Safety Tips

Electric power gives us light and warmth, but without safety precautions, it can also be dangerous.

Follow these simple precautions to help insure you and your family’s safety:

• Have preventive maintenance performed by a qualified electrician for safety tests and to service electrical utilization and components as ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) and breaker panel connections, look for water, moisture, rust indications and proper clearance around service panels. We recommend having smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors with 10 year battery backup and at proper locations. We also recommend tamper-resistant receptacles and LED energy efficient light fixtures.
• Use power surge protectors or have whole house units installed.
• Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
• Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
• Avoid overloading outlets. Consider plugging only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.
• If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by an electrician.
• When possible, avoid the use of "cube taps" and other devices that allow the connection of multiple appliances into a single receptacle.
• Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp's recommended wattage.
• Never touch anything electrical when you are wet.
• Don't use electrical appliances such as hair dryers or radios in a wet place or near water.
• If power is lost during a storm, turn off or unplug electrical appliances so that there's not a power surge when the electricity comes back on.
• If there's flooding, watch out for water around electrical items, and never use appliances if they're wet.
• Never play with kites or toy planes near overhead power lines.
• If a toy happens to get caught in a power line, don't attempt to remove it yourself.
• Never prune trees yourself that are near power lines.