For the Home
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety at home and in the workplace. Visit the
ESFI website to learn how to protect your home and family from electrical hazards.
Safe Electricity is another great resource for tips and tools for keeping yourself safe around electricity.
Industrial/Business Tips
Your business depends on obeying rules and regulations to be profitable. Ignoring safety standards regarding power lines could mean your employees are injured or killed, and you might be held liable for not enforcing clearance rules. You could even be held liable for any damages to power lines, structures or electrical equipment. If you must work near power lines:
- Contact Washington Electric Cooperative prior to beginning any work.
- Do not start any work until you have met with a representative of the power company at the job site.
- Washington Electric may be able to help you prevent accidents and explain minimum approach distances. The co-op may be able to move or protect the power lines in some manner.
- Remember, power lines are NOT insulated!
If You Have an Incident:
- Call 911 or your emergency response number immediately if there is fire, property damage or personal injury.
- Contact the owner of the power lines immediately so the power can be disconnected.
- Do not approach or try to move the equipment if it is near or touching the power lines. You can be injured or killed just by coming close to energized equipment. Remember, you might not be able to tell whether a line is energized or not.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that you keep equipment at least 10 feet away from power lines. Please visit
OSHA's website or contact Washington Electric Cooperative for more information.
If your job requires digging, you must call the Ohio Utilities Protection Service at (800) 362-2764 at least 48 hours before digging near suspected power lines. Visit the
OUPS website for more information.
