Be Power Safe

Electricity is very dangerous because the human body is an excellent conductor. Since our bodies consist of about 70 per cent water, electricity travels through us very easily. Electricity should be treated with great respect. Electricity safety involves avoiding situations where people become a path to ground, allowing electricity to travel through them to get to the ground.

Electric Safety Outdoors

Outdoor wires should never be touched by anything, particularly anything connected to the ground. For example, birds can sit safely on wires because they are not grounded. If a person, standing on the ground or touching a transmission tower, poked a stick at a bird sitting on an electric wire, both the bird and the person would become part of the path to ground and receive a shock and possibly be killed.

Common Outdoor Hazards

Climbing power poles

No part of a transmission tower or distribution pole should be considered safe. If a person touches the overhead wire while on the pole or tower, the person becomes a path to ground and will receive a shock and possibly be killed.

Playing near transformers or substations

While all equipment is very well grounded, short circuits between the wires in a substation may occur. Any exposed equipment or wires should be considered energized. A person that gets close to the equipment can be in great danger. If a ball or toy lands in a substation, don't go in! Call ATCO Electric at 1-800-668-2248 to remove it. To minimize the danger of overhead lines, everyone should be discouraged from playing near overhead lines and transformer substations.

Kites becoming tangled in overhead wires

Kite strings, especially if wet, conduct electricity. The person holding the kite would be part of the path to ground.

Trees

If tree branches are touching electric wires, the moisture and sap in the tree will conduct electricity. If someone touches the tree, the person could become the path to ground and receive a shock a possibly be killed.

Aluminum ladders, scaffolding and TV antennas

All metals are excellent conductors of electricity. Many people moving aluminum ladders and scaffolding have become the path to ground. Adjusting TV antennas is dangerous if electric wires are close. To minimize the danger of overhead lines, donÕt play near overhead lines and transformer substations.

Using ungrounded or frayed cords outdoors

If the ground is damp or the cord strays near water, the person using the ungrounded or frayed cord is in danger.

Using electric equipment outdoors when it is raining

Even a few drops of water can cause a short circuit in cords or tools. People using the equipment or even standing close could be in danger.

Power lines on the ground

Assume power lines lying on the ground are energized. Do not go near them. Stay back at least 15 meters. Call ATCO Electric and tell them about the situation. If possible, watch the site and warn other people about the wire as well.

Digging

Before digging, all underground utility facilities must be identified. Call Alberta One Call at 1-800-242-3447 to arrange for line locations.

Lightning Safety

Lightning is extremely dangerous. Did you know:

• At any given moment there are nearly 2,000 thunderstorms occurring over the earthÕs surface.
• Lightning strikes the earth 100 times each second.
• A lightning bolt may carry a current of 200,000 amps of electricity, thousands of times more electric current than is required to kill a person.

Like all electric charges, lightning is looking for the easiest path to the ground. Lightning safety involves avoiding situations where you could become a path to ground. The safest place to be during a storm is inside a house, large building or vehicle. If you are caught outside, avoid standing anywhere higher than the surrounding landscape, or under a tree or other structure that extends above the landscape. If you are in an open area, go to a low place such as a ravine or valley and squat but do not lie down. Stay away from metal objects like farm equipment, motorcycles, bicycles and golf carts. Get out of, off and away from open water.

Electric Safety at Home

ATCO Electric ensures that electricity is delivered to houses and schools safely. Electricians install outlets and lights so there will be no accidents. However, people can be hurt or killed by electricity in homes and schools by becoming part of the path to ground. House fires may also be caused by electricity.

Common hazards include:

• Overloading an outlet or a circuit: When too much electricity is moving through a circuit, the wire can heat up and start a fire.
• Repairing or cleaning appliances or tools that are still plugged in: One example is using a metal knife to dig out a piece of toast stuck in the toaster.
• Frayed or worn electric cords: If the insulation between the hot wire and the neutral or ground wires wears away and the lines touch, a short circuit occurs which could cause a fire. A person touching a the frayed or worm cord could receive a shock.
• Small children sticking objects or toys into outlets: Use outlet covers on exposed outlets within the reach of small children.
• Using appliances with wet hands or close to a sink or bathtub: Since water is an excellent conductor, this can cause electric shocks or short circuits. For additional safety, all bathroom and outdoor outlets should be equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI)