Safety Around Power
Lines
Electricity is a safe form of energy -- except if you are careless.
Make your motto -- Stay Clear and Stay Alive. By that, we mean --
stay clear of poles, wires, substations and transformers. And be careful
around any electrical equipment.
Electricity is a good traveler -- it is so fast it travels at the
speed of light, 186,000 miles per second. Electricity travels easily
-- through metals, the ground, things that are wet -- and anything
with moisture or water in it. That can mean trees and other growing
things -- including animals and people.
Treat any electrical wire with respect, whether it is large or small.
Many people think wires covered with insulating materials are safe
to touch. Insulating materials help but are not complete protection.
Weather or age can damage such coverings - so your best protection
is to stay away from all wires.
It is also possible to be injured without even touching a wire. If
you get very close to high voltage cables, electricity can jump short
distances through the air and deliver a shock that could be very severe
or even kill you.
An insulator is a device on electric towers and poles to keep electricity
from finding a path through the pole to the ground. But an insulator
can also be damaged and cause the pole to become charged with electricity.
All you would have to do to be injured is touch such a pole. Again,
the safest thing is to avoid any electrical towers or poles.
Climbing trees can be dangerous -- if electrical wires are strung
nearby. Even if a branch is not touching a wire, your weight on a
branch could be enough to bend it to a location where it could touch
a wire. So check for nearby electric wires before you climb any tree.
Though power lines are essential to distributing electricity to your
home or office, they are not designed for human contact. It is extremely
dangerous to touch a power line, whether it is overhead or has fallen
on the ground. The following guidelines will help you conduct yourself
safely around power lines.
- Fallen power lines are extremely dangerous. Report any downed lines
to TEC immediately by calling 1-800-621-8069. Do not touch a downed
line or anyone in contact with the line. Always assume a downed line
is live.
- Beware of a downed power line touching a vehicle. Stay clear of
the vehicle and the power line. If a power line touches your vehicle
while you are inside, remain calm and follow these directions:
If you can do so safely, stay
inside the vehicle until emergency assistance arrives.
Warn others to stay away from
the vehicle and have them call TEC.
If you must get out of the vehicle
for safety reasons, jump clear. Do not touch the vehicle and the ground
at the same time.
- Never make contact with overhead power lines. When you're using
equipment outside, check to make sure the equipment is well clear
of power lines overhead. Your equipment may be closer to power lines
than you think when you're:
Trimming trees.
Using fruit-picking poles.
Working on a roof.
Installing or removing an antenna or satellite dish.
Using a long-handled pool skimmer.
Using and carrying metal ladders.
Moving a boat with a mast.
-Do not remove anything caught in power lines -- not even an animal.
Instead, call TEC immediately at 1-800-621-8069.
Click Here to view Danger High Voltage (PDF).
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