Be Power Safe at Home and in Your Neighborhood.
You may already know the basics of electricity safety—and may not even give them a second thought. But a little refresher can be beneficial. For example, did you realize that wood will conduct electricity? Read all of our tips and safety measures to help you stay out of harm's way.
Be Power Safe at Home
- Make sure bathroom and outdoor outlets are equipped with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs).
- Never poke fingers, toys or anything else into wall outlets.
- Do not overload circuits.
- Use cords with a third (ground) prong. Never try to remove the third prong.
- Do not plug or unplug electrical appliances, tools or equipment with wet hands or in wet conditions.
- Do not insert any metal implement into an electrical appliance while it is plugged in.
- Replace damaged or frayed cords.
- Never attempt to disconnect your power meter, as it could explode.
- Always have a qualified electrician perform any electrical work, including hooking up an emergency or backup generator.
Plan Your Work
Before doing any work near power lines, know where all of the power lines are located.
- Before digging or driving posts into the ground, call your utility provider.
CenterPoint toll-free: 1-800-332-7143
Oncor toll-free: 1-888-313-4747
- Make sure swimming pools are situated well away from power lines.
- Do not plant trees where they will grow into power lines.
- Install antennas away from power lines at a distance at least equal to the height of the antenna, plus 3 yards.
Avoid Power Lines
Take great care to avoid overhead power lines, especially when performing dangerous activities such as:
- Using a ladder
- Pruning or cutting trees
- Cleaning a pool
- Installing or removing an antenna
- Working on the roof
- Carrying long tools or pipes
- Setting up and moving scaffolding
And remember, nothing, including rubber gloves, will protect you from the voltages carried by overhead power lines.
Read more about Power Line Safety.
Avoid Danger Zones
You may not be aware that you have stumbled upon a danger zone until it is too late. Read about these possible danger zones, and be sure to teach children to be safe:
- Always be on the lookout for fallen or sagging wires, especially after storms.
- Stay away from downed power lines.
- Never play around power substations, poles, towers, fences or trees near power lines or electrical equipment.
- Never fly kites near overhead power lines.
- Never spray water guns or hoses at power lines.
- Never try to open, or poke sticks or other objects into, underground transformer boxes.
- Stay out of substations and areas marked ‘Keep Out’ or ‘Danger.’ If a ball or toy lands in a high voltage area, call your electric utility to retrieve it.
- Avoid going outdoors during a lightning storm.
