Friday | April 19, 2024
All News

Happy Electrical Safety Month!

Did you know May is National Electric Safety Month? Why does it matter? Simply put, your life matters! 

Electricity is a powerful force and if not used correctly, it can be life-threatening.

That’s why Oklahoma’s 30 electric cooperatives have teamed together to make sure members across the state are wired up for safety!

Remember when power lines fall, stay away, stay safe and call!

Did you know?

  • 69% of all electrical workplace fatalities occur in non-electrical occupations
  • Contact with overhead power lines account for 45% of fatalities
  • Working on or near energized parts account for another 44%
  • 39% of electrical fatalities could have been prevented by safety device controls
  • 7% of all fatalities could have been prevented by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs)

 

Wired Up for Safety: Stay Safe During Storms

In Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, we know facing storms and natural disasters is part of our lives. Do you know what to do if a storm brings down an overhead power line or if a car crash causes a pad mount transformer to become dislodged? Severe storms can create potential electrical dangers, and electricity is something you can not see, hear, taste or smell. It has been called the “silent killer.”

Storms are always ready, are you?

 

Wired Up for Safety: Protecting Those Around You

A dangerous situation took place in Colorado with a school bus filled with kids. They were headed to an FFA competition when the bus snagged a power line just as it was falling to the ground under the weight of snow. Could it have happened in Oklahoma? Absolutely. Fortunately, the bus driverClint, dispatch and first responders knew the right steps to take to keep everyone safe.

Important takeaways of their story:

  • Stay calm and stay inside the vehicle.
  • Call 911.
  • Warn others to stay away from the vehicle.
  • Stay seated, and do not exit the vehicle until utility personnel say it is okay to do so.
  • If you must exit the vehicle because it is on fire, jump clear of it with your feet together and without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time. Keeping your feet together, shuffle or “bunny hop” to safety.