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Safety Tips
You'll find electric power both inside your home and out. Keep these few precautions in mind: they'll help your electrical power work for you in the safest ways possible.
Electrical safety indoors
- When buying electrical equipment or appliances, always look for the Underwriters Laboratories' seal of approval—and make sure it applies to the entire appliance, not just the plug or cord.
- Check all extension and appliance cords frequently to be sure they are not worn or frayed. If they are, replace them immediately. Don't patch a broken cord.
- Do not run electrical cords through doorways or under carpets. Do not drape electrical cords over radiators, pipes, or other metal objects.
- Make sure tools and appliances are properly grounded. To use a three-prong plug in a two-wire receptacle, you must have an adapter.
- Water conducts electricity. Do not touch an electrical switch while your hands are damp. Never handle an electrical cord or appliance while you are in water.
- Improper handling of electrical appliances can cause fire. Don't let wires overheat. Disconnect if there are any sparks.
- To prevent overheating, make sure the cord is large enough to carry the electricity necessary to operate the tool or appliance. Heavy-duty extension cords should be used with portable tools and other heavy-duty appliances—never use ordinary lamp cords.
- If you have young children, install plastic protective caps over your electrical outlets.
- Protect your computer and highly sensitive electronic equipment by installing protection devices. These range from low-cost voltage regulators to uninterruptible power supplies.
Electrical safety outdoors
- When working outside, avoid contact with overhead power lines or exposed wires. Be careful when installing antennas. Improperly installed antennas can topple and cause power outages, injuries, and even death.
- Never touch, kick, pull, or attempt to pick up a fallen wire. Even a telephone wire could be deadly if tangled with a power line some distance away. Notify us immediately and keep other people away from the downed line until service personnel arrive.
- Never touch a fallen power line. If you see a fallen power line, call us immediately.
- Exterior outlets should be GFI outlets rated for outdoor use. Extension cords used outside also should be rated for outdoor use.
- Water conducts electricity. Never operate electric appliances such as power tools or electric grills outside when the ground is wet. Keep all electrical cords and devices well away from pools and other permanent bodies of water.
- Before digging anywhere on your property, be sure to contact Broad River Electric so we can mark the location of underground power lines.
- Never obstruct the path from your street to any transformer on your property.
- Never tamper with your electric meter. Doing so is not only against the law—it's extremely dangerous.
- Never fire a gun at a security light, power line, insulator, or transformer.
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