This illustration appeared in Popular Science a hundred years ago this month, November 1923. And it’s still not bad advice. We sometimes say that when doing electrical work, among other precautions, you should keep one hand in your pocket. If one hand inadvertently comes in contact with high voltage, you don’t want to be touching a metallic object with the other hand, because the current will pass through your heart.

The light switch you’re flipping today is UL Listed, and nothing could possibly go wrong, right? We’re sure for the Chinese manufacturer, your safety is the paramount concern. But still, it’s not a bad idea to make sure you’re not touching anything else when you reach for a light switch, or anything else that’s potentially energized.