DON’T LET POWER OUTAGES BALLOON DURING GRADUATION

Advice From Keys Energy Services

Annual graduation festivities are a popular time for Mylar/metallic balloon sales. Not surprisingly, it is also a time of year utilities across the country experience numerous balloon-related power outages.

Keys Energy Services (KEYS) reminds its customers that Mylar/ metallic balloons that are allowed to drift away can land on power lines and in electrical substations, potentially resulting in power outages. Since 2010 KEYS’ customers have experienced over 58 power outages directly caused by balloons or kites.

KEYS recommends these safety tips for handling Mylar/metallic balloons:

• Keep Mylar/metallic balloons indoors and never release them outside.

• Secure helium-filled balloons with a weight heavy enough to prevent them from drifting away.

• Never tie a balloon to a child’s wrist. If the balloon comes in contact with electricity, the electricity could flow through the balloon to the child, which could cause serious injury or death.

• Never attach metallic streamers/string to a balloon.

• When the celebration is over, puncture the balloon in several places and dispose of it to keep it safely away from power lines and electrical equipment. Partiallyinflated balloons can easily become airborne.

• Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon, or any object, tangled in power lines. Instead call KEYS at 305-295-1010 to report the problem.

“Our job is to keep the lights on, and we’ll do a better job of that if we can keep Mylar/metallic balloons from contacting our lines,” said Lynne Tejeda, KEYS’ general manager & CEO. “We ask that our customers show good judgment and never release a Mylar/metallic balloon outside,” she added.

In addition, balloons released in the air over an island are likely to fall into the ocean and pose a threat to marine life.