Electric Safety

Safety education is serious business. Singing River Electric fulfills this commitment to our community and employees through safety demonstrations, safety advertisements, and monthly safety meetings for employees.

Safety Education

Singing River Electric presents an on-site electric safety presentation to about 11,000 students and residents in the community annually. The presentation is fun, inter-active, and communicates the importance of staying away from power lines to all ages.

In addition to safety demonstrations, Singing River also participates in a joint-safety campaign with other electric cooperatives and utilities. Ads are shown year round and communicate the message of "Whatever you do, don't do it near power lines."

In an effort to extend safety education to employees, safety meetings are also conducted throughout the year. Topics include information such as pole top rescue, CPR, drug awareness, and back injury prevention.

Line Reclearing

Singing River's routine right-of-way clearance program helps prevent power interruptions by trimming or removing trees and brush within 15-feet of Primary wires and 5-feet of Secondary wires. This is important because tree-to-line contact can cause interruptions or blinks in power as well as extended outages during storms or strong winds. Our contract line re-clearing crews are trained in proper tree trimming and pruning techniques, and they take steps to protect the health of trees. Give us a call if you have a tree on your property that should be trimmed or removed from these right-of-way clearance zones.

Protect yourself on the job and at home from electricity-related injuries.

Electrical Safety Tips on the Job

• Use the right tools for the job.
• Isolate equipment from energy sources.
• Test every circuit and every conductor every time before you touch it.
• Use personal protective equipment as a first line of defense.
• Make sure you are properly trained and qualified for the job.
• Stay away from power lines at all times.
  

Electrical Safety Tips at Home

Outlets

Check for outlets that have loose-fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire. Replace any missing or broken wall plates. Make sure there are safety covers on all unused outlets that are accessible to children.

Cords

Make sure cords are in good condition - not frayed or cracked. Make sure they are placed away from traffic areas. Cords should never be nailed or stapled to the wall, baseboard or any object. Always make sure extension cords have safety closures to prevent young children from shock hazards and mouth burn injuries.

Plugs

Make sure your plug fits your outlet. Never remove the ground pin (third prong) to fit a two-conductor outlet. Never attempt to plug into an outlet if the plug doesn't fit. Avoid overloading outlets with too many appliances.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)

GFCIs can help prevent electrocution. They should be used in any area where water and electricity may come into contact. When a GFCI senses current leakage it assumes a ground fault has occurred. It then interrupts the power flow fast enough to help prevent serious injury. Test GFCIs according to manufacturer's instructions monthly and after electrical storms.