Be safe around electricity! Here are a few helpful tips to remember!
- Don't touch an electric switch with wet hands.
- Never overload outlets with too many plugs.
- Never plug in an electric cord that is frayed.
- Don't use electrical equipment outdoors in the rain.
- Never use water to put out electrical fires.
- Don't stand under trees or telephone poles during a storm.
- Stay away from fallen electrical lines.
- Fly kites in open fields away from electrical lines.
- Stay out of the water during a thunderstorm.
- Stay away from substation fences.
- Do not throw rocks at utility line insulators or transformers.
Downed power lines, primarily caused by storms and car accidents, are to be avoided. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) has these guidelines to help you stay safe around downed power lines:
- If you see a downed power line, move away from the line and anything touching it.
- The proper way to move away from the line is to shuffle away with small steps, keeping your feet together and on the ground at all times. This will minimize the chance for a human path of electric current and minimize the hazards of electric shock. Electricity can move from a high-voltage zone to a low-voltage zone -- and it could do that through your body.
- If you see someone who is in direct or indirect contact with the downed power line, do not touch the person. You could become the next victim. Call 911 instead.
- Do not attempt to move a downed power line or anything in contact with the line by using another object such as a broom or stick. Even non-conductive materials like wood, if slightly wet, can conduct electricity and then electrocute you.
- Be careful not to put your feet near water where a downed power line is located.
- If you are in your car and it is in contact with the downed power line, stay in your car. Honk your horn for help and tell others to stay away from your vehicle.
- If you must leave your car because it's on fire from the downed line, jump out of the vehicle with both feet together. Avoid contact with the car and the ground at the same time. This way you reduce the risk of becoming part of the path of electricity from the car to the earth. Shuffling away from the car is also important.
- Do not drive over downed power lines.
For additional electrical safety information, visit ESFI's Web site at www.electrical-safety.org
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OF ARKANSAS
1 Cooperative Way
Little Rock, AR 72209
501-570-2200
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