Follow these safety tips when around power lines and power line equipment:
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If an overhead line falls on your car, know that you are safe as long as you stay inside the vehicle. If you must exit the car, jump, being careful not to touch the car and ground at the same time.
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A tree trimmer, metal ladder, or another object can extend your reach dangerously close to power lines. Never trim or remove trees near overhead lines. Avoid planting new trees where they might grow into an overhead line.
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Teach your children never to climb trees near overhead lines and to be aware of the danger posed by those power lines.
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Never let children play or climb on the big "green box" in your yard. Known as pad-mount transformers, they are extremely dangerous and should always be locked.
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Always fly kites and model airplanes away from overhead lines. If a kite or model airplane gets caught in an overhead line, never attempt to retrieve it. Contact us, instead.
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If you see a broken or fallen overhead power line, assume it's "live" and contact us immediately.
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Know that utility poles and fences around electric substations and transformers on the ground are "off-limits" to everyone.
Never go near downed power lines.
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A downed power line can still be energized and can cause other things around it to become potentially hazardous. A fence or guardrail touching a downed line can be energized for several thousand yards and it poses a threat to anyone coming into contact with it.
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Stay away from puddles of water that could be in contact with downed lines. Encountering these can be as hazardous as coming into contact with the downed power line itself.
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If you are driving and come upon a downed power line, stay in your vehicle, warn others to stay away and call 911.
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Also when driving, be careful at intersections where traffic lights may be out. Stop at all railroad crossings and treat road intersections with traffic signals as four-way stops before proceeding with caution.
Attaching Signs to Poles
Putting signs or other items on utility poles creates serious safety hazards. Staples, nails, and tacks used to hang signs - as well as the signs themselves - pose dangers to SEC's lineworkers who climb poles when restoring power following storms or while performing routine maintenance to ensure system reliability. Nails and tacks left behind from signs can snag utility workers' boots or puncture safety clothing, making linemen vulnerable to slipping or even electrocution.
Shooting at utility facilities — wires, poles and insulators — is dangerous, jeopardizes everyone’s power and is a felony in Virginia. Never attempt to shoot through wires or at anything that may be on the wires or poles. Gunshot damage to electrical equipment can cause an electrical arc or cause wires to fall, with a high risk of serious injury or death.