Safety Tips

Treat electricity with respect, and it will continue to be the safe and reliable friend you have come to count on.

Follow These Safety Rules

Utility Equipment

Look for the DANGER signs on all high voltage equipment. Stay away from substations, transformers, and the fences that surround them. If you come across a downed power line, contact your local utility company right away. DO NOT TOUCH OR GO NEAR THE POWER LINE.

Kites, Model Airplanes & Balloons

Never fly kites or model airplanes near power lines and never use wire or metal with kites--just string. In addition, don't let your metallic balloons float away. They can get caught in power lines and cause outages. If your kite or balloon gets stuck in a power line, contact your local utility company right away. Make sure no one tries to untangle kites or balloons themselves.

Appliances

Don't use electric appliances such as hair dryers, radios, or curling irons near bathtub or sink. If the appliance, or just the cord, falls in the water, unplug it; NEVER TRY TO GRAB IT. Even when it is turned off, there is still electricity present. Also, remember to unplug all of your appliances when you are not using them.

Electrical Outlets

Too many plugs in a single outlet can spell trouble. Be careful that your radio, video games, TV, and computer are not all plugged into the same outlet. This could start a fire. Do not pull a plug from an outlet by the cord; pull it straight out by grasping the plug itself.

Trees

Don't climb, play, or build in trees that have power lines running through them.

Electrical Safety Tips

Spring Cleaning

Keep ladders away from electrical lines.  Whether your spring cleaning includes mowing lawns, trimming trees, or cleaning gutters, it is important to remember that the electricity to your home comes from transformers and overhead or buried cables outside of your home.

  • Make sure you leave at least 10 (ten) feet of space around ground level transformers. 
  • Before you do any digging, call Wyoming One-Call at (800) 849-2476 to have the underground utilities located on your property. 
  • Be especially careful not to let ladders or trimmers come in contact with overhead wires.

Toddlers & Electricity Don’t Mix 

Electricity and toddlers don’t mix. Help protect your child or grandchild from electrical shock by placing protective covers on all unused outlets within the child’s reach. You can also install special devices that lock plugs into outlets so a child can’t pull them out. And finally, please locate appliances so toddlers can’t pull them down on themselves by grabbing the cord.

Electrical Safety Month

As long as you’re spring-cleaning, why not sweep your home clean of potential electrical hazards? Most homes are full of electrical accidents waiting to happen. A good example: Do you use extension cords year-round? They’re meant for temporary use only. During National Electrical Safety Month in May, make sure:Overloaded Outlets

  • Electrical outlets are not overloaded, and cords are not damaged. 
  • Do not place power cords and extension cords in high traffic areas or under carpets, rugs or furniture, and never nail or staple them to the wall or baseboard. 
  • Never remove the ground pin (the third prong) to make a three-prong plug fit a two-prong outlet.

No-Cost Energy Savings

There’s not much you can get for free these days, but it doesn’t cost a cent to conserve energy and save money on your power bills. Here are four no-cost ideas: Pull Drapes Closed

  • Set your thermostat a little bit higher. 
  • Clean your air conditioning filters. 
  • Dust the coils on the back of your refrigerator. 
  • Pull your drapes closed on sunny days.

Follow these no-cost steps to keep your house cooler and give your appliances a break.

Fallen Wires 

If you see a power line on the ground, for goodness' sake, don’t touch it! You should assume any wire on the ground is a live wire and it’s dangerous. Don’t assume it’s a cable or telephone wire because it might not be – and it can kill you if you touch it. Don’t touch a person who has been shocked by a wire: you could become its second victim if you do. Call 911 or the Electrical Services at (307) 686-5277, and keep everyone away from the wire until help arrives.

Electrical Storms

During an electrical storm, do not use appliances (i.e. hairdryers, toasters, radios) or telephones (except in an emergency). Do not take a bath or shower. Keep batteries on hand for flashlights and radios in case of a power outage. And use surge protectors on electronic devices and appliances. For areas with a high occurrence of lightning, consider installing a surge arrestor for whole house protection.

  • Electricity’s home is in the earth. When electricity is isolated from the ground, it will always look for the most direct path back to the earth. It can be through the air, a wire, a ladder, your body, or any other conductive material. Don’t get in its way!

Remember the Four R’s

Have you ever had a friend turn against you and become an enemy? It can really hurt. Electricity is a great friend, but it can hurt, too, if you don’t treat it with respect.

During May, observe National Electrical Safety Month by reminding everyone about the four R’s of electrical safety:

  • Respect the power of electricity; 
  • Read and follow the operating instructions that come with every electrical product; 
  • Replace worn or frayed electrical cords; and 
  • Relocate appliance cords so they won’t get walked on and children can’t pull them.

Take Care of Appliance Cords

Electricity can keep your home comfortable, light the path to your door, and cook your food. Or it can shock, electrocute or start a fire. Often, the choice is yours. Make electricity your friend.

Outdoor Reminders 

Focus on the proper preparation, use and maintenance of power tools, such as electric sanders, saws and drills that are coming out of wintertime storage. Remind everyone to be careful of overhead power lines when carrying ladders around the home, and buried power lines when doing the landscaping. Don't Play Around Power Equipment

Remind children not to play around neighborhood utility equipment such as switchgear and transformers.

Electricity & Water Don’t Mix 

Don’t leave plugged-in appliances where they might come into contact with water. If a plugged-in appliance falls into water, NEVER reach in to pull it out—even if it’s turned off. First turn off the power source at the panel board and then unplug the appliance. If you have an appliance that has gotten wet, don’t use it until it has been checked by a qualified repairperson.

Indoor Reminders 

Consumers should also remember to test their smoke alarms and ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) monthly. Replace smoke detector batteries twice a year. 

Make sure GFCI protection covers all circuits that come near water sources, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoors, and consider it for whole house coverage. Consider also having arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) installed in your home’s electrical panel, particularly for older homes.

Back to top