Electronics is fun, but you need to be careful when working with electricity. Stay safe with these power supply safety tips.

It goes without saying that electricity is extremely dangerous. Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, anyone working with electricity has to take steps to keep themselves safe. Batteries, desktop power supplies, and other power sources have to be treated with respect. But how can you protect yourself?

This first tip doesn't actually protect you when working with electronics; it protects your hardware. Your body can build up a small amount of electrical charge. When you come into contact with a conductor like metal, this charge will flow into it, and this can damage sensitive electronics. Touching unpainted metal before working with electronics and electricals will ground you.

Electricity follows the path of least resistance, and this will be your body if you touch the wrong thing when working with electronics. ESD wristbands provide a route for electricity without causing damage to organs.

Batteries become volatile when exposed to heat. Whether they overheat or their protective casing is damaged, soldering directly onto a battery is dangerous.

Spot welding exposes the contacts on your batteries to far less heat than soldering. This makes it possible to attach tabs to your batteries, giving you a safe soldering surface to use. You can buy batteries that come with tabs or find a battery harness that works for your project.

Some power sources, like mains connections and desktop power supplies, come with an off switch. Disconnecting power from sources like this will make your work far safer, reducing the risk of electric shocks.

Batteries don't come with the luxury of being disconnected. This means that you need to find other ways to keep yourself safe. You should never let a positive and a negative connection touch when working with batteries, especially at high voltages.

Electrical tape, heat shrink tubing, and even 3D printed caps can all serve this purpose. You need to make sure that they have a secure fit.

Some materials, like steel and copper, are conductors that allow electricity to pass through them. Others, though, like silicone and rubber, are insulators.

Using insulated tools is a smart idea for anyone working with electricity. Not only will this ensure that you always have a firm grip, but it will also prevent electricity from passing into your body if you make a mistake.

As mentioned in our third tip, batteries don't like heat. When a battery gets too hot, the chemicals inside can react explosively, making them dangerous. Heat can also be a sign that something is wrong with a battery or power source.

High resistance and overloaded circuits will create a lot of heat, giving you something to watch out for. If your power source gets very hot, stop what you are doing and wait for it to cool. Continued heat when under electrical load should always be avoided.

Working in a space with good ventilation and keeping batteries out of direct sunlight are easy ways to prevent dangerous situations.

No battery is able to maintain a perfectly constant voltage. The more potential energy stored in a battery, the higher its voltage. Alongside this, though, having a lot of potential energy will make leaks, explosions, and shocks more powerful.

Manufacturers provide a safe storage voltage for their batteries in their documentation. You can look this up and drain your batteries before working with them, limiting the threat they pose if they are damaged.

Aside from shocks and electrocution, fires are one of the key risks when working with electronics. Water can make an electrical fire more dangerous, making it vital that you have access to an appropriate fire extinguisher at all times.

You can get training online to ensure that you know how to tackle an electrical fire at home. Prevention is always best, but being able to actively respond to fires will lessen the aftermath.

Being able to tackle a fire is only possible if you know it is there. Fire and smoke alarms are essential in any workspace, especially in those where people use electricity.

There are loads of companies on the market that offer reliable heat, fire, and smoke detectors. This sort of product is usually a legal requirement in workplaces, but you should use one at home, even if you don't have to.

Like the safe storage voltage that battery manufacturers provide, most power sources have other parameters. Peak current, maximum voltage, and operating temperatures are all good examples of this.

Look up the parameters for your power sources before you use them. This gets more important as the voltage you are working with goes up, but you should always consider it to be safe.

Multimeters are electrical testing tools that can provide you with loads of information about a circuit. You can use a device like this to check voltages and resistance, along with things like circuit continuity.

Learning how to use a multimeter won't take much effort with our handy guide. Getting a reliable multimeter will make it much easier to work with electricity safely.

While power sources can certainly be dangerous, proper handling will always improve your safety. It may sound obvious, but it is crucial that you have a true understanding of the power sources you work with.

You can learn about electronics and electricity online or at school. Of course, though, it is worth keeping in mind that asking for help is never a bad idea if you are worried about safety.

Following these tips will improve your safety when working with electronics and electricals. Taking steps like this can also help with your projects, giving you the chance to build a deeper understanding of the tools you use.

Samuel is a UK-based technology writer with a passion for all things DIY. Having started businesses in the fields of web development and 3D printing, along with working as a writer for many years, Samuel offers a unique insight into the world of technology. Focusing mainly on DIY tech projects, he loves nothing more than sharing fun and exciting ideas that you can try at home. Outside of work, Samuel can usually be found cycling, playing PC video games, or desperately attempting to communicate with his pet crab.

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