Hari Raya: Electrical safety tips by TNB

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) yesterday advised the public to take safety precautions while using electrical appliances during the Aidilfitri season.

Image credit: redbeacon.com

Tenaga Nasional Berhad outlined some basic safety measures that could be adopted by you and me in order to prevent any mishap:-

• Avoid making wiring extensions on your own.


• Obtain the services of electrical contractors registered with the Energy Commission for installation of additional wiring in your premises and to notify the TNB.


• Do not to use too many electrical adaptors to avoid the wire getting heated up.


• Avoid wearing metal ornaments such as watches, chains or rings when installing electrical gadgets.


• Keep the extension wire away from wet areas in the case of electrical gadgets installed outside the house,


• Ensure that the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) sockets, plugs and other electrical appliances were functioning.


• Switch off and remove plugs from the power source when they are not in use or before leaving the house.

The public were told not to go near TNB restricted areas.

Consumers can contact TNB for feedback:

1. Call, by phone or text to 15454 - for power outages and faulty street lights
2. Call 1300-88-5454 - for inquiries on electric bills and related matters. For SESB, SMS to 33154, and the toll-free line is 1-800-88-1355
3. e-mail to tnbcareline@tnb.com.my or visit www.facebook.com.my/tnbcareline.
4. SESB can be reached at this e-mail: crm@sesb.com.my

TheGreenMechanics: This does seem like the usual safety measures we're being fed every now and then, but you've got to take this seriously. You don't want your iron left on the ironing board, switched on during the long weekend.

Source: Bernama

5 simple ways to prevent food poisoning

Different individuals have different level of tolerance to food contamination. For example, while having lunch together, your colleague may get food poisoning while you feel perfectly okay. I've suffered from the worst case of food poisoning in the past.

Cook-it-yourself Japanese foods at Suria Sabah, K.Kinabalu

We are not going to discuss how and why some people are more at risk of getting food poisoning while others don't. Our purpose of sharing this is to prevent as much as possible, food poisoning.


Why do we get food poisoning

With Malaysia being a heaven for good food ( and I really mean it), we are prone to suffer from the occasional effects of food contamination. The cause is food-borne microbes, or their toxins, that are present in the food you eat, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal cramps and fever.

We are as likely to get ill from food prepared at home as the ones we eat outside. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to spot bacteria on food but we can take some simple steps to prevent or reduce incidences of food poisoning. Here are five simple ways that can be done by anyone:-


1. Wash your hands thoroughly

Keep your hands as clean as possible when handling food. Cross contamination can happen when the cooked food that you are handling comes into contact with raw meat and poultry. Thus, you should wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, most especially when handling raw meat, eggs and seafood.

2. Separate raw meat from ready-to-cook foods

Keep raw meat away from ready-to-cook foods such as salad, fruits and bread. These foods can become contaminated when come into direct contact with raw foods or the drippings from raw foods. If thawing in the fridge, always cover raw meat and store it on the bottom shelf to avoid the said problems.

3. Keep your fridge below 5°C

Foods need to be chilled at the proper temperature to stop the food-borne bacteria and organisms from growing. Any level of temperatures between 4°C and 60°C will encourage them to grow rapidly, so always check that temperature is below 5°C. Do not leave refrigerated foods sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

4. Use different chopping boards for raw food, vegetables and bread

Harmful microbes can easily transfer from raw foods to other foods, most especially when it comes into contact with anything they touch like worktops, plates, knives, utensils and cutting boards. It is recommended that you use separate boards for raw food, vegetables and bread. This will prevent cross contamination from occurring.

5. Cook food thoroughly

The best way to kill off bacteria is to cook food all the way through. Certain foods like poultry, pork, beef and eggs should be cooked completely until steaming hot. Many of the nasty organisms thrive in these foods while raw, so cook meat until it is no longer pink inside, and the egg yolks and whites are firm.



Source: WiseGeek, NHS UK, through Mylaunchpad

Photo by: de engineur

Dealing with dog’s increased barking

Citronella is a fragrant natural oil used as an insect repellent and in perfume and soap manufacture. This oil is obtained from South Asian grass, Cymbopogon nardus. But to use it to stop dogs from barking is news to me.

I saw this on the Boston Herald and I thought dog owners might be interested:-

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Dear Dr. John,

My 6-year-old Vizsla has always been a bit of a barking dog, but recently her barking at people seems to have increased. She is perfectly healthy and is seen regularly by our veterinarian. She has lots of energy and we take her wherever we go.

We are renting a cottage for two weeks this summer near the beach, and we are concerned about her barking at the rental property.

As such, and because of the recent increased barking, I did some research and purchased a citronella anti-bark collar. The first time I put it on she quieted down probably because she has previously worn an invisible-fence collar. When she barked it did not work and we realized we did not turn it on. We corrected our mistake, and the next time she barked she got a blast of citronella and freaked out. Then she sulked around until we took the collar off.

Are there other options for us besides what we are using, and will she get used to the blast from the collar when she barks? Thanks.— M.S. (Sunday, May 19, 2013)



Dear M.S.,

I do not have a good explanation for dogs sometimes barking more as they get older other than they sometimes get a little more ornery with age. In some breeds there can be genetic predispositions to increased aggression as they age. but that would be entirely different.

As for your other options, you are simply left with allowing her to continue barking and letting consequences be what they may, getting a shock collar, which I would not advocate, or working on training with a behaviorist and keeping your dog engaged in a way that she is preoccupied and thereby not inclined to bark.

However, the citronella collar that you are using is doing its job. The dog is supposed to be startled when barking and find the spray offensive. The spray that is emitted is triggered by electronic sensing of vibrations in the dog’s neck. You don’t want your dog to get used to the blast from the collar or it will not work, but one or two corrective episodes by the collar will probably effectively curb the barking behavior. If you are concerned about her quieting down or sulking, then use the collar only when needed and let her go without the rest of the time. The choice is up to you.

Dr. John De Jong