Stay safe this summer: Backyard electrical safety
Stay Away from Power Lines
Overhead power lines can be closer than they appear. Teach children never to climb trees near power lines; and never to fly kites, drones, remote-controlled toys or balloons in areas where lines are present. If you see a downed power line, stay at least 50 feet away and report it to your local utility company immediately.
Trampoline Safety
If you’re considering an above-ground trampoline, remember to look up for power lines. Children jumping high into the air could come dangerously close to overhead electric lines, which pose a serious risk of shock or electrocution.
Thinking about installing an in-ground trampoline instead? Before you dig, call 811 to have underground utility lines marked. Digging without knowing the location of buried electrical, gas or water lines can result in dangerous utility strikes. This simple step can prevent accidents, service interruptions and costly repairs.
Water Safety
Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Keep these tips in mind to prevent electrical hazards and create a safe space for swimming, soaking and outdoor fun.
- Ensure pool lights, filters and outdoor outlets have ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection and inspect them regularly. GFCIs are designed to quickly shut off electrical power if they detect even a small change in electrical current.
- If you notice flickering lights or feel a tingling sensation in the water, exit immediately and contact a professional. Faulty wiring can cause electric shock drowning.
- Avoid using plug-in devices, like radios, speakers or chargers, near water. Opt for battery-operated, waterproof devices to reduce the risk of shock.
- Know what to do in case of an electrical emergency. If someone is shocked, do not enter the water. Turn off the power source, call 911 and use a non-conductive tool, like a fiberglass pool pole, to assist.
- If it starts to rain, unplug electrical equipment, such as string lights, radios, speakers or power tools. Teach children not to touch electrical appliances with wet hands.
Outdoor Sports
Sports and play areas are a haven for children, but they can also contain hidden electrical hazards. Here’s how to protect your loved ones:
- Ensure swings and other tall play structures are far from overhead power lines.
- If you have outdoor lighting for night games, ensure the fixtures are weatherproof and properly installed. Have a professional check for frayed wires or loose connections.
- If kids are playing with a ball and it goes inside a substation fence, teach them never to touch or climb the fence to attempt to retrieve it or any other item. Instead, call your electric utility to safely take care of it.
- Install a weather app on your phone to inform you of weather alerts. Lightning can occur up to 10 miles away from the heart of the storm, so if you hear thunder, seek shelter inside.
How to stay safe and cool in extreme heat
Nationwide, we’re experiencing hotter, longer, and more frequent extreme heat events. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service.
Heat can be dangerous for anyone, but some face greater risks. Outdoor workers face increased threat of heat stress in the summer due to hot temperatures, high humidity, intense radiation from full sunlight or limited access to air circulation or cooling. Those at risk include lineworkers, first responders, farmers, construction workers and landscapers
People working indoors without air conditioning or near heat sources such as in kitchens, factories or foundries also face greater risks of heat-related illness.
While we can’t control the weather, we can understand the hazards of heat stress and take precautions to ensure safety when temperatures and humidity are on the rise.
Understanding heat stress
Heat stress occurs when the body cannot adequately cool itself through sweating. This can result from a combination of high temperatures, humidity, physical exertion and a lack of hydration. When the body overheats, it can lead to various heat-related illnesses, ranging from mild heat cramps to life-threatening heatstroke.
Personal risk factors
Certain factors can increase an individual’s susceptibility to heat stress, including:
- Age and health: Older workers and those with preexisting health conditions are at greater risk.
- Hydration levels: Dehydration can impair the body’s ability to cool itself.
- Acclimatization: Workers who are not accustomed to hot conditions are more prone to heat stress.
- Clothing: Wearing heavy or non-breathable clothing can restrict heat dissipation.
Heat exposure can affect health in several ways
Heat cramps:
- Symptoms: Muscle pain or spasms, usually in the arms, legs or abdomen.
- Response: Rest in a cool place, hydrate with electrolyte-rich fluids and gently stretch the affected muscles.
Heat exhaustion:
- Symptoms: Heavy sweating, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, irritability, pale/cool skin and a rapid, weak pulse.
- Response: The condition is usually due to loss of water and salt from excessive sweating. Move to a cooler area, loosen clothing, sip water slowly and apply cold compresses or cool water to the skin. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
Heat stroke:
- Symptoms: High body temperature, throbbing headache, hot/dry skin, confusion, slurred speech, rapid and strong pulse, and possible loss of consciousness.
- Response: Heat stroke can be fatal, as it restricts the body’s ability to cool itself. Call 911 immediately. While waiting for medical help, move to a cooler environment, and lower body temperature with cool water or ice compresses. Remove any unnecessary clothing.
Preventing heat stress
Prevention is key to protecting workers from heat stress. Here are some essential tips:
- Hydrate frequently. If you wait until you’re thirsty, you’ve waited too long. You should drink water every 15-20 minutes. Consider adding electrolytes, and avoid caffeinated or sugary beverages and heavy, hot meals.
- Take frequent breaks. Schedule breaks in shaded, air-conditioned or cooler areas.
- Acclimatize and gradually increase heat exposure. Allow new or returning employees time to adjust.
- Adjust work schedules. Plan heavy activities for cooler parts of the day and gradually increase workloads to help workers acclimate to the heat.
- Wear appropriate clothing. Opt for lightweight, loose-fitting and light-colored clothing. While necessary for safety, be aware that personal protective gear can increase body heat.
- Wear sun protection, including a hat and sunglasses. Apply sunscreen regularly.
- Know the signs and watch out for each other. Ensure all workers are aware of the risks, symptoms and treatments for heat stress.
Avoid fines, injuries and power outages: call 811
Having utilities marked is free and easy to do; simply call 811 two to three business days prior to starting your project. While state laws vary, utility companies generally have two to three days to respond to your request.
Why is it necessary to get buried utilities marked? Underground lines are unyielding, and their path is unpredictable. Digging in an unmarked yard can mean striking an underground utility line, which can cause serious injury. Damaging a utility line can also cause unwanted service disruptions, including a power outage, as well as a hefty fine.
Every project, big or small, requires advance notification to 811. To start the underground utility marking process, call 811 or visit call811.com. Examples of projects that require utility location include putting up a fence, installing a mailbox post, building a deck or patio, and planting trees and shrubs, among others. Any project that breaks ground requires that underground utilities be marked.
If a contractor is involved, check with that person to determine who will make the request. Locators do not mark private lines such as service to outbuildings, underground sprinkler systems or a gas line to a grill, for example. Private lines are the responsibility of the homeowner.
Before digging in, take these five steps to safer digging:
- Pre-mark the proposed dig area with white paint or white flags.
- Call 811 or go online to submit your locate request before you dig. There is no charge for the service.
- Wait the required amount of time (typically two to three business days).
- Respect the marks and do not move any flags.
- Dig with care. Avoid digging on top of or within 18–24 inches on all sides of utility marks, which may mean moving your digging project to another part of your yard.
Beware of a hidden swimming danger: Electric Shock Drowning
Before taking the plunge, know what could be lurking in the water.
As temperatures rise outside and the cooling water beckons, know the signs of a hidden danger that could be lurking in lakes and other water sources: electric shock drowning (ESD).
A type of drowning that many people are not familiar with, ESD happens when electrical current seeps into water from a nearby electrical source, such as a yacht, boat or marina dock. “As a child or adult swims in or near water that is electrified, his or her body can become a conductor for that electricity,” says Erin Hollinshead, executive director of Safe Electricity. “Once that electricity moves through the body, a person can become paralyzed and drown.”
Just as you wouldn’t use a blow dryer with one hand submerged in a sink full of water or stand in a flooded basement and plug something in, you would not knowingly jump into a body of water that has electricity running through it.
How does the electricity escape from its source into the water? Outdated wiring and a lack of proper safety equipment on boats and docks can cause it to happen. While ESD is an invisible danger, “Knowing how to prevent it, what to do if you think you are approaching electrified water, and how to properly help someone else can definitely save your life or someone else’s.
While swimming
- Do not swim around docks with electrical service or boats that are plugged into shore-to-dock power.
- If you are swimming and feel tingling or shocks, swim away from the dock or any other electrical source, such as a security light. Yell to others to cut the power source. If you feel a shock, swim away from the dock is a good way to remember this.
- If you think you are swimming in water that could be electrified, try to stay upright, tuck your legs up so that you are more compact, and swim away from anything you think could be energizing the water.
When helping someone else
- Do not jump in to try and save someone you suspect might be exposed to electricity in the water. Instead, throw them a float and turn off shore power by using a switch or other mechanism (usually found on the meter base) or by unplugging the shore power cords.
- While on shore assisting someone in the water, eliminate the source of power first, then call 9-1-1.
- Get them to shore or on the dock by pulling them in with the float rope. If you cannot find a pulse, perform CPR until the local fire department or emergency responders arrive.
Prevention and Maintenance
- If you own a boat that has an electrical system, make sure it is always in good working order and have it inspected annually by a qualified electrician. Consider purchasing a clamp meter to test for stray electricity in between inspections.
- All docks should have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) on the circuits that feed electricity to the docks. Check GFCIs often to make sure they work.
- Faulty electricals in any water source could cause a problem. This includes hot tubs, pools and water parks. If you feel tingling or other unusual sensations, get out of the water.
General Boating Safety
The Sea Tow Foundation is partnering with Safe Electricity to promote awareness and educate others about the dangers around water. The foundation, which focuses on safe-boating practices, has compiled the following boating safety tips:
- Don’t forget to inventory life jackets. Boaters are required to have enough life jackets onboard that are the right size for each passenger. This means that if you have children on board, you’ll need to make sure the life jackets are the correct size for each child and that they wear them at all times while the boat is moving. Don’t have enough life jackets for everyone or need a specific size to fit a growing child? Borrow them for free from one of the 650 Sea Tow Foundation loaner stations.
- Make sure you have at least one ‘sober skipper.’ Alcohol is the leading known contributor in fatal boating accidents. Even just one drink can impair boaters, especially considering the effects from the sun, wind and waves. That is why it’s vital that every time you head out on the water, you designate a “Sober Skipper.”
- Text someone before you launch. Texting or telling someone your “float plan” for the day ensures that if your boat trip extends longer than planned or if you run into trouble, someone will know where you were headed and have an idea of where to send rescuers to look for you.
- Be prepared to signal: If there is an emergency on your boat, it is time to signal for help! This may mean using a flag, a whistle, a horn, or a mirror, but the most commonly carried piece of emergency signaling equipment is a set of flares.
- Attach an engine cut-off device. Make sure you attach an engine cut-off device before turning on the boat’s engine. In case of emergency, the device stops the propeller if someone accidentally falls into the water.
