From trees and irrigation lines to car accidents and squirrels, Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) educates the public about being safe around power lines.
We use electricity in our daily lives. But have you ever stopped to consider where your power comes from, how it’s delivered, or how to keep you and your family safe around it?
When did you last look around your neighborhood for power lines or dial 811 for utility locates before starting a yard project? Did you check the park or field for overhead power lines before you flew your last kite? If you were moving an irrigation line, did you look up at your surroundings before doing so?
CEC works throughout the year to remind and educate its members about safety through various means, including Ruralite, bill messages, social media posts, and its website. However, just as a picture can be worth a thousand words, a live safety demonstration can deliver an effective, long-lasting impression.
In 2009, CEC’s lineworkers built a 30-foot high-voltage safety trailer. CEC uses the trailer to demonstrate the dangers of contacting overhead and underground electrical lines and the equipment attached to them. From a safe distance, audiences learn what to do and not do in various situations.
“People need to remember electricity will take any and all paths to ground,” says Kevin Rohde, CEC vice president of operations and engineering. “We really want to stress that people need to look up and live. You need to be aware of your surroundings and what’s happening above and around you.”
Lineworkers use the trailer to demonstrate real-life situations involving overhead power lines, such as when a kite blows into a line or an irrigation pipe is inadvertently moved into a live line. The crew also shows the importance of vegetation management around underground transformer boxes and overhead lines.
The safety trailer goes 1 step further, demonstrating what can happen when a car contacts a live power line.
“You cannot run up to a car or get out of a car that has a power line on it,” Kevin says. “You could get seriously injured if the line is energized. You need to wait for the professionals to arrive at the scene and verify the power is off.”
CEC is committed to keeping its members and the communities it serves safe. You are a critical partner in this effort.