NOVEC Offers Spring Electrical Safety Tips

NORTHERN VIRGINIA -- Warm spring days draw many children outside to play and adults outside to work on their homes and gardens. Too often, these activities cause accidents and death when electrical safety is not heeded.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 9 percent of electrocution deaths each year are caused by ladders contacting power lines while homeowners are cleaning their gutters, painting their houses, or trimming trees.

The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative reminds residents to heed these spring safety tips:

• Use a fiberglass or wooden ladder if you must work near overhead power lines and stay at least 10 feel away from the lines. Metal ladders conduct electricity. Never touch a person or object--such as tree limb, ladder or even a kite string--that has made contact with a power line. Call the power company immediately for assistance.

• Inspect electric hedge trimmers and other power tools for frayed cords, broken plugs, and cracked or broken housings. Use only cords that are labeled for outdoor use. Check the cord’s label information for power requirements. Check extension cords to make sure they are not frayed or worn. Repair or replace damaged power tools.
• Carry power tools by the handle--never by the cord.
• Always unplug power tools that are not in use.
• Store power tools indoors – never outdoors where they can get wet.
• Never stand on wet or damp floors when using electrical tools.  To be on the safe side, always wear closed-toed, rubber-soled shoes when using electric tools, because rubber does not conduct electricity.
•  Do not use long-handled swimming pool nets or tree-trimmers near overhead power lines.
•  Always call Miss Utility at 811 before digging on your property.  Miss Utility crews will mark where underground power lines are located.
• Plant new plants outside NOVEC’s right of way easement (usually 30 feet wide) and away from pad-mounted transformers, power poles and overhead lines. Overgrown plants can cause outages or fires.
•  Teach children to never play near pad-mounted electric transformers and substations. Make sure they understand what the posted warning signs mean.
• Never fly kites or Mylar balloons near power lines.  Make sure children understand this safety rule.  If a kite or a Mylar balloon becomes stuck on a power line, do not touch it.  Leave it alone. Call NOVEC for assistance at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.  Never release Mylar balloons outdoors; they have caused major outages when entangled in power lines, because the metal in Mylar conducts electricity. 

For more information on using electricity safely, visit www.novec.com and click on Power Kids on the home page and Safety under the “Residential” tab on the home page.
 
NOVEC is a not-for-profit corporation that distributes electricity and energy services to approximately 140,000 customers in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford and Clarke counties, and the City of Manassas Park, making it one of the largest electric distribution cooperatives in the nation. For more information, visit www.novec.com or call 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.

Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580; pknight@novec.com

Date Published: 2008-04-02 03:00:00

Section: Press Release,