Children’s Corner

Firstly, a big thank you for all the entries to our electrical pictures competition. All the images featured in this section are from the bright sparks who produced amazing talented artwork for us.

Russell Smith, one of the Company’s owners suffers with dyslexia, which when he was at school, wasn’t particularly well understood and therefore hugely restricted his learning potential during his earlier education.

Once Russell’s science teacher noticed he was top of his class, but bottom at other subjects involving writing and spelling it was taken into account.

It was at this point it was recognised and Russell was understood for the first time. After this, he soon excelled and moved on leaps and bounds in his science and technology subjects. It is with this particular teacher’s support and understanding that led us to where we are today with R S Electrical Services.

We hope our enthusiasm for learning about such an interesting topic encourages you into learning about it too.

We have been able to help several young people who suffer with dyslexia by allowing them to spend a few hours with us and ascertain if electrics would be their chosen career path. This has been extremely successful and we have been more than happy to take the time and to watch them and support them in our workshops with a view to making the correct career decisions.

We do still support apprenticeships, with a four year programme; currently our latest apprentice is going into year 2 with a new confidence and understanding of this field.

Russell and our team recently returned and carried out work at Ralph Allen School and the teacher that helped him has a brass name plaque dedicated in memory of his valued time there on the wall. Thank you so much Mr Michael Gibson, a teacher who made a difference.

Good luck, happy learning and remember to respect these wonderful tutors who will help towards your future too.

What is it?

Electricity is energy. In the same way you eat food to keep you going, machines and gadgets eat electricity to keep them going also.

In your home electricity controls the lights, appliances like the toaster, the kettle, the television, the vacuum cleaner and much more. Can you imagine what your life would be like without electricity?

However, we must always remember that if electricity is used unsafely it can create a fire hazard or cause someone to be electrocuted.

To understand why electricity could be a danger, you need to know about what it is, how to use it safely and how it works.

How does it work?

What is a Conductor?

A conductor is a material that electricity can flow through easily, for example, a great conductor of electricity is water. Surprising, as it may seem, your body is made up of mostly water, which means that electricity can also travel easily through you!

In science classes you might have built circuits that contain a range of switches and devices such as buzzers and motors. The battery in the circuit supplies the electricity that makes the buzzer work. The circuit must be complete in order for the electricity to flow to the buzzer.

The electricity that comes into your home also travels in a circuit and the battery that supplies this energy is called a power plant. The power lines that carry electricity to your home are excellent electrical conductors.

Electricity is always trying to get to the ground. Like drivers and walkers, electricity takes short cuts whenever it can. If something that conducts electricity, gives electricity an easy path to the ground it will take it!

Electrical contact can cause:

Electric shock – This is when an electrical current passes through the body. Even a small shock can be frightening and also painful.

Burns – Electric current can actually cause burning to the skin, nerves, muscles and tissues in the body.

Death – A severe electrical shock could cause a problem with your breathing and heartbeat, possibly leading to death.

However, electricity is very safe, as long as you respect it.

In case of an electrical fire

One of the best and safest things you can do if there is a fire at home is to make your own fire escape plan. A fire can be frightening and make you panic, but if you have made a plan yourself, you can get out quickly and safely with your plan.

We have made a guide for you to follow and help you in making your family’s escape plan:

1.

Draw a picture or map of your home and mark the best way out. If there are different exits or ways out show them as well. Design your map simply, but clearly, so that all your family can understand it and not just you.

2.

Ask your family to all sit down with you and have a chat with everyone in your home about your plan and choose the best ways to escape if a fire should ever happen in your home.

3.

If you hear the smoke alarm sounder go off, follow your escape plan and get out of the house straight away. Always remember – Get out immediately, call the Fire Service on “999” and do not go back in until it is safe to do so.

4.

Do not try to hide from a fire in a cupboard, room or under a bed. Once OUTSIDE stay OUTSIDE and don’t try and go back for any toys or pets.

You can help to stop fires starting too. Don’t play with matches, candles or lighters. Don’t leave toys or clothes near to fires or heaters. Be safe, aware and careful, switch electrical things off at the wall socket when you are not using them.

5.

REMEMBER TO SPARE SOME TIME and with this list you can make your design and plan for you and your family.

If you want to share your plan then please email us at sales@rselectrical.co.uk and we will try and feature your design on our website. GOOD LUCK AND REMEMBER TO ALWAYS BE SAFE.

A Brief History of Energy

The very first energy source was the sun providing heat and light during the day. Later fire was discovered by a lightning strike, producing another source of heat and light.

Thousands of years later we discovered that the wind could be harnessed and we began to use sails on our boats for transportation. Later we began to use windmills to turn water wheels for grinding grain.

Throughout history, we have made lots of discoveries using energy. Before 1850, wood and coal were our main source of fuel for heating, cooking and producing steam for powering steam engines for the railroads. Other sources of energy were water, wind, coal and some manufactured natural gas.

The Chinese used natural gas as early as 500BC. They would find natural gas leaking from the ground and use bamboo to pipe the gas for use in boiling sea water to remove the salt.

From about 1850 to 1945, coal was the main fuel source. Wood was still an important energy source for heating as well as natural gas for lighting, but water and wind were used less.

For most of the 1900s, oil and natural gas were our main fuel sources. Electricity was used more in the late 1900s. From about 1945 to the present, nuclear and solar energy along with water and wind have played a larger role in the production of energy. Other alternative energy sources being used today are geothermal and biomass.