Spring is officially here, and outdoor activities are picking up. Whether you are playing outdoors with your children or working on landscaping projects, keep a safe distance from power lines and other equipment your co-op uses to get electricity to your home. Satilla REMC encourages everyone to follow these guidelines as they prepare to work outdoors this year:
Always remember to:
• Look up and around you. Always be aware of the location of power lines, particularly when using long metal tools, like ladders, pool skimmers, and pruning poles. Lower your long equipment when moving it. Carry ladders and other long items horizontally.
• Be careful when working on or around your roof, installing rooftop antennas and satellite dishes, doing roof repair work or cleaning gutters. Never go up on the roof in bad weather.
• Be especially careful when working near power lines attached to your house.
• Never trim trees near power lines – leave that to the professionals. Never use water or blower extensions to clean gutters near electric lines. Contact a professional maintenance contractor.
• Never climb trees near power lines. Even if the power lines aren’t touching the tree, they could touch when more weight is added to the branch.
• If your projects include digging, like building a deck or planting a tree, call your local underground utility locator before you begin. Never assume the location or depth of underground utility lines. This service is free, prevents the inconvenience of having utilities interrupted, and can help you avoid serious injury.
Source: safeelectricity.org