(Note: Check out Underground Safety too)

While the Cooperative takes great care to place power lines out of reach, people can come in close proximity to them during some activities. Please read the following information as it could save your life. Also, teach children these basic electricity safety rules.

• All power lines can be dangerous. Some area lines are 138,000 volts and lines outside homes are commonly over 7,000 volts
• No insulation. Most overhead lines have no insulation.
• Look up! Be aware of overhead power lines and how electricity will use you as a pathway to ground.
• Be careful with tall objects. Use extreme care when moving ladders, trimming trees, installing antennas, or doing other activities involving tall objects. Working to close to power lines may be a violation of the law. See Laws Related to Working Around Power Lines and Overhead Line Clearance Standards.   
• Play safe. Keep kites, model airplanes and other toys away from lines. If a kite becomes tangled in wires, do not try to remove it.
• Lines in trees. Before climbing a tree check for overhead wires running near or through limbs. If lines are present, do not climb the tree for any reason.

Tree limbs that grow into power lines may carry an electrical current. Do not attempt to remove them yourself. Long-handled pruning tools, especially ones made of metal, are extremely hazardous around power lines. The Cooperative maintains a tree-trimming program to prevent power outages, but we can't catch them all. Contact the Cooperative if you need a tree limb removed that is near a line.

If you encounter a downed power line, do not approach it, warn others, and contact the Cooperative or law enforcement immediately.

• Always assume a downed power line is energized and therefore dangerous. A downed power line that is energized may not spark or snap. But it can kill!
• Never touch an object that is in direct contact with a downed power line, including a car, tree, fence or another person. Electricity can travel through objects that are in contact with a power line.

• Working to close to power lines can be a violation of the law. See Laws Related to Working Around Power Lines and Overhead Line Clearance Standards.
• If your tractor, truck or other vehicle comes into contact with a power line, stay on board to remain safe. Be sure to warn others to stay away from the area.
• If the equipment is operable and can be moved out of contact without doing additional damage to the line or poles, do so.
• As long as the vehicle is in contact with a line, do not step off.
• If you must get off because of fire or another emergency, jump clear of the vehicle with both feet together, making sure that you are never in contact with the equipment and the ground at the same time. Once off the equipment, hop away, keeping both feet together.

If you have other questions about power line safety contact the Cooperative.

(Note: See our links page for information about lightning safety, electric safety, food safety and disaster relief.)