High Voltage

Be safe by learning how to live safely around power lines. Take a few moments to read this information—it could save you from serious injury, or even death.

" " Electricity naturally flows to the ground through anything that will conduct, or carry, current. The human body is a very good conductor of electricity. Your power company spends thousands of dollars each year to place high-voltage power lines out of normal reach and prevent people from coming into contact with them. But under certain conditions, power lines can still be dangerous. The following points will help keep you safe when you’re near power lines, or in the unlikely event you come into contact with them.

Climbing trees, poles, or steel towers can result in accidental contact with power lines and cause serious injury or death. The same hazard applies when you attempt to remove tree limbs from power lines. Do not attempt to remove the limbs yourself. Instead, call your power company; they’ll do it for you.
Uprooted trees and broken limbs sometimes push power lines within your reach. Do not touch these sagging wires. They are just as dangerous as a wire on the ground. Notify your power company if you see sagging power lines.
Never touch, kick, pull, or attempt to pick up a fallen wire. Even a telephone wire could be deadly if it’s tangled with a power line, even one located some distance away. Notify your power company and stand guard to keep others away until help arrives.
If your car comes into contact with a power line for any reason, try your best to drive away from the wire. If the car won’t move, stay inside and wait for help to arrive. However, if you are forced to abandon the car, first scan the ground for fallen wires, then jump clear. Never touch the car and the ground at the same time. Bystanders should stay clear of the car. If they touch the car, they could be injured or killed.
Use caution when enjoying recreational activities around power lines. Fly model planes and kites in open fields far away from power lines. Don’t try to retrieve a kite or plane that becomes entangled in the wires. When hunting with firearms near power lines, caution is also urged.
Sometimes it’s necessary to work outdoors near power lines. Before moving a metal ladder or scaffolding, be certain to check and see that it is clear of power lines. Never up-end any kind of pipe near a power line. Carry it on a level plane. Also, keep your eye on power lines when removing water pipes and well casings.
Equipment with booms—cranes, draglines, trucks—should never be placed where contact with a power line could be made on any part of the swing. If the boom touches a power line, a person standing on the ground who is touching any part of the equipment will be injured or killed.
Never install a TV or radio antenna within falling distance of a power line. If you have such an installation, move it to a safer location. Ask your power company for help. When moving a load or a building that is so high that it might not clear power lines, notify your power company.
Never attempt to provide clearance by raising wires by hand.
Exercise caution around power substations. A power substation is filled with high voltage equipment. It is extremely dangerous. Stay away!
Overall, respect electricity and never touch a power line. Never touch anything that is touching a power line. Memorize the safety facts included here. Teach them to your children. Electricity is meant to help, not hurt. And with your help, we’ll keep it that way.

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Illustrations by Cindy Wrobel