Summer Safety Tip s

For most people Memorial Day weekend signals the start of summer and whether you're starting a home improvement project, planning to trim a tree, adding to your garden or taking a refreshing swim, Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative wants you to consider the electrical equipment around you, and potential hazards to avoid during summer months. Of particular concern are power lines overhead and the added dangers when water and storm activity are present.

Keep your summer season enjoyable and safe. Know what to do when thunderstorms and lightning threaten. Be aware of overhead power lines when doing work outside your home. Make sure children know and follow basic safety rules.

Safety tips to keep in mind this summer:

·         Look up and around you. Always be aware of the location of power lines, particularly when using long metal tools like ladders, pool skimmers and pruning poles, or when installing rooftop antennas and satellite dishes or doing roof repair work.

·         Be especially careful when working near power lines attached to your house. Keep equipment and yourself at least 10 feet from lines. Never trim trees near power lines – leave that to the professionals.

·         If thunderstorms and lightning are approaching, move indoors and stay away from electric appliances and objects that could conduct electricity. Use only cordless or cell phones to make calls. If you’re in an open area outside, tingling skin or crackling sounds could signal that lightning is about to strike. Drop down to a squatting position to make yourself as small as possible - feet together and hands on knees - with minimal contact with the ground.

·         Electricity and water are a dangerous mix. Keep electrical appliances and tools at least ten feet away from pools and wet surfaces. Never use electric yard tools if it's raining or the ground is wet.

·         Never step into a flooded area – especially basements - if water is in contact with electrical outlets, appliances or cords. Don't use any electrical appliances or touch circuit breakers or fuses when you're wet or standing in water.

·         Be sure outdoor outlets and outlets near wet areas of the kitchen, bath and laundry room have ground fault circuit interrupters to prevent serious shock injuries.

·         If your projects include digging, like building a deck or planting a tree, call SVEC or TN ONE CALL before you begin to inquire about the presence of any buried power, telephone, or water lines that may not be apparent. Digging, even with a shovel, can damage the lines, create a service outage, or cause serious personal injury. If you need assistance in locating buried lines, CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. To avoid costly damages or even loss of life, SVEC urges you to call the Cooperative at least three (3) working days before you plan to dig. For information about SVEC underground lines, call the Engineering Department at (423) 837-8605, your district office, or TN ONE CALL at 1-800-351-1111 before you dig. This service is free, prevents the inconvenience of having utilities interrupted, and can help you avoid serious injury.

·         Help keep utility workers safe. Never post signs or tie banners around utility poles. Posting signs, hanging banners or tying ribbons and balloons onto utility poles puts utility workers at risk and often is a violation of local ordinances forbidding placement of anything on poles.

In addition, SVEC  urges everyone to make sure children understand and follow basic safety rules:

·         Never climb trees near power lines. Even if the power lines aren't touching the tree, they could touch when more weight is added to the branch.

·         Fly kites and model airplanes in large open areas like a park or a field, safely away from trees and overhead power lines. If a kite gets stuck in a tree that’s near power lines, don’t climb up to get it. Contact SVEC for assistance.

·         Never climb a utility pole. Don’t play on or around pad-mounted electrical equipment.

·         Never go into an electric substation for any reason - even on a dare. Electric substations contain high-voltage equipment, which can kill you. Never rescue a pet that goes inside. Call SVEC instead.

Storms can also leave electric hazards behind so it’s a good idea to keep utility emergency numbers close at hand.

If you see a downed power line, stay far away from it and call SVEC. Warn others to stay clear of the wires. Assume that all downed power lines are energized.