What to Do First in an Electrical Emergency at Home

What This Article Covers

A quick overview before you dive in:

• The first check in any electrical emergency: whether anyone is in danger, and when to call triple zero (000) or your electricity network.
• How to switch off the power at your switchboard, and the situations where you should stay away from it altogether.
• The difference between fuses, circuit breakers and safety switches, and why a safety switch that trips again after one reset should be left off.
• What to note down while you wait, to help the electrician narrow down the fault.
• What happens when you call us, including the after-hours call-out price and the conditions behind it.

In an electrical emergency, people come first and the power comes second. If someone has had an electric shock, or there's fire or smoke, call triple zero (000) straight away. The one time to go to the switchboard first is when someone could still be in contact with the electricity, and only if you can reach it safely. Otherwise, think about switching off the power only once everyone is safe.

This guide sets out those first steps in order. It comes from Impulse Electrical Enterprise. We're licensed and insured, and our director, Matthew Neil, supervises every job. If you've already called an emergency electrician in Sydney, these steps help keep everyone safe until help arrives.

Step 1: Check Whether Anyone Is in Danger

Stop and look around before you touch anything. Your next move depends on what you find:

• Someone has had an electric shock. Don't touch them while they could still be in contact with the electricity. Switch off the power only if you can do it safely, without putting yourself at risk. Call triple zero (000) for a serious shock, or if they collapse or have trouble breathing. Once the electrical danger is gone, follow the operator's first aid directions, including CPR if needed. Even with no visible injury, they should have a prompt medical check.
• Fire or smoke. Get everyone out, stay outside and call triple zero (000). Do the same if a smoke alarm is going off. Don't go back in or try to check the electrics.
• Power lines are down. Stay at least 8 metres away, about two car lengths, keep others clear and never assume a fallen line is switched off. Call Ausgrid on 13 13 88 or Endeavour Energy on 131 003, depending on which network supplies your area. If anyone's life is in danger, including someone in contact with a fallen line, don't go near them: call triple zero (000), then the network, and wait until the line has been made safe.
• Water near wiring, a power point or the switchboard. Keep everyone, including children and pets, out of the area. If water has reached the switchboard, or the area is flooded, don't go near the switchboard, and leave the power off until an electrician has checked it. For storm or flood help that isn't life-threatening, call the NSW SES on 132 500. If anyone is in immediate danger, call triple zero (000).

Ausgrid's guidance on fallen powerlines and electric shock gives the same 8 metre distance.

Step 2: Switch Off the Power, Only If It's Safe

If nobody is hurt and there's no fire or smoke, switching off the power can stop the fault from getting worse. If the switchboard is wet, flooded, sparking, smoking, hot or visibly damaged, or anything on or near it is scorched, melted or wet, leave it alone, keep everyone away and call for help from a safe distance. Your switchboard may be in the garage or laundry, or on an outside wall of the house. If your home has solar panels or a battery, tell the electrician when you call. Solar panels, their DC equipment and batteries can stay live even after the main switch is off, so don't try to inspect or repair them.

1. Make sure your hands are dry and you're not standing in water.
2. Open the switchboard cover and switch off the main switch, which may be labelled "MAIN". Don't touch anything that is scorched, melted or wet.
3. Close the cover and step away.

Know What's on Your Switchboard

Switchboards differ from home to home, and knowing what yours has helps you describe it when you call.

Fuse Box (Found in Some Older Homes)

Some older switchboards use ceramic fuses that pull out or unscrew. A blown fuse isn't reset like a circuit breaker: it has to be replaced with the correct type and rating, so leave it for a licensed electrician. Never fit a fuse of the wrong rating. If there's a burning smell, sparks or heat, step away and wait for them.

Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers are switches that flip to off, or to a middle position on some makes, when a circuit is overloaded or has a fault. They protect the wiring rather than people. If the switchboard is dry and undamaged and there's no burning smell, sparking or heat, you can switch a tripped breaker back on once; if it trips again, leave it off and call an electrician. Never wedge, tape, bypass or force a breaker or switch to stay on.

Safety Switches (RCDs)

A safety switch, or RCD, protects people. It cuts the power quickly when it detects electricity leaking to earth, such as through water or a person. A tripping safety switch means it has found a fault. If the switchboard is dry and undamaged and there's no burning smell, sparking or heat, you can switch it back on once; if it trips again straight away, leave it off and call an electrician. Once the fault is repaired, our safety switch testing can check the rest of the switches in your home.

While You Wait for the Electrician

Keep everyone away from the problem area and don't switch the power back on to check. While it's fresh, note down what happened, because these details help the electrician narrow down the fault:

• When the problem started and what you noticed first, such as a smell, sparks or a noise.
• Whether a smoke alarm went off.
• Which lights or appliances stopped working, and which still work.
• Any electrical work done at the property recently.

If it's safe to do so, unlock the gate and make sure someone is there to meet the electrician. Our guide to what to tell an electrician when you call covers the details to have ready.

When You Call Us: Price First, Then Make Safe

Our phones are answered 24/7, including public holidays. We'll ask what's going on and help you stay safe in the meantime. Before we send anyone, we confirm the call-out price on the phone. After hours, it's $250 + GST, and that price applies in every suburb we attend. Public holiday rates may apply. When the electrician arrives, they track down the fault and make it safe. Further fault-finding, repairs and parts are discussed on site and quoted for you to approve first, and nothing goes ahead until you do.

Questions About Staying Safe in an Electrical Emergency

Should I unplug an appliance that's sparking or smoking?

No. Don't reach for the plug or touch anything that is scorched, melted or wet. If you can safely reach the switchboard, switch off the main switch instead. If there's smoke or fire, get everyone out and call triple zero (000).

Can I switch the power back on once things calm down?

Not until an electrician has found the fault. Switching back on can restart whatever caused the problem. The one exception is a safety switch or circuit breaker that tripped with no other signs of trouble: you can switch it back on once, and if it trips again, leave it off.

Electrical Emergency Right Now?

If anyone is hurt or there's fire or smoke, call triple zero (000) first. For the electrical fault, call us on 0481 228 836, any time, day or night. For work that can wait, request a free quote.