Safety

It's important to stay safe when electricity is involved. Here are some of the ways you should exercise caution when working or playing outdoors.

Stay Away from Overhead Wires

• Carry ladders and long-handled tools parallel to the ground to avoid coming in contact with power lines.
• Don't place ladders or install antennas where they might fall into a power line.
• Don't try to trim trees that have wires running through them; have a professional do it.

Steer Clear of Downed Power Lines

• Call us immediately if you come across a downed power line. Do not go near it.
• Call us at once if someone is touching a utility wire so that the power can be turned off. Never attempt to move a victim or the power line.
• Stay in your car if a wire falls on it. If the car catches fire, jump clear, without touching the car and the ground at the same time.

Play Safely

• Never fly kites or model airplanes near power lines. Call us to untangle kites or balloons that get caught in overhead wires. Don't try to do it yourself.
• Don't release metallic balloons-they can get caught in power lines and cause outages.
• Don't climb or build a tree house in a tree with power lines running through it.

Avoid Substations & Transformers

• Teach children to recognize danger signs displayed on all high-voltage equipment.
• Do not allow children to play around substations or other ground-based electrical equipment.
• Call us if you see signs of vandalism to electrical equipment or if fences or other safeguards are damaged.

Landscape with Care

• Plant shrubs or low-growing trees under power lines. Trees that grow taller can interfere with our reliable service.
• Keep bushy shrubs away from your meter.
• Call Before You Dig. Before you begin a project, no matter how small, contact Call Before You Dig to make sure that you dig safely and avoid power lines. Call 811 or 800-922-4455 or go to the website.