ISE 5-14 Curriculum Support Materials                                                           Overview advice

Group 13 exemplar Energy & Forces  - Electricity (Word)

At this early stage it is important to alert the children to the dangers of electricity. You should point out such things as touching sockets, playing with wires, putting too many items into one socket, the danger of water near electrical equipment and of playing near sub-stations or overhead wires if appropriate.

Batteries can be described as containers of small amounts of electricity. The important difference being that mains electricity has a huge ‘kick’ behind it that can kill you whereas batteries have a very small ‘kick’ which you can hardly feel. One important point to make is that batteries contain nasty chemicals inside which should be avoided and if a battery is put onto a fire it is likely to explode and shoot out like a bullet - extremely dangerous.

This might also be appropriate time to discuss action the children could take if they found someone who had been electrocuted - if only to emphasise how they must not touch the person in case they are electrocuted themselves.

If you find someone who has been or is being electrocuted, don’t touch them with your hands. If you can, break the contact by switching off electricity at the mains or meter. Otherwise take out the plug or pull the cable free.

If you can’t reach the plug or cable, stand on something which is dry and insulating such as a wooden box, a rubber or plastic mat or a thick pile of newspapers. Use a broom, a stick or a wooden chair or stool to push the persons limbs away from the source of electricity.

Alternatively, loop a rope around the persons feet and drag them away from the source.

Once the contact is broken, check for breathing and pulse if the casualty is unconscious. Resuscitate if necessary, place in the recovery position and call 999 for an ambulance.