fast facts

SAFETY INFORMATION

• Throw away frayed and damaged cords and extension cords.
• Extension cords should only be used temporarily.
• Turn appliances off before unplugging them and pull the plug, not the cord, when unplugging.
• Don’t touch appliances or switches with wet hands.
• Cover electrical outlets to stop children from poking things into them.
• Keep appliances out of the reach of children.
• Make sure outdoor appliances cannot come into contact with pools or puddles of water.
• Always look up before moving ladders and other tall items around your yard or home. A ladder or antenna in contact with a power line can cause a serious accident.
• Never tamper with your electric meter, as it is illegal and you could risk shock, explosion or fire.
• Never use water to douse an electrical fire, use the appropriate type of fire extinguisher.
• Never tamper with your electric meter, as it is illegal and you could risk shock, explosion, or fire.

Electrical Safety Check Up

Safety begins with proper wiring. Follow these electric safety tips:

 1. Qualified electricians should install and check wiring.
 2.  Homes should be 100-amps; 200+-amps for homes heated electrically.
 3.  Electric appliances should have three-prong plugs.
 4.  Keep cords away from heat and water.
 5.  Never wrap cords around metal. Keep them away from foot traffic.
 6.  Weatherproof outdoor electric outlets.
 7.  Major electric appliances should have their own circuits.
 8.  Never use appliances when you are wet or on a wet surface.
 9.  Never use electric tools/appliances outdoors if it is raining or wet.
10. Always use moisture-resistant appliance cords outside.
11. Use power tools with durable, grounded or double insulated cords.
12. Never operate an electric lawn mower in wet grass.
13. Teach your children not to fly kites near power lines.
14. Never touch fallen electric wires. They may be energized.
15. Never enter a power substation.
16. Ground antennas. Install antenna (2x) its height from power lines.
17. Never use any type of metal equipment near power lines.
18. Show your family where the main fuse/circuit breaker is located.
19. Inspect cords. Immediately replace, not patch, damaged ones.
20. Never pull a plug from a wall outlet by the cord. Grasp the plug.
21. Unplug irons and heat appliances when they are not in use.
22. Plug power tools or heavy appliances into wall outlets only.

Posting Items to Utility Poles Creates Safety Hazard
Signs, balloons and other materials on utililty poles are more than just an unpleasant neighborhood eyesore, they can be dangerous- even life threatening - to the professionals who maintain our vital lines of electricity, communication and other services. Safe Electricity® urges everyone to help keep utility poles free of such materials.

"Help protect those who work hard to give us essential electric service, instant communication and other modern amenities through the nation's 120 million utility poles," Molly Hall, director of Safe Electricity said. "Remember that anything left on a pole can cause power line workers, telecommunications utility personnel and other workers harm."

The clamped safety boots used by line workers to climb poles are vulnerable to becoming snagged on staples and nails embedded in posts. Foreign objects can also tear utillity workers' protective clothing, which is the first line of protection from an electric shock. They can also injure workers despite the safety gear they wear to avoid contact with rough surfaces.

Such practices also present a public safety hazard as well. The materials posted on the poles often distract people as they drive, opening the door to possible motor vehicle accidents.

It is very important to avoid tampering with or distrupting the guy wires that help stablize utility poles. Guy wires are the normally bright yellow wires that you see attached to power poles. Please teach children that they should never play or swing on them and make sure to keep your distance from them when perfoming yard work. If you see that poles or guy wires have been disturbed in some manner, please call your local utility immediately.

Please do your part to help utility workeers to work safely by refraining from hanging objects from utility poles. Please visit www.SafeElectricity.org for more information on electrical safety.

Safe Electricity is a program of the Energy Education Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting electrical safety and energy efficiency. Safe Electricity is supported by a coalition of hundreds of organizations, including electric utilities, educators and other entities committed to promoting safe use of electricity.

                                                                                                                    --From Safe Electricity® News

Use space heaters safely in winter

Though space heaters are not very energy efficient, many people turn to them--electric models and those powered by kerosene or even wood--as a convenient source of warmth in those cold winter months. However, space heaters can be dangerous is not used properly.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that more than 25,000 residential fires every year are associated with space heaters. More than 300 people die in these fires. In addition, an estimated 6,000 people annualy receive hospital emergency care for burn injuries connected with space heaters.

Space heater hazards stem not just from fires caused by contact with or close proximity to heating elements. They also include fires started by flammable fuels used in the heaters; defective wiring in the appliance; and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by improper venting or an incomplete combustion of fuels.

Here are some tips for using electric space heaters safely:

• Keep the heater at least three feet away from flammable items such as curtains, furniture or bedspreads.
• Select a space heater with a guard around the heating element.
• When buying a heater, choose one that has been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing institution such as Undeerwriters Laboratories (UL).
• Buy a heater that can handle the area that you want to heat.
• Read and follow manufacturer's operating instructions.
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• Never leave a space heater unattended.
• Never go to sleep witha space heater still turned on.
• Never use or store flammavle liquids near a space heater.
• Do not use a heater in the bathroom-it's a high moisture area that could cause damage.
• Keep heaters away from water to prevent electrocution.
• Do not use an extension cord with a space heater.
• Do not use the heater to dry clothing.
• Be sure the heater's plug fits snugly in the outlet. The cord and plug may feel warm when operating since the unit draws so much power, but they should not feel hot. If they do feel hot, unplug the heater and have a qualified repair person check it for problems.
• Make sure that your space heater sits on a hard, level, non-flammable surface. Never set heaters on carpet or rugs.
• When buying a space heater, make sure that ithas a "tip switch" that will automatically shut the heater of if it is knocked over or falls.
• Do not attempt to repair a broken space heater yourself. It should be checked and repaired by a qualified appliance service center.  
• For additional safety tips on using space heaters that use wood or kerosene, visit the CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc/gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/463.html
  
                                                                              --Source: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Prevent home fires with AFCIs

You can install more than smoke detectors to protect your family during a fire. Add a simple safety device to your home: the arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI).

An arc fault can occur naturally when you flip on a light switch or operate your household appliances—often because of damaged wiring, overheated electrical cords or worn insulation. An arc fault can produce heat intense enough to start a fire.

An AFCI can prevent these fires by sensing these unsafe conditions and quickly shutting off the circuit if an arc fault occurs. It operates much like a ground-fault circuit interrupter, but it doesn’t take its place. You need both so they can work together to prevent both fires and electrical shocks
.
In 1999, the National Electrical Code required that the bedrooms of new homes be equipped with AFCIs. In 2008, the code expanded to include living rooms and dining rooms.

If your home does not have AFCIs, call a licensed electrician to install them. Homes with older wiring are especially prone to arc faults.

Click on the titles below to link and download listed electrical safety tips [pdfs]:
Fall Electrical Safety Tips 2007
Danger High Voltage
Labor Day Safety Tips
Keep Your Office Safe Tips
Powerlines safety ESFI.pdf
Enjoy your fireplace safely this season.pdf
35277-Holiday_Decorating_Safety_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Be careful with counterfeit brands.pdf
New Year Resolutions.pdf
Powerline PSA birds.pdf
New Year's Resolutions.pdf
Power Line Safety Work or Play.pdf
Holiday Safety For Kids.pdf
Practice Power Line Safety.pdf
Indoor Safety Check List.pdf
Outdoor Check List.pdf
Portable Electric Heater Safety Tips.pdf
Path of Electricity.pdf