Electrical Safety
FKEC urges all members to always use caution when around electricity.
It is our priority to keep our members and our employees safe at all times.
Below are links to information to help keep you safe around electricity
as well as “Safety Reminders” to protect you from the dangers
of electrical power.
Learn more about our electrical safety and educational programs
View FKEC’s vegetation management program and planting
guidelines
Be prepared before, during and after a storm
Learn more about portable generator safety and proper use
Learn about the importance and benefits of surge protection
Access other educational safety resources
Safety Reminders:
Safety Outside Your Home
- Always look up! Keep yourself, tools and equipment
at least 10 feet away from power lines. You do not actually have
to touch a wire to get shocked. Electricity can jump to a good
conductor, such as a metal ladder or antenna if it gets too close
to an energized wire.
- Consider all power lines energized and dangerous. Stay
away from downed power lines and report them immediately by calling
911 and/or FKEC at (305) 852-2431.
- Do not prune a limb that is near or touching a wire .
Tree limbs contain water and can conduct electricity. See FKEC
Vegetation Maintenance for
more planting safety tips. Or place on online
Tree Trim/Removal Request.
- Always use grounded, three-prong extension cords outside.
- Invest in Ground Fault Interrupters (GFIs)
for all outdoor circuits.
- Call before you dig! Before planting or digging
always call “Sunshine State” at 811, visit www.call811.com
or call FKEC directly at (305) 852-2431.
- Never enter a substation. High-voltage equipment
is very dangerous
- Do not fly kites near power lines and let
go of the string if your kite drifts near electric wires. If your
kite becomes tangled with wires call FKEC (305) 852-2431.
Safety In Your Home
- Never mix water and electricity. That means
do not allow a hair dryer, radio or other electronic device to
be used around water – especially the bathtub. And never
use an appliance in water.
- Make sure bathroom outlets have a ground fault interrupter,
or GFI, device installed. The GFI will trip the electric circuit
if a fault is detected.
- Replace damaged or worn electric cords. And
never run a cord under a rug or through a wet area.
- Use three-pronged plugs when possible. The
third prong grounds the circuit and prevents shocks.
- If a circuit trips and you are not sure why, call a
licensed electrician.
- Never overload a circuit. Big multiple-plug
devices lead to overloading and the possibility of a fire.
- Always unplug electric devices before doing repairs.
- Use the correct wattage light bulbs. Higher
than recommended wattages can overheat and lead to fire
- Install plastic protective caps over electrical outlets to
childproof your home if you have small children.
Safety Away from Home
- If a wire falls on your vehicle, stay inside your car.
If you attempt to get out and one foot touches the ground, an electrified
line on your car will complete a circuit to the ground and you
can be electrocuted.
- You don’t have to touch a wire to be electrocuted! Electrical
current can flow through water, metal or wet ground. Following
a storm, be very careful about contacting a fence or downed trees
which may be in contact with a downed power line. If you are too
close, you can be injured or killed.
- Never fire a gun at a power line, insulator, area light
or transformer.
- If you have a sailboat, always be aware of overhead
power lines near marinas or any areas where you will
have the mast in the upright position.
Online Safety Resources
Safe Electricity.org
http://www.safeelectricity.org/
AEP Electrical Safety Learning Module
http://www.rootlink.com/aep/
Electrical Safety Foundation International
http://esfi.org/
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