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Electricity is a wonderful
part of our lives, clearly enabling us to do so many of
the things we take for granted. Food preparation,
entertainment, communication, and so much more are all
dependent upon the delivery of electricity. And yet,
coming into direct contact with electrical current can
severely injure you. In some cases, it can even kill you.
Here are some things you can do to keep safe. Some of what
we suggest may seem obvious, but we include it here
because we believe it's impossible to over emphasize the
importance of safety.
Safety Outdoors
Undoubtedly, first and
foremost, stay clear of all power lines, especially those
on the ground. Consider a downed wire to be
"live" with electrical current going through it.
Take these easy steps to
keep yourself from coming into contact with overhead
lines:
When you're using equipment
outside, look up to make sure that the equipment isn't
going to collide with the lines.
Do not try to remove
anything caught in power lines, not even an animal.
Instead, call your power company.
Be especially careful when
you're doing any jobs that require you to use tools which
might extend up over your head.
Keep electrical equipment
on your property clear of all obstacles such as trees and
bushes.
Downed Power Lines
Your power company wants to
know about any outages or power lines that are down.
Please call it immediately if you experience or see a
problem. You can call them 24 hours a day and they'll send
emergency crews out to make repairs.
Inside a Car Touched by a
Power Line
Fallen power lines can be
extremely dangerous. Never touch a downed power line or
anyone who's in contact with it, and stay away from a
vehicle if a power line is touching it.
If a power line touches
your vehicle, stay inside and warn others to stay away and
have them call the power company.
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.
Electric Lines and Trees
Trees are certainly
beautiful and enhance our neighborhoods. However, trees
planted in the utility right of way must be tended to so
that electric service can be maintained on behalf of all
of our citizens.
If your tree encroaches
into the utility right of way, it becomes your
responsibility to keep it trimmed; otherwise, the City
will clear those trees that have not been maintained and
threaten the electric service.
Trees that grow into or
near the power lines which go to your house are also your
responsibility and are only trimmed by the City when they
threaten continuity of electric service.
To trim near power lines
safely:
Call you power company if
there is any question as to whether or not a tree is
contacting the electric wires before trimming it. They can
move power lines away from trees so that they may be
trimmed safely. Call them a couple of days in advance of
trimming so that they can coordinate with you.
Never hire unqualified tree
trimmers or do the work yourself when trees are contacting
high voltage electric wires.
Never cut tree limbs that
are touching power lines or that could fall into them.
Electrical Lines and Flying
Objects
Don't let metallic balloons
or kites get away. Balloons and kites with shiny, metallic
surfaces or strings can be very dangerous if they come
into contact with electrical lines. As Benjamin Franklin
discovered, they're excellent conductors of electricity,
and, if they get tangled in the line, they can cause a
short circuit. This can melt an electrical wire and cause
it to fall, resulting in a power outage and possibly
severe injury or even death.
Fly kites safely. Kites and
electrical lines can be a potentially deadly match. Use
common sense when flying a kite; always use dry string,
wood, and paper and never use wire or any metallic
material. Don't fly your kite in the rain and never try to
retrieve your kite if it gets caught in a power line. Call
the power company.
Going Underground
Call before you dig. You
need to find out if there are lines in the ground before
you dig for any reason, such as planting trees and bushes
or installing fences and posts. If you fail to call you
could end up in JAIL or worse.
Safety Indoors
Be just as careful with
electricity indoors as out. In fact, odds are you and your
family are more likely to come into contact with
electricity inside your home, so take precautions.
Cover all your electrical
outlets and wall switches with cover plates.
Put plastic safety caps in
all unused wall outlets to prevent children from pushing
objects into the outlet openings.
Know when your wiring needs
attention. Power company employees will check equipment
when an electrical problem such as flickering lights is
reported. If they are unable to find a problem on their
end, then the wiring in your house may need to be
repaired. Find a licensed professional to check your
home's electric panel, circuit breakers, fuses, and
internal wiring.
Do not use damaged or
brittle electrical cords. They can cause shorts, shocks,
or fires and should be replaced.
To avoid damage, remove
cords from outlets by pulling the plug, not the cord
itself. Never attach a cord to any surface with nails or
staples, which can break the insulation. Also, kinking,
twisting, binding, or walking on cords can harm them.
Never remove the third
prong from a three-pronged plug. The third prong has been
included to safely ground your electrical appliance. Most
power tools and major appliances have three-prong plugs
for safety. If you don't have three-hole outlets, adapters
are available at your local hardware store.
Protect yourself from shock
with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI's). These
special outlets can help prevent serious injury by
detecting electrical faults and shutting off electricity
to the outlet when necessary.
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About
The Author
Michael
Del Greco is a New Jersey Home Inspector,
owner of Accurate Inspections, Inc. who is
a Certified, Licensed ASHI Member
performing home inspections in Bergen,
Essex, Passaic and Morris Counties. |
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