GET LYRICAL WITH THESE ELECTRICAL SAFETY TIPS

Electricity — great for the lightbulb, not for the human body.

May might bring Alabamians spring flowers, but it also has a high probability of severe weather that can cause outages and downed power lines. It’s important to know how to stay safe during these events. Electrical accidents can cause burns, shocks and, without proper safety precautions, electrocution. In honor of Electrical Safety Month, we prepared a few tips you can sing about to help you stay safe this season.

Can’t touch this!

Downed power line safety tips

Overhead power lines can carry more than 500,000 volts! Touching a downed power line creates a path for electricity to reach the ground through your body, causing life-threatening injuries or death.

Always assume a downed power line is live and energized, and stay away. Energized power lines don’t always have sparks, hum, short circuit or appear to dance. If you encounter a downed power line:

Power up during storms

Here’s how to generate safely

Generators are meant to be a temporary power source to help you keep essential household appliances and systems running during a power outage. However, if used improperly, they pose certain hazards, such as carbon monoxide poisoning from toxic engine exhaust, electrocution and fire. Follow the directions supplied with the generator when setting it up and always keep these safety tips in mind if you are planning to use one at your home.

Don’t touch it with your hand or even an object, like a stick or broom.

Don’t touch anything or anyone who may be in contact with a downed power line.

Don’t let children or pets near a fallen electric line.

Don’t drive over a downed power line.

Call 911 immediately to report a fallen power line. Report any sagging or downed lines to your electric cooperative. Keep a distance from it of 100 feet or two semitrucks. Warn other people and try to keep them away.

If a power line falls on or near your vehicle, stay in your car! The ground around your car could be energized. Call 911 or roll down your windows, sound the horn and call for help while also telling others to stay away from your car. If a fire starts, keep your hands at your sides and jump clear of the vehicle without touching it. Keep both feet close together and bunny hop as far away from the vehicle as you can.

• Generators should always be operated in an open, outdoor space at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. Never run one inside your home, garage or any partially enclosed space, as the exhaust produces poisonous carbon monoxide.

• A generator connected directly to your household wiring without a transfer switch installed could cause backfeeding and pose an electrocution hazard for utility workers repairing power lines. Have an electrician install a transfer switch before plugging in a generator to your home circuits.

• Make sure your generator is fully grounded. Always use it with a ground fault circuit interrupter. Extension cords should be equipped with three-pronged plugs and rated for the intended load.

• Do not overload the generator. Using a power strip to connect multiple appliances to the generator poses a fire hazard.