Safety
Accident Prevention
Did You Know
- There are 300 to 400 people electrocuted in
their home each year.
- There are approximately 150,000 house fires
each year from electricity.
- There are 12,000 to 15,000 people are
injured in their home by electricity.
How do these things happen?
Electricity is a very useful servant. Electricity
powers the equipment that can light our rooms, heat
our house, water the fields, milk the dairy herd,
and on and on. Soon we may be driving cars powered
by electricity.
Electricity does not care what we wish it to do
or what we put in the way. Electricity only tries to
do one thing, return to where it came from. When
power is generated and put into our power lines it
is constantly looking for a path back to the source.
Conductors allow the electricity to flow from one
place to another and can supply that path while
insulators will hinder or stop the flow of the
electricity The return trip for the electricity to
the source is provided in part through the earth.
When you plug a light into the wall, the cord has at
least two prongs on the plug. One of these will
supply the electricity required to power the light,
the other is connected to ground. This ground
connection is made through the ground rod at your
home and ground rods at poles on the power line
serving your home. The electricity now has a path
back to the source and can flow. The light bulb will
light up because the little wire inside the bulb is
not the best of conductors and resists the
electricity flowing through it. It gets white hot as
the electricity goes through it.
How do people get hurt? They get between the
source of the electricity and the ground source it
is looking for. The human body is approximately 75%
water and conducts electricity pretty well. While
the electricity is passing through the body it can
burn and kill. The body, like the little wire in the
light bulb, resists the flow of electricity and the
parts of the body carrying the electrical current
will heat up rapidly. The body requires very little
electricity to be seriously damaged. Your toaster or
hair dryer may draw .05 to 8 amps (amps is the
measure of electrical flow), but your body cannot
withstand this amount. As little as 1/1000 of an amp
current through the body could be fatal or cause
sever injury.
Safety Tips
Inside the Home
Never remove the
third prong from an electrical plug
When you plug an appliance into an outlet, the
third prong connects directly to the grounding
system in the electrical network of your home, barn,
or other buildings. The cord containing this prong
connects to the inside metal parts of the appliance
or tool. If there is an electrical short inside the
appliance, this third wire will conduct the
electricity to ground. If the prong has been
removed, the connection to ground is severely
hindered and your body may become the best route to
ground.
Never 'slug' or 'penny' a
fuse
The wiring will safely carry a given amount of
current without damage. A short in an appliance or
tool can cause the electrical flow to exceed the
safe range. Protection for the wiring is built into
the service panel fuses or circuit breakers. In the
event of a short, the current will limited by the
fuse 'blowing' or circuit breaker 'tripping'. This
creates and opening stopping the flow of
electricity. A typical breaker or fuse rating is 15A
(15 amps). When the current exceeds 15A, the fuse
will blow and stop the current. If the fuse is
slugged or a penny inserted where the fuse goes, the
current will not be stopped and the wiring will
overheat and start to burn, very possibly causing a
fire.
Never over load a
circuit
Plugging too many appliances into the outlets
serviced by the fuse or circuit breaker will
overload a circuit. Indications of overloading are
breakers that trip often. A tripped breaker should
be investigated for the cause prior to resetting the
breaker. The circuit may have been interrupted
because a short occurred or the circuit is
overloaded. A short can be in an appliance or the
wiring of the building. Overloading occurs when an
appliance requires more current than the fuse or
breaker will allow. Overloading can also occur when
you plug too many appliances onto the circuit. An
individual appliance may not require enough current
to trip the breaker but when added to the other
loads on the circuit, may cause the total current to
exceed the maximum allowed. Other indications of
overloading may include lights dimming when an
appliance comes on. Heating elements in irons,
toasters, hair dryers and other small appliances may
not heat up correctly. Using excessive quantities of
outlet extenders, devices that turn one outlet into
multiple outlets, and extension cords will overload
the circuit. Removing some of the appliances from
the circuit will relieve the overloaded condition.
Never use a damaged
cord
A damaged electrical cord can cause a short
resulting in an injury or a fire. Always repair or
replace a damaged electrical. Many things can damage
cords. Pull the plug not the cord to unplug an
appliance. Don't run cords through traffic areas,
foot and/or wheeled traffic can damage a cord very
quickly. Cords ran under furniture or rugs can
overheat or become damaged. Do not use extension
cords that are rated too small for the appliance you
are running. Using the cord for a carrying handle
can damage cords. Take care of the cords to minimize
the chance for damage. Replace any suspect cords.
Never use electrical
appliances around water
Water will conduct electricity very well. Wet
hands and electrical appliances can cause injuries.
Water entering an appliance can cause shorts and
fires. Do not use electrical appliances around water
or while you are in the water. Some electrical
devices are designed for use in wet environments;
these devices should only be used according to the
manufacturer's recommendations.
Watch for heat
buildup
A hot light bulb can burn you and can cause a
fire when in contact with combustible material.
Lighting fixtures may have a limit on the size of
bulbs that can be safely used. A larger bulb may
cause excess heat to build up in the bulb and
socket. Never cover a lamp with combustible
material. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations
concerning the placement and free space surrounding
an appliance.
Use caution when probing
into the space behind the wall surface
Electrical wires are routed between the wall
surfaces in most homes and buildings. Driving a nail
in the wall to hang a picture or drilling a hole in
the wall could hit one of these wires.
Outside the Home
Overhead power lines are not insulated in most
environments. Insulators on the poles provide the
insulation from ground. When a conductor comes in
contact with the lines and ground the electricity
will flow. Underground power lines are insulated but
can be easily damaged causing a path to ground.
Never be part of the path
to ground for a power line
Power lines carry several thousand volts of
electricity. When moving around power lines always
be certain you will not come in contact with the
wires. Carrying a ladder, irrigation pipe or other
object under a power line may cause the item to come
in contact with the over head wires. Kites should
never be flown where there is a possibility of
contacting a power line. Other items to use caution
with are fishing poles, sailboat masts, grain
augers, farm equipment, equipment on trailers,
long-handled tools, TV antennas, etc.
Never build a
structure or pile things under a power line
Building a structure under a power line can
cause you to come in contact with the power line.
Working on the roof of a building under a line puts
you in danger. Stacking hay under the line will
raise your body or equipment toward the line. Lines
are attached to your home where the power enters
your house; these lines also carry potential danger.
Car accidents and
power lines deserve special thought
If you are in a vehicle accident involving a
power line, stay in the vehicle if possible. The
wire could still be conducting electricity; getting
out of the vehicle may put you in danger. If you
must leave the vehicle, you must jump clear of the
vehicle as far as possible before coming in contact
with the ground. Once clear of the vehicle, do not
touch the vehicle again. Don't turn around and close
the door. When you are clear, don't try to
physically help someone else still in the vehicle.
This will put both of you in the path to ground.
Never touch
a power line that is on the ground
If you ever see a power line on the ground
please contact us so we can send a repair crew with
the correct equipment.
Never use the
improper tools
Rubber gloves used to wash dishes are not safe
insulators from electricity. Tools to work with
electrical power are specially made tools that must
be tested, cleaned, and kept moisture free to
provide the protection needed to work a power line
that is carrying electricity. Please do not try to
'do it yourself'.
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Poudre Valley REA • PO Box 272550, 7649 REA Parkway, Fort Collins, CO 80527-2550
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Phone: 970.226.1234 • FAX: 970.226.2123 • Email: pvrea@pvrea.com
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