Electrical Safety Tips for Spring
Play It Safe During Lightning Storms
If you are planning to be outdoors, plan your route to safety in case lightning strikes.
Klickitat PUD offers these precautions:
- Listen to the weather forecast before you venture outdoors. If you know a storm is coming, consider rescheduling the activities for a safer time.
- Stay close to shelter. If you see lightning and then hear thunder within 30 seconds, run for cover. If you hear thunder only, lightning probably is not far behind. Once the thunder stops, stay indoors for 30 more minutes.
- The best shelters are permanent, enclosed buildings, such as houses. Dugouts, bleachers and open gazebos will not protect you from a lightning strike.
- If you are boating or swimming, get out of the water and off of the beach.
- Stay away from trees.
- A car is not an ideal shelter during a storm, but it is safer to be in a vehicle than out in the open.
- Once the storm passes, stay away from fallen power lines and immediately report them to Klickitat PUD.
Your best bet for safety is to make a plan so you know what to do if you see lightning. That plan might not be the most convenient way to enjoy the outdoors. But you should always put safety first.
Keep Power Poles Free of Debris
A wooden power pole might seem like a great place to put up a sign, but it is illegal to do so in the state of Washington.
More importantly, it creates a danger to utility line workers. Staples, tacks or nails used to attach signs, such as community event notices or garage sale signs, to power poles can trip up a line worker, or pierce and tear the worker’s protective clothing or safety equipment, which could result in injury or electrocution.
Abuse of power poles also can cause premature damage and make it necessary to replace the pole.
Show the line workers you care: Keep power poles clean and safe.
Look Up and Live!
One quick look to avoid a power line could save your life.
Be alert for power lines when working outside.
Identify potential hazards before starting any task.