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May isn’t just another month on the calendar. It is National Electrical Safety Month, which is the perfect time to focus on and emphasize the importance of electrical safety at work and at home, even though it is a top priority year-round.

Please consider these sobering statistics:

• A Fire Research report from the The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) cites data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicating that there were nearly 6,000 fatal electrical injuries to workers in the U.S. between 1992 and 2013. This BLS data also indicates that there were 24,100 non-fatal electrical injuries from 2003 through 2012, the most recent 10-year period for which data is available. Construction workers were most likely to have an electrical fatality, according to the March 2015 report from the Quincy Mass. organization.

• Contact with electric current of machine, tool, appliance, or light fixture were listed as the leading electrical injury events for non-fatal injuries between 2003 and 2010 after which changes were introduced in injury event codes according to the FPRF report. Contact with wiring, transformers, or other electrical components was cited as the second leading non-fatal electrical injury event.

• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates 47,700 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments each year involve some type of electrical failure or malfunction as a factor contributing to ignition. These fires result in 418 civilian deaths, 1,570 civilian injuries, and $1.4 billion in direct property damage. Awareness and education are critical to reduce the incidence of electrical fires, and ESFI sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May to educate the public in order to reduce the number of electrically related fires, fatalities, injuries and property loss.

• Nearly half of the United States housing stock was built before 1970, which was a time when homeowners put significantly less stress on electrical systems.

• For example, about 65 percent of today’s homes have central air conditioning. Only 17 percent of homes had this feature in 1973. Larger garages are also a strain on the electrical systems in homes, with 80 percent of newer homes having garages for two or more cars when compared to the 48 percent in 1973 that had two-car garages. In 2009, 54 percent of American homes had three or more televisions, as well as have additional electronics that need plugs, charging stations or docks. How many tablets and mobile phones have come into your home in recent years?

• Speaking of charging, outlets have come a long way since 1962 when two-prong outlets were the standard. Today’s outlets include: tamper resistant shutter systems that prevent foreign objects from being inserted into the outlet; USB charging capabilities; ground fault interrupter circuit interrupter (GFCI) and surge suppression.

For ways to update your home or business electrical safety, contact one of the experts at Paramont EO or Crest Lighting. All Paramont locations stock Leviton GFCIs, Intermatic surge arrestors, 3M Fire Foam and Fire Stop for home and business use. We also have Klein safety helmets, 3M safety glasses, Master Fastener safety vests and Lithonia and Cooper safety lights.

Electrical safety awareness and education among consumers, families, employees, and communities will prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities. For ESFI’s complete collection of National Electrical Safety Month resources, and for more information on spring safety, visit www.esfi.org.