Electricity is an essential part of our everyday lives, but it can become extremely dangerous when we are not aware of the hazards around us. One of the most important electrical safety rules is simply always to remember to treat power lines as energized and maintain a safe distance.
Overhead Power Lines
Be aware of your surroundings when operating equipment. Farm equipment, bucket trucks, cranes, ladders and other tall equipment can easily come too close to overhead conductors. Always look up and identify if there any power lines before you begin to work.
Stay away from downed power lines. If a power line has fallen to the ground, it may still be energized. Never touch the power line or any object that it may have fallen on such as a vehicle, fence, tree, etc. because it may also have become energized. Keep others away from it as well and contact the City of Wayne Electric Distribution Department. If you’re not sure who your electric provider is, call 911.
Never attempt to trim or remove a tree that is touching or near an electrical line without contacting our electric department or a qualified professional arborist first.
Underground Power Lines
Call before you dig. Underground power lines are just as dangerous as overhead lines. Before digging for a fence, deck or landscaping project, make sure that the underground utilities have been properly located by calling 811 and placing a locate ticket request.
Remember, electricity can be dangerous even when you don’t see or hear anything unusual. Taking a few extra seconds to identify electrical hazards and maintaining a safe distance can prevent serious injuries and save lives.
Electrical safety starts with awareness. Look up, stay back, call before you dig and when in doubt, call your local utility.
The electrical equipment that may be located on your property needs to remain assessable and free from obstructions for us to properly maintain it and access it in case of an emergency. We ask that you keep it clear from piling debris around it or on top of it.
We also ask that you keep trees, bushes or other structures 10 feet away from the side of the equipment with the doors and three feet from the remaining sides on the larger equipment which would include transformers, switchgears and junction cabinets. On our smaller equipment such as our fiberglass secondary pedestals we ask that you keep shrubs and structures three feet away from all sides. Obstructions may be damaged or removed during service restoration or maintenance.
Stay Safe!
