Kids Energy and Safety Website Link
As a storm approaches:
- Stock up on nonperishable food, medicine, baby supplies and pet food.
- Purchase bottled water. The American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per person per day.
- Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, battery-operated radios, extension cords, and emergency generators, and buy extra batteries.
- Keep extra cash on hand, since an electrical power outage may prevent you from withdrawing money from automatic teller machines or banks.
- Turn your refrigerator to its coldest settings. If the power goes out, this will keep food fresh longer. If you leave the refrigerator closed, most food will stay frozen or fresh for up to 12 hours.
- Turn off and unplug and unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronics.
- Keep first aid kids and manuals handy.
- Have a non-electric can opener on-hand.
- Place your critical documents, such as birth certificates, insurance documents and special pictures in a safe box.
- When venturing outside, be on the lookout for downed power lines and stay away from them.
- Trim trees that are NOT near power lines and clear debris. Once a storm warning is announced, trash pickup is usually suspended.
- Fill your vehicle's gas tank.
- Bring loose, lightweight objects, such as lawn furniture, inside.
- If you plan to lower your TV antenna, do so well before storm winds arrive. Look around to identify power lines and stay clear.
- If you have a swimming pool, turn off all pumps and filters and wrap them in waterproof materials. Water from the storm may otherwise damage them.
After a storm:
- Safety is top priority. SBEC employees will work only when and where conditions are safe and secure to do so. Likewise, you should consider returning home only when you know it is safe, after authorities advise it, and drive only on roadways and bridges that have been declared passable.
- Stay away from downed power lines and areas of debris. Energized power lines may not be visible among the rubble. Report downed lines immediately to SBEC at (800) 364-3171 or call 911. If a power line falls on your vehicle while driving, continue to drive away from the line.
- Don't walk in flooded areas or standing water. Remember that wet tree limbs can conduct electricity.
- Be cautious when entering your home, and watch for snakes, insects and other animals that may have been drivers to higher ground by floodwater.
- If your home is wet inside, open doors and windows to dry it.
- Look for electrical system damage once power is restored. If you see sparks, broken or frayed wires, or if the smell of hot insulation is noticeable, turn off the electricity at either the main fuse box or circuit breaker. Call an electrician for advice when necessary. Don’t step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker.
- Stay alert for natural gas leaks. If you smell natural gas, or if you hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and leave the area immediately. Do not operate electrical switches. If possible, turn the outside main gas valve off and call the gas company from a neighbor’s house.
- Check for sewage and water line damage. Avoid using the toilets and call a plumber if you suspect they are damaged. If water pipes are damaged, avoid tap water and contact the water company immediately.
- Examine all foods in the refrigerator and dispose of anything that has spoiled.
- If you use portable electric generators, do so only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Never connect a generator directly to a building’s wiring without a licensed electrician disconnecting the house wiring from SBEC’s service. It can create a safety hazard for the customer or SBEC’s linemen working to restore power, and it may damage the generator or the house wiring.
- Stay tuned to your local radio station for emerging safety information.
- Take numerous pictures of any damage to your house or possessions for insurance claims.
- Help your neighbor and don't be afraid to ask for help. Tend to the injured, and 911 for help when it's needed.
Keep Track of Smoke Detectors
It's smart and safe to install a smoke detector on every floor of the house, especially near bedrooms. But it's not enough to hook it up and forget about it. Keep your smoke detector in good working order. Here's how:
Once a month, test each smoke detector in your home. If you have electric smoke detectors, make sure they have battery backups in case of a power outage, and keep the batteries fresh.
Twice a year, get the family together for a fire drill. Do it on the same days each year, like someone's birthday or anniversary, or on the first days of spring and fall.
Keep your smoke detectors clean. Use your vacuum cleaner's attachment hose to vacuum cobwebs and dust. A dusty detector is less sensitive to smoke.
Once a year, replace the batteries in every smoke detector. Also, replace the batteries if your smoke detector chirps. That's a warning that you've got a low battery.
And once every 10 years, buy new smoke detectors.
Kids and Electricity Don't Mix
Whether you have young children of your own or host little visitors from time to time, it's a good idea to childproof your home.
Take a safety tour of your house and move anything that's poisonous (bug spray, chemical cleaners), sharp (knives) or lethal (guns) out of harm's way. Store your medicine bottles in a safe place, pick the cat food bowl up off the floor, and take special care with anything that's electric. Curious little fingers and electricity can spell trouble. Here's are some childproofing tips:
- Store cookies and other goodies far away from your electric stove. Unsuspecting children might just walk on a hot burner to retrieve a sugary treat.
- Remove knobs from the stove or oven when you're not using it. They pull right off and are easy to replace when you need them.
- Buy a stove guard to prevent children from reaching up and touching hot burners or pulling down pots full of boiling food.
- Cook on back burners whenever possible; turn pot handles to the center of the stove.
- Keep children away from the stove or oven while cooking, and teach them not to touch.
- Lock the trash compactor.
- Unplug small appliances when you're not using them so a child can't turn them on.
- Load and unload the dishwasher when children are not around.
- Keep a fire extinguisher and baking soda handy.
- Install a night light in the bathroom. Buy one that has an enclosed bulb so a child can't remove it.
- Tell children about the dangers of mixing electricity and water.
- Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees.
- Lock the door to the laundry room; kids love to play hide-and-seek in washers and dryers.
- Unplug all power tools when they're not in use. Remove bits and blades before storing them.
- If you normally leave your iron and ironing board up, take them down when there are children around.
- Place wall-mounted garage door opener switches well out of reach.
- Store lawnmowers and snowblowers out of harm's way.
- Lock the doors on any unused refrigerators and freezers.
Is Your Wiring Safe?
Today's average home uses about six or seven times as much electricity as a home did a generation ago. If you have an older home your electrical system may not be up to the task of powering all the equipment we commonly use today.
In fact, some estimates indicate that nine out of 10 American homes are inadequately wired. And inadequate wiring causes one out of eight home fires.
How do you know if your home is properly wired? If you answer yes to three of the following questions, chances are that your electrical system needs upgrading.
- Is your home more than 10 years old?
- Do you have problems with circuit breakers tripping frequently?
- Are your lights dimming or electric motors running more slowly than they should?
- Is the picture on your television constantly shrinking or fading?
Rewiring a home can be an expensive proposition, but it's almost certainly cheaper than a fire. Have a licensed electrician review your electrical system and advise you of the measures needed to minimize the risk of an electrical fire. For more information, contact your electric co-op.
Watch Out for Overhead and Underground Lines
As you begin to spend more time outdoors during the warm weather, there's one thing you can't afford to overlook: the power lines that bring electricity to your home. Whether overhead or underground, these power lines present a danger to you and your family if not treated with respect. So remember:
- Don't trim or cut down trees that are growing near or underneath power lines. Have a qualified contractor take care of the job.
- When planting new trees, be careful about placing them beneath overhead lines. The tree might be small now, but in a few years it could grow into the line.
- Before you dig anywhere on your property, be sure you know where your underground utility services are -- not only electric lines but also gas, water and cable television, as well. Cutting into these service connections could cause serious injury as well as a lot of inconvenience.
- Be careful installing or removing television antennas or satellite dishes. Check your clearance overhead to the power lines. If you aren't sure that you're well clear of those lines, don't take any chances. Have a professional relocate, install or remove the device.
- Take the same caution when using tall ladders, pool skimmers or other long tools or equipment. A single careless motion could cause contact with the overhead line. If you can, use wooden instead of aluminum ladders, and always carry ladders horizontally when moving them.
- Supervise your children when they're flying kites and make sure they know to stay clear of power lines. Use only nonmetallic string on the kite, and if it should get entangled with a power line, drop the cord and call your cooperative for assistance.
- Never build a structure or pool beneath the lines that connect your home to power facilities.
- Keep yourself, your children and your pets away from substations and other utility equipment. If a toy rolls or bounces inside, call your cooperative. Don't try to retrieve it!
