Safety Guidelines
As a rule of thumb, always observe the following guidelines when working with anything electrical:
Always shut off power to any area before exposing or working wiring
Never work on the wiring inside your breaker box yourself–save it for a pro because these wires continue to be live, even with the main switch shut off
Once disabled, make sure there is no residual current still flowing to the circuit by using a circuit tester
Wear rubber-soled shoes
Use wood or fiberglass ladders only
Never work with wet hands, shoes or feet
If you must work in a wet area, lay dry wood boards over the wet area and keep feet dry and in rubber boots
When using electrical tools, cordless are best for outdoor projects. All tools should have handles insulated with plastic, rubber or foam.
Never touch metal while you work, including pipes, faucets, appliances, etc.