I got a tingle or shock from a tap or appliance: what do I do?

If anyone has had a shock and is hurt or unwell, or you see smoke, sparks or a burning smell, leave the area and call 000. For a mild tingle from a tap or appliance, stop using it, keep everyone away from it, and contact your network provider’s faults line and then a licensed electrician.

Why would a tap or appliance give me a tingle?

Metal parts that should never carry electricity can become live if there is a fault in the appliance or in the wiring of the home. A tingle is a warning that electricity is reaching somewhere it should not. Even a mild one can be followed by a stronger shock, so it should never be shrugged off.

The Electrical Safety Office Queensland has a page on shocks and tingles, and electricity network providers such as Ergon have urged people to report them immediately. In south-east Queensland the network provider is usually Energex, but check which one serves your address.

Who should I contact?

The Electrical Safety Office advises contacting your electricity network provider, whose faults line operates around the clock, as the first call for a tingle or shock. After that, a licensed electrician needs to find the fault.

In Queensland, electrical work must be done by a licensed electrician, and the Electrical Safety Office Queensland is the regulator. Finding the source of a shock is electrical work, so do not try to trace the fault yourself. If you rent, tell your landlord or agent promptly as well.

What if it only happens when it is wet?

Moisture can make a fault much more dangerous, and a tingle that appears during rain or in a wet area is still a warning. Do not use that tap or appliance again to see if it repeats. Write down that it happened in wet conditions, because it helps the licensed electrician look in the right place.

Warn everyone in the home so nobody else touches it in the meantime, including visitors and children who may not understand the risk.

Should I see a doctor after a shock?

Yes. Seek medical advice after any shock, even if you feel fine. Electricity can affect the body in ways that do not show straight away, and a doctor can check you over.

What should I avoid doing?

• Do not touch the tap or appliance again to see if it still happens.
• Do not let children or pets near it.
• Do not assume the fault has gone away because the tingle stopped.
• Do not try to fix the appliance, the tap or any wiring, even if the problem looks small.

If the item is a plug-in appliance, leave it where it is and keep away from it until a licensed electrician or the appliance maker has checked it.