As our homes fill with more and more electric appliances, ranging from grills to DVD players, often the outlets that came with the house won't accommodate the number of things you want to plug in. As a result, you're tempted to add more and more appliances to extension cords.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that hospital emergency rooms treat more than 4,000 injuries from electric extension cords each year. These include injuries from people tripping over extension cords, children chewing on cords, and fires caused by overloading and misusing extension cords.

Voluntary industry safety standards, including those of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), now require that general-use extension cords have safety closures and rating information about the amount of electrical current the cord can carry. In addition, new UL-listed extension cords must be made with at least #16 gauge or heavier wire, or be equipped with fuses. The lower the gauge number, the heavier the wire and the more electricity it can safely carry.

Here are some tips for safe extension cord use:

• Use extension cords only when necessary. If you find yourself dealing with a cat's cradle of electrical cords, it may be time to call an electrician and have additional outlets installed.
• Check extension cords frequently for wear. Replace cracked or worn cords with new cords displaying a certification label from an independent testing lab such as UL or ETL (Electrical Testing Laboratories) on the package and attached to the cord near the plug.
• Don't place cords where they can be pulled down or tripped over. If you must temporarily run an electrical cord across a floor, make sure it is secured with tape to prevent tripping.
• Check the plug and extension cord while the cord is in use. If the cord feels hot or the plastic feels soft, replace the cord with a new heavier wire or reduce the load on the cord. Don't overload extension cords by plugging in appliances that use more watts of electricity than the rating on the cord.
• Use electrical cords, power strips and surge protectors with polarized plugs (plugs with one blade wider than the other) or grounded three-prong plugs. These reduce the risk of shock. Use only three-wire extension cords for appliances with three-prong plugs and never remove the third, rounded prong.
• Don't cover any part of an extension cord with rugs or other objects while the cord is in use. Covering the cord keeps the heat from escaping, which can cause fire.
• Don't use staples or nails to attach extension cords to baseboards or other surfaces. If you need to secure a cord out of the way, there are plastic clips for this purpose available at most hardware and home improvement stores.
• Insert plugs into the cord so that no part of the prongs is exposed when the extension cord is in use.
• Use only extension cords labeled for outdoor use when working outdoors or in wet areas.

Child safety

Electrical cords frequently injure children. Here are some suggestions to help keep your children safe:

• If a cord doesn't have safety closures, cover unused outlets with electrical tape or plastic caps to prevent a child from coming in contact with the live circuit, in addition to covering empty electrical outlets with protective plastic caps.
• Toddlers have been known to strangle themselves in loose cords and to be seriously burned or electrocuted from chewing on cords. Keep children away from loose electrical cords.

Electric appliances offer convenience and entertainment. Be sure you can enjoy them for a long time by being careful with extension cords.