Electrical Safety Tips
Stay Safe - Call Before You Dig: Safe digging is everyone’s responsibility. It’s a free service to notify SC811 of your planned excavation to help prevent damages that may result in fines, utility service interruption and injury – even death. Please see the information below that details how to excavate safely.
5 Steps to Safe Digging
Step 2
Wait the required amount of time. For normal notice tickets, you must wait three full business days, not including the day you requested your locate.
Step 3
Check positive response (call 811 or 888-721-7877) to ensure that all the lines at your dig site have been marked.
Step 4
Respect the marks. Keep your marks in tact and call for a re-mark if the marks are destroyed by weather or other construction related activity.
Step 5
Dig carefully around buried utilities.
Stay Safe Around Electricity
Electricity has woven its way into the modern fabric of our daily lives. Air conditioning, appliances, computers, communication devices, and now even cars are just a few examples of how it is all around us all the time. We are so used to its presence that we sometimes forget to use basic care to prevent unnecessary accidents.
Knowing a few simple principles can keep you safe whenever electricity is present.
Indoor Use
Make sure electrical equipment is properly connected and grounded.
Wet environments can increase the risk of electrical shock. Only use properly rated and connected items in those areas.
Look for outlets with loose-fitting plugs, exposed wires, or broken plates. Have them fixed by a qualified electrician.
High amperage equipment such as space heaters, portable air conditioners, etc. must be plugged directly into permanent wall receptacles.
Do not overload an outlet by plugging in to may items.
Don’t pull an electrical cord from the wall. Instead pull from the plug.
Inspect cords (appliance, extension, or other) for wear and replace them as needed.
Don’t use extension cords as permanent wiring.
Surge suppressors with built in circuit breakers may be used long term.
Do not access, use, or alter any building’s electrical service, including circuit breaker panels, unless you are qualified and authorized to do so.
Outdoor Use
Look up and look out for power lines in the area of your activity or work.
When using a ladder, pool skimmer, or any tall object, make sure to keep it away from overhead lines including the service wiring that comes into your house or building at the meter.
Call 811 before you dig.
Keep drones, kites, balloons, and fishing lines away from power lines or substations.
Do not swing, climb, or run into power poles or the guy wires that support them.
Do not climb on or open a green transformer box.
Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume a downed power line is live and stay away from any standing water.
Never drive over a downed power line or under a low hanging line.
If a line touches your car while you are inside, stay put and wait for help. Do not exit the car unless it catches fire. If you must exit, jump clear without touching the metal and ground at the same time.
Do not climb the fence of or enter into an electrical substation.
Generator Safety Tips During an Outage
Portable or permanently installed generators can come in handy in an outage. However, if not used properly they can be dangerous for you and CPW employees.
- Generators should only be operated outdoors with plenty of ventilation.
- Permanent generators must be installed with a transfer switch to avoid damage to the utility system and CPW workers.
- NEVER plug a generator into a wall outlet. It can back feed through your panel onto the electric system and injure workers trying to restore power. Use properly rated extension cords to connect items directly to the portable generator.
- Generator components can get hot during operation. Keep people and pets away from them. Allow the generator to cool before refueling.