Electrical Safety in the Monsoon and During Waterlogging
By Fire Safety BD · Last updated
Wet walls, flooded streets and fallen wires: how to prepare before the rains, and what never to touch when water is standing.
Water and electricity are a deadly pair, and every monsoon brings both together: damp walls, flooded ground floors, storm-damaged lines. Most of these accidents are preventable with a little preparation.
Before the rains
- Have an electrician check the earthing and fit or test a circuit breaker with earth-leakage protection.
- Repair cracked switches, loose sockets and exposed joints.
- Raise ground-floor sockets, extension boards, the IPS and its battery above the level water has reached before.
- Seal outdoor fittings, and keep pump and gate-light wiring off the ground and in conduit.
- Find the main switch and make sure every adult can reach and operate it.
When water enters the building
- Switch off the main switch before the water reaches sockets — and only if you can do it with dry hands, standing on a dry surface.
- If the area around the meter or main switch is already wet, do not go near it. Call your electricity distribution company.
- Unplug appliances and lift them above the water.
- Do not operate a submerged water pump.
In a storm
- Stay away from fallen or sagging wires and report them. Assume every wire is live.
- Do not shelter under trees or beside electric poles.
- Do not touch a metal gate, grille or shutter that tingles or has a wire lying on it.
Never
- Never touch a switch or plug with wet hands or bare feet on a wet floor.
- Never run an extension cable across a wet floor.
- Never dry wet appliances by switching them on.
After the water goes down
Have an electrician inspect the wiring, sockets and any appliance that got wet before the power goes back on. A voltage tester is a useful check, but it does not replace an inspection.
Rubber boots keep your feet dry; they are not protection against electric shock unless they are specifically rated for electrical work.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to walk through a waterlogged street?
Avoid it where you can. Standing water can be live from a fallen wire, a leaking pole connection or a submerged pump, and it hides open drains and manholes. Keep well away from poles, transformers and any hanging wire.
What should I do if someone is getting an electric shock?
Do not touch them. Switch off the power at the main switch if you can. If you cannot, move them clear with something dry that does not conduct — a dry wooden stick or plastic chair — while standing on a dry surface. Then call 999.