Electricity Safety Tips

  • Jun 04, 2007

You’re an excellent conductor -- of electricity that is. So is metal. A good conductor offers little resistance to the flow of electricity. What does this mean to the average homeowner? Stay away from power lines.

If you are working with a ladder doing typical outdoor chores like painting, cleaning gutters, washing windows or repairing the roof, always be aware of overhead electric lines. Keep the ladder, yourself and anything else at least 10 feet away to avoid an electric shock.

Make sure children know they should never carry anything long in an upright position -- such as ladders or fishing, flag or swimming pool poles. And never set up a tent near an overhead electric line.

Oncor Electric Delivery offers these tips as part of its Lifetime of Safety campaign:

  • The best insulator is lots of space. You don't need to actually touch a power line to be in danger. Electricity can jump, or arc, from a power line if you get too close. Stay at least 10 feet away. Never touch anything that is touching an electric line.
  • The only safe way to trim trees near power lines is to call a professional. Every year, people are injured or even killed when they climb or prune trees near power lines. Tree limbs in contact with power lines can act as conductors, and a person can be seriously injured if contact is made.
  • If someone is shocked by electricity, turn off the circuit breaker. Never try to grab the person or move a power line until the power is turned off, or you may be electrocuted.
  • If your vehicle comes into contact with a power line, it and the ground around it may be electrified. It is safer to stay in the vehicle and wait until the power company arrives to shut off power. Only leave if you are in imminent danger, then jump free of the vehicle and hop to safety with both feet together.

Featured

  • Ransomware Attacks Rise for the First Time in Six Months

    Ransomware attacks have risen for the first time in six months, increasing by 28% month-on-month to 421 attacks. While overall attack volume remained below 500, the uptick may signal a renewed escalation heading into the year’s most active period for cyber criminals. Read Now

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.