Q: I am concerned about how short electrical cords for household appliances, such as toasters, are these days. Most do not reach from the outlet in the base board to the average table. The explanation is that longer cords are too dangerous because people may trip over them, but in the next sentence, they say an extension cord should be purchased with care, if needed. Of course it will be needed! Once you add the cord, there's more of a possibility of tripping. Why can't they make longer cords? Short-cord appliances meant for countertops
A: "Shortness is better than longness," is what Barb Mayerhofer, a spokeswoman for Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., in Northbrook, Ill., said when your complaint was voiced to her.
Underwriters is a 102-year-old product-testing complex outside Chicago. You're advised to check for the "UL" label when purchasing certain products, especially those with an electrical plug.
Small appliances are meant to be used on countertops next to electrical sockets and not where you might have to use an extension cord, Mayerhofer said.
Despite your experience, she said booklets accompanying the appliances say "'Do not use with an extension cord,' so you don't put it in an area where you can trip over the wires or knock it off when you're walking past."
It is a UL requirement that sets the parameters on this. "Depending on what the standard is and what (the appliance) is used for, we require it to be a certain length," Mayerhofer said.
"Get a licensed electrician to install more outlets" if necessary, said Capt. Larry Nihipali, of the Honolulu Fire Prevention Bureau.
Definitely, do not use extension cords for major appliances, such as the refrigerator or stove. The bureau also recommends staying away from extension cords, especially as permanent wiring.
And, if the correct size cord is not used, it may not be able to handle the current.
Q: What is the usual procedure when a dog is injured on the road when you call 911? Is there a vet that handles animals that have been hit by cars?
A: It's better if you call the Hawaiian Humane Society instead of 911, because calls about injured animals will ultimately be referred to the agency, said spokeswoman Eve Holt.
The number is 946-2187. You will then be told what extension to call.
"We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year" for any injured animal or emergencies, such as kittens stuck in drains or hollow tiles, Holt said.
There is no one veterinarian or clinic to which injured animals are referred.
"When we pick up an injured animal, we will provide immediate care to relieve the pain and to stabilize the animal," she said. "Hopefully, it has an ID to contact the owner so that arrangements for a vet can be made."
To the Honolulu Fire Department battalion chief who wants to lobby for extended hours to explode fireworks on New Year's Eve. Who the heck does he represent? On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people with lung conditions or pets, we urge legislators to RESTRICT fireworks, NOT allow even more time to set them off. (The chief was speaking on behalf of the department, which will push to outlaw mail- Auwe
order sales, but ask that hours to legally use fireworks expand from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. to noon-1 a.m.)
To legislators who don't ban fireworks. In Pacific Palisades, from 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve, people were exploding fireworks. Auwe to the policeman who set off illegal aerials. Auwe
