Author Archives: electric

Celebrate National Preparedness Month At Your Business With These 5 Safety Tips

September is National Preparedness Month! Are you doing everything you can to protect your employees? Use these five quick tips to help your employees enjoy a safer working space.

  • Hold a CPR seminar. Administering CPR can potentially save a customer, client, or employee in the event of cardiac arrest. Prepare your employees to act fast by holding an in-office CPR demonstration.
  • Plan a fire drill. Do you know what to do in the event of an emergency? Host a fire drill this September to refresh your employees’ memories of the proper escape procedure. You can also help keep this information fresh by hosting additional fire drills every few months.  
  • Keep emergency exits clear. In the event of an emergency, a few seconds can mean the difference between safety and serious injury. Clearly mark your emergency exits and instruct employees to keep them clear at all times.
  • Check your parking lot for unsafe conditions. Preparedness doesn’t end inside the office. Take a look at your parking lot and make sure you’re providing a safe exterior space. Note any holes or uneven areas of your asphalt and make appointments to have them filled. If your lights are out, schedule your parking lot lighting installation in Montgomery County now!
  • Open the lines of communication. Your employees are your first line of defense against accidents and injuries. Encourage employees to communicate with you and other managers and report unsafe conditions or hazards.

Now that the fall season is nearly here, it’s almost time for business owners to prepare for the longer nights and shorter days that lie ahead. Is your parking lot prepared? A-1 Electric is here to help! Business owners who need to install parking lot lights in Montgomery County before this winter should contact our team now!

3 Ways to Discourage Loitering in Your Parking Lot

As a business owner, you want to do everything that you possibly can to keep your commercial space safe. Unfortunately, parking lots of commercial spaces are often the target of loitering. No matter if you own an apartment complex or a hardware store, loitering is a nuisance that can make your space less safe. Loitering creates congestion, can leave you more susceptible to littering and graffiti, and sends the wrong message to customers. If you’re sick of fighting against loitering, use these three easy strategies to discourage it. Continue reading →

Refrigerated Food and Power Outages: What to Keep and What to Toss

During the summer season, you might see more sudden power outages and blackouts. When the power goes out, you may be waiting for your electrical contractors in Bucks County, PA, for a while — so it’s worth it to know what to do with the food in your fridge.

According to data from the Federal Food Safety Commission, the food in your refrigerator will stay good for up to four hours after the power goes out as long as you keep the door sealed. Beyond four hours, you’ll need to start making some tough decisions and tossing some items.

Knowing what to keep and what to throw out after a power outage can help stop nasty foodborne illnesses from making their way into your home. Here’s a quick and handy guide you can use to decide what can stay in your fridge — and what needs to go.

  • Meat, poultry, and seafood. Meat, poultry, and seafood can’t survive very long without being kept cold. Toss all forms of raw, cooked, and leftover meat and seafood products if your power is out for longer than a few hours.
  • Cheeses. Certain types of cheeses don’t need to be refrigerated to stay safe. Hard cheeses (like cheddar, parmesan, and Romano) can be kept and eaten even if your power goes out for more than four hours. Processed cheeses are also safe to keep. However, soft cheeses (like brie, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack) need to be thrown out, as well as any shredded cheese varieties you have on-hand.
  • Fruit. Good news — most types of fruit don’t need to be kept cold to stay safe. The only things you should throw out due to a power outage are sliced fruits (whole ones are fine) and shredded coconut.
  • Eggs. Unfortunately, you’ll need to toss out any kind of eggs and egg products during a long power outage. This includes quiches and custards, as well as cooked and hard-boiled eggs.

Being prepared for a power outage includes knowing who to call when the lights go out. A-1 Electric is a third-party independent electrical service provider offering everything from basic residential repairs to buck truck services in Bucks County, PA. Give us a call today to learn more or schedule an appointment. 

 

Caught Outside During a Lightning Storm? Here’s What to Do

Picture this: you’re out on a run one day when suddenly, the sky begins to grow dark. Seemingly out of nowhere, rain begins to pour from the heavens, and you hear the familiar clap of thunder. While lightning strikes are rare, they’re still exceptionally dangerous—about 28 people are killed by lightning every year. If you ever find yourself caught in a lightning storm, use these three tips to stay safe. Continue reading →

generator backfeeding

Everything You Need to Know About Backfeeding

Have you ever plugged a generator into your home’s power supply only to have one or two of your appliances short-circuit immediately? If so, you probably “backfed” your generator to your home’s wiring. While generators may be a lifesaver during a power outage, backfeeding electricity is incredibly dangerous and can even lead to an electrical mishap that can leave others seriously hurt or worse.

But what is backfeeding a generator — and how can you make sure that you’re using your generator safely?

Although backfeeding can cause serious damage and inflict considerable harm upon others, it is easy to avoid if you are knowledgeable of the process and how to properly avoid it. To ensure that your home and others in your area remain safe from harm, here is an overview of what backfeeding is, why it can be dangerous for your generator and home, and how you can prevent backfeeding from occurring. 

Continue reading →