Lifetime of Safety - July 2009

Lifetime of Safety

Talk to Your Kids about Electrical Safety

Keep your kids safe this summer with Oncor's electrical safety tips

No more teachers, no more books. For the next few months, children will be playing outside in neighborhoods across the state. With electrical equipment all around, children need to know the importance of safety and proper actions around any electrical equipment they might encounter while playing.

While many of these tips may seem like common sense, children may not understand proper electrical safety unless it is explained to them. Make sure your children know:

  • Electricity is an important part of everyday lives. It powers lights, makes the oven hot to cook food, provides life-saving electricity to hospitals and more. However, electricity can be very dangerous, if not handled properly. Touching electrical equipment could seriously hurt or even kill you.
  • Never climb utility poles or play on fences around substations or any area where a "Danger" or "Keep Out" sign is posted.
  • Many homes have padmount transformers nearby. These typically look like green, metal boxes. Do not play on, in or near these. If you see one of these open or unlocked, notify an adult and ask them to call Oncor.
  • Don't climb a tree that has power lines running through or near it.
  • Keep kites and toys away from power lines and electrical equipment. If your toy accidentally gets into a power line, substation or other electrical area, tell an adult and ask them to contact Oncor. Under no circumstance should the toy be retrieved by anyone other than a trained Oncor employee.
  • Do not touch anything electrical, such as light switches, hair dryers, curling irons, mixers or toasters, while you are wet or standing in or near water.
  • Don't swim during a lightning storm. Lightning is attracted to water.
  • Do not touch electrical cords that are broken or have wire showing and do not use toys or other electric appliances with a damaged cord. Plugging it in could start a fire.
  • Do not stick fingers or any other objects into light sockets, appliances or electrical outlets.
  • If you ever find a power line that has fallen, STAY AWAY FROM IT and report it immediately to an adult. The adult should then call 9-1-1.

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