Do You Know the Safety Rules?
Safety is important around all forms of energy, and electricity has its own special safety rules. Follow these rules when you work or play near electricity.
How many of these electrical safety rules do you know?
1. Always PLAY IT SAFE! Stay away from power lines.
Overhead power lines enter houses and buildings at places called service drops.
Wires at service drops are covered with a weatherproof coating. This coating protects the wires from the weather, but does not protect you from the electricity inside the wires. Never touch wires near service drops.
2. Never Tug on a Cord
Since electricity is almost everywhere, practice safety all the time. Whether you’re at home or at school, be careful around electricity.
Remember:
• Disconnect appliances by pulling the plug. Never tug on the cord.
• Appliances plugged into an outlet, even when turned off, still have electricity coming into them. Even when turned off, treat any appliance that is plugged in as if it were turned on.
3. Keep Fingers Away from Outlets
• Keep fingers and other objects away from power outlets!
• Avoid touching metal parts of a plug when inserting a plug into the socket.
4. Keep Electricity Away from Water
Keep electrical appliances such as hair dryers and radios away from showers, sinks and bathtubs.
Your body conducts electricity, and it’s an even more of a conductor when you’re wet. Make sure your hands are completely dry before touching an electrical appliance.
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5. Never Overload Outlets
Make sure the outlets in your home are not overloaded with too many plugs.
Overloading the plugs could cause a short circuit and possibly start a fire.
Appliance cords are covered with insulation to protect you from touching the bare wires inside.
Always beware of appliance cords that might have frayed or damaged insulation. If you touch the cord in a place where the insulation is cut or damaged, the electricity flowing through the cord can injure you.
7. DANGER! High Voltage
Substations are fenced areas that contain huge power transformers. The electricity inside the transformers is strong and dangerous. Substations are marked with DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE signs. Don’t even go near the fence surrounding a substation.
Some power lines are buried underground. They are controlled by a special type of transformer in a large metal cabinet that sits on a concrete pad. This transformer is called a padmount transformer.
Padmount transformers are also marked with DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE signs.
Never climb or play around padmount transformers.
Report any broken locks on transformer cabinet doors to your police and your power company. NEVER open a transformer door.
Don’t put fingers or other objects through cracks in a padmount transformer.
Never dig or plant flowers or shrubs near padmount transformers.
8. Keep Everything Away from Power Lines
Never raise ladders or antennas near power lines.
Keep skimmer poles far away from overhead lines when
cleaning swimming pools.
Keep sailboat masts away from power lines.
9. Keep Kites and Balloons Far Away
Keep kites and balloons FAR AWAY from power lines! Since overhead power lines are not insulated, the strings on a kite or balloon can conduct electricity to the person holding the string.
10. Look Out for Tree Limbs that Touch Power Lines
Tree limbs that grow up into power lines are unsafe. If you climb a tree with power lines in it, you could get hurt from electrical shock. Climb trees far away from any power lines.
Review these safety rules often. Avoid accidents by treating electricity with care!