Cooperative Living May 2019 - 24

SafetySense | by Anne Prince, Contributing Writer
Safety tips that can save your life
E
lectric cooperatives' top priority is always to provide safe,
reliable, affordable energy to their members. Your wellbeing
and that of the larger communities we serve are of
paramount concern.
May not only means spring storms and potentially severe weather,
it also heralds the beginning of the celebration season for many high
school students, especially seniors. Proms, graduation parties and
other social gatherings are often associated with this time of year.
While we naturally focus on the sunny aspects this season brings,
we also sometimes hear about preventable tragedies involving young
people and car accidents. This brings me to the topic at hand: safety.
Does your teen or loved one know what to do in the event of a
collision with a utility pole resulting in a downed power line? Do
your loved ones know what to do if they come upon an accident
with a downed power line? This month, I'd like to share a few safety
tips that I hope you never have to use. But if you do, they could save
your life.
Life-Saving Tips
If a car collides with a utility pole, the vehicle may be charged with
electricity. Anyone exiting the car could come in contact with
thousands of volts of electricity from the downed line. In essence,
when you step out of the car, you become part of the electricity's path
to the ground and could be electrocuted. It's critical to stay in the
vehicle and tell others to do the same until emergency crews have
told you it's safe to exit the car. If the vehicle is on fire or you must
exit for other safety reasons, jump clear of the vehicle. Do not let any
part of your body or clothing touch the vehicle and ground at the
same time. Land with your feet together and shuffle away (in small
steps with your feet still together) to avoid electric
shock. Keep moving away until you are at least 40 feet
from the vehicle.
If you come upon a car accident involving a utility
pole and downed power lines, keep your distance. A
downed power line can energize the ground up to 35
feet away. While your natural instinct may be to rush
to the car to help, pause instead. Do not approach the
car or scene of the accident. Tell others to stay away.
While you may be concerned about injuries to those
involved, the best action you can take is to alert
emergency officials, who will in turn coordinate with
the power provider. For the same reasons described
above, never drive over a downed power line or
through water that is touching a downed power line.
If you have a downed power line on your property
22 | Cooperative Living | May 2019
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as a result of a falling tree, storm or other circumstance, do not go
near the power line. Assume that the downed line is energized and
dangerous. Never try to move the power line even if you think it's not
energized or if you are using a non-conductive material. We recognize
that you may be anxious to clear your property of tree limbs or other
debris near the downed line, but please wait until after an electric co-op
crew or emergency officials have confirmed that it is safe to do so.
May is Electrical Safety Month
May is a time where we are even more mindful of safety because it
is Electrical Safety Month. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation
International, thousands of people in the U.S. are critically injured and
electrocuted as a result of electrical fires, accidents and electrocution
in their own homes. Many of these accidents are preventable.
We know first-hand how dangerous electricity is because electric
cooperatives work with it all day, every day. To me, safety is more
than a catch phrase. I view it as my duty and responsibility to keep
co-op employees safe and to help keep our communities safe.
Contact your local electric co-op for additional electrical safety tips
or if you would like to request a safety demonstration at your school
or community event. It is no accident that safety is our top priority. 
Anne Prince writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association
representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing
suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines
of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of
the nation's landscape.
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Cooperative Living May 2019

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