Lifetime of Safety - May 2007

Lifetime of Safety

Electrical safety has been a top priority of ours over many lifetimes. Ever since we began delivering power to Texans more than a century ago, we have practiced safety awareness and recognized its importance in the life of everyone we serve. When it comes to the need for electrical safety, no one is exempt. That is why our Lifetime of Safety messages will cover Texans of all ages and for every season of the year. We are privileged to pass along our decades of experience through the Lifetime of Safety program.

Participate in National Electrical Safety Month with Free Downloadable Home Audit

Just in time for National Electrical Safety Month in May, Oncor Electric Delivery is offering the public a free online home safety checklist for a do-it-yourself audit. The audit addresses common electrical hazards both inside the house and outdoors.

Using the new audit is as simple as printing the audit guide and taking a few minutes to walk through your home and check for hazards.

Because the information and suggested actions can literally save lives, it is one of the most important home audits anyone can perform. The few minutes it takes to check conditions around the home will be time well spent on behalf of family safety.

(This do-it-yourself audit covers some of the most common signs of electrical hazards, but it is not intended to take the place of a professional inspection. If you have an older home or suspect that there may be wiring problems, please call a qualified electrician.)

In addition to being National Electrical Safety Month, May is also a busy time for home gardeners and landscapers, who should pay special attention to our Lifetime of Safety tips for outdoor digging where there is underground electric service.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission attributes about 12 percent of electrical accidents to contact with high-voltage power lines, and the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) reports about 350 electrical-related fatalities among workers each year, mainly in the construction industry. Although many of these are due to contact with exposed overhead lines, the hazards of underground lines can be just as deadly.

Texans are fortunate to have a special program known as DIG TESS, with a toll-free number to call in order to have underground utility lines located and marked before digging. In fact, state law requires such a call before digging 16 inches or deeper. The number is 1-800-DIG-TESS (1-800-344-8377). Always call at least two working days before digging.

Lifetime of Safety tips this month for working outdoors are:

  • Recognize signs of underground electric service in unfamiliar areas: transformers enclosed in large metal boxes, padlocked and set on concrete pads at ground level; and the lack of visible electric lines from a utility pole to the house.
  • Keep outdoor electrical outlets covered and dry.
  • Make sure electric outlets around pools, ponds, hot tubs or other water are equipped with GFCIs (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) that automatically shut off when the circuit is interrupted.
  • Never run extension cords through wet areas such as gardens or under hedges or faucets.

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