According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments responded to an estimated average of 32,160 residential fires involving electrical distribution and lighting equipment each year between 2015 and 2019. These fires caused an estimated average of 430 civilian deaths, 1,070 civilian injuries and an estimated $1.3 billion in direct property damage a year. Wiring accounted for 6% of residential fires and 11% of home fire deaths.

Currently, the outlets in many residential constructions are wired using a practice called "backstabbing," which is considered by many professionals as being unsafe, but yet it is allowed for outlets that use 14 gauge wire. When an outlet is backstabbed, wires are stripped and pushed into a connector on the back. The connector only loosely holds the wire in place by a small metal piece called a "blade." The blade connects the wire inside the hole to the rest of the receptacle. This connection is minimal and given enough time, the connection can loosen and eventually the wire may fall out. Loose wires in an outlet can cause an electrical fire, leading to loss of life/property and injuries.

Backstabbing outlets are commonly considered a shortcut and a hazard; therefore, the NFPA should revise the current guidelines for electrical safety and the electrical code to ban this practice altogether.