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Safety Around Electricity

Keeping your home and family safe around this powerful energy source

Electricity touches every part of modern life, making our lives more comfortable, our days more entertaining, and our work more productive. But access to electricity comes with a responsibility to be aware of its dangers and how to avoid them.

Electricity Basics

Electricity always seeks the shortest path to the ground, using a conductive material like metal, wet wood or water. Since your body is made up of about 70% water, it's also a good conductor!

So, for example, if you happen to touch a faulty appliance or an energized bare wire while your feet are touching the ground, electricity will pass through you to the ground. This can cause a harmful or even fatal shock. Electricity is invisible but very real, so treat it with respect.

Read below for tips on keeping yourself and your family safe around electricity in a variety of situations.

Electric Safety Resources

Indoor safety at home

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  • Use only appliances and equipment that meet the safety standards of the Underwriters Laboratories (marked "UL listed").
  • Keep all radios, hair dryers and other appliances secured or out of bathrooms. Appliances like hair dryers should never be used near water-filled tubs and sinks.
  • Unplug appliances before you clean them and when they're not being used. Push small appliances to the back of your counters. Always use all 3 prongs of your electric plugs and replace worn or frayed cords immediately. Never force a plug into an outlet if it doesn't fit and never nail or tack cords to walls or floors.
  • Keep electrical cords out of reach of children.
  • Don't overload electrical outlets. If your TV picture shrinks or flickers when major appliances are turned on, or if fuses or circuit breakers blow frequently, you should have your circuits and wiring checked.
  • Never unplug or carry anything by its cord and don't run cords under carpets or furniture. The cords can overheat and or become frayed.
  • Teach children not to poke things into electrical outlets, toasters or any other appliances, whether they're on or off. Use plug covers or inserts in all your outlets.

Outdoor safety at home

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  • Keep all ladders and other tools in the SAFE ZONE, at least 10 feet from any power lines. Make sure if the ladder fell, it wouldn't contact any power lines or other electrical equipment. This rule also applies to television and radio antennas.
  • Outdoor outlets should be on a circuit protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). GFCIs can be added as a temporary plug-in adapter, added as a replacement outlet or even installed as a circuit breaker. Check with an electrician for options.
  • Teach children to never fly kites near power lines or around electrical substations. Balls or other objects tossed or falling into an electrical substation should be left there.
  • Also teach children not to climb or play in trees if there are power lines nearby or lines touching or growing through the branches.

Downed power lines

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  • Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger.
  • Contact us to report a downed power line.
  • Don't touch or go near a fallen wire, even if it's not sparking or humming.
  • Don't touch anything that's touching the wire, such as a car or tree limb, because electricity can pass through objects, people and animals to reach the ground.
  • Don't rely on rubber boots, raincoats or rubber gloves for protection.

Overhead power lines

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  • Always be aware of overhead lines and stay at least 10 feet away.
  • Never fly a kite, remote control plane, or drone near power lines. If something gets caught in a power line, leave it there.
  • Beware of trees with power lines running through them. Trees contain enough moisture to conduct electricity.
  • Keep clear of power lines that cross bodies of water. Water levels can fluctuate due to power generation and weather conditions, so it's difficult to determine the exact clearance of these power lines.
  • Be cautious when carrying items like a ladder or pole.

Transformers

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  • Keep away from transformers. They are generally green metal cabinets mounted on concrete slabs, and are found where there are underground power lines.
  • Never attempt to open the door of one of these transformers. If you find a door unlocked, please contact us.
  • Remember to always have underground utilities marked by calling the 811 "Call Before You Dig" hotline before you dig on your property.
  • Teach children that transformer pads are not safe places to play.

Vehicle accidents involving utility poles

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  • Don't touch any passenger who may be in contact with a power line or anything in contact with the vehicle.
  • Don't attempt to move the power line.
  • Call 911 immediately and contact us to report the incident.
  • If it is too dangerous to stay in the vehicle due to fire or other dangers, instruct occupants to jump clear without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time. They should land with feet together and hop or shuffle away while still keeping both feet together. Don't rely on rubber boots, raincoats, rubber gloves or ordinary wire cutters for protection.

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