itself does not pose a threat, but its danger is that during telephone conversation a person brings it to his head, that is, the effect on the brain is maximum. For the same reason, it is not recommended to get involved in long conversations and mobile phone.
3. The top three most harmful household appliances are TV. In addition to the impact on the eyes, this device is a source of constant radiation. In this case, the type of TV (tube, transistor, plasma or liquid crystal screen) does not matter.
4. For the same reason, it is not considered safe and computer, occupying fourth place in the ranking.
5. A seemingly harmless table lamp also, as it turns out, is not so simple. If you use it for more than two hours in a row, the body will receive a large dose of radiation.
6. Sixth place in the ranking of harmful household appliances can be given to humidifier. These devices are not only sources of radiation, but can also seriously harm a person if improper use, because moisture is an excellent environment for pathogenic microorganisms.
7. And in seventh place I ended up vacuum cleaner. This device, in addition to a strong electromagnetic field, is characterized by high dispersion properties. By sucking up dust particles, it is able to break them down into particles up to 0.2 microns in size, and then “return” them into the air. And this is what you will breathe...
8. Microwave, the dangers of which everyone and everyone is talking about, is actually not so dangerous. If during its use you do not approach the device at a distance of less than 30 centimeters, then there will be no harm. However, the microwave still deserved eighth place.
9. In ninth position - washing And dishwashers. Due to the intense field, it is better to stay away from them.
10. And the tenth place was given iron, which during operation creates a fairly powerful field at a distance of 20-25 centimeters from the handle.

Safety regulations

Obviously, the best preventative measure is to stay away from plugged-in household appliances. Also, try not to make the situation worse by turning on multiple harmful devices at the same time. And, of course, follow all recommendations for the use of your home assistants.

Everyone knows that electrical household appliances are unsafe for health. How to protect yourself from harmful effects?

Modern man is surrounded by technology on all sides: TV, refrigerator, microwave oven, hair dryer, computer, air conditioner, heater and many others - it is difficult to live without them, because they make our lives so comfortable. And including one or another of them, we, of course, do not remember such side effects of their activities as electromagnetic radiation.

However, scientists have long determined that electromagnetic fields negatively affect the central nervous system, cardiovascular, reproductive. And some even claim that they can cause cancer and become a cause. But since no one is going to give up the achievements of civilization, we all face the question: how to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of our helpers?

Fridge

Refrigerators equipped with a No frost system are considered the most dangerous - they emit electromagnetic radiation within a radius of up to 1.5 m. And the walls are not an obstacle to this radiation. Therefore, in order for the refrigerator not to turn from a friend into a systematic pest, it is necessary, firstly, not to stay near it for a long time, and, secondly, not to place the bed, and especially its headboard, behind the wall in such a way that there is a refrigerator across the wall. That is, no permanent neighborhood!

Microwave

If the housing of the microwave oven is not damaged, then, in principle, it fairly reliably protects against electromagnetic radiation. There is nothing wrong with products cooked in such an oven - microwaves, by increasing the vibration frequency of particles of a substance (product), only increase its temperature. Let's just say that a running furnace is no more harmful than a running refrigerator - just stay 1.5 meters away from it when it's on.

Electric oven

When preparing food, try to stay at least 30 cm away from it. Do not press against it under any circumstances!

Washing machine

The degree of “sabotage” when the mode is on is approximately the same as that of a constantly running refrigerator. The best way protection: place your irreplaceable assistant in the bathroom, and while she is working, washing clothes, do not visit her too much.

TV

Since most of us cannot help but watch it, when buying and installing it, you need to take into account three main rules:

1. The more modern the model, the safer it is.
2. Try to install it at a distance of at least 1.5 m from your eyes.
3. Before choosing a place for the bed (especially the headboard), ask your neighbors where their TV is located - remember that walls (even load-bearing ones) do not protect against EMR.

Computer

Not long ago it was a luxury item available to a select few, but today it is found in almost every home. And, as a rule, children sit at computers even more often than parents. Therefore, teach them how to use this electrical appliance correctly, since it is one of the strongest emitters of EMF, since it has two radiation sources at once: the monitor and system unit. You must adhere to the following basic rules:

• It is better to install the computer in the corner of the room - this will reduce the impact from the back surface of the monitor, install the system unit as far as possible;
• do not forget that the distance from the eyes to a should be at least 70 cm;
• when working at a computer, take a 15-minute break every hour;
• Ventilate the room where the computer is installed more often;
• make computer friends - living plants partially neutralize the harm of EMFs;
• buy modern models - they are safer;
• give up the habit of being at the computer at night: the light coming from it is harmful to the eyes; in addition, such “gatherings” negatively affect the nervous system and can provoke.

Hairdryer

One of the most harmful electrical appliances, creating electromagnetic radiation tens of times higher than normal. In addition, while performing its direct function, the hair dryer is dangerously close to the head. Therefore, try to minimize the use of this device - this will only make your hair healthier.

General protection rules

1. When purchasing a device, be sure to pay attention to the mark of its compliance with the requirements of the “International sanitary standards permissible levels physical factors when using consumer goods in domestic conditions.”
2. Equipment with automatic control- try to buy exactly this one.
3. Pay attention to the power of the household appliance: the lower the power, the lower the level of its field, and, therefore, the less powerful device is safer.
4. When choosing a “warm floor” system, especially if you plan to install it in a children’s room, be sure to look for one that provides more low level magnetic field.
5. Try not to turn on several magnetic field sources at the same time.
6. When planning your apartment, consider important aspect: household appliances must be placed at a distance of at least 1.5 m from your place of permanent residence.
7. Try to keep the wires lying straight and not tangled into rings and loops.
8. Don't buy electric lamps, whose shades face down - it’s safer when the light is directed up.