Safety Tips

Safety is important for all ages. Click here to visit our special Kids Korner pages filled with safety and educational related games and interactivity.

We also encourage you to sign up for our free electric safety demonstration for your group. Each year, nearly 2,000 youth and adults throughout west central Ohio see our powerful display. Energized at 12,000 volts, this program packs a powerful and unforgettable lesson. Click here to sign up for a demonstration for your group.

• Remember: Power lines have NO insulation. Treat all power lines with respect.
• Don’t climb trees or build tree forts near power lines. You could be killed by touching a power line, or even by touching a tree branch that’s touching a power line.
• At the first sign of severe weather, get indoors. Don’t seek shelter under a tree - lightning strikes trees.
• Don’t fly kites near power lines. Kite string can conduct electricity!
• Look up, before using poles, ladders, antennas and other long equipment. Make sure there are no overhead lines present.
• Call Ohio Utilities Protection Service before you dig, at
  1-800-362-2764.
• Don’t nail signs to our power poles. That can damage or puncture our linemen’s protective equipment such as rubber gloves.
• Unplug outdoor tools and appliances when not in use.
• Inspect power tools and appliances for frayed cords, broken plugs and cracked or broken housing and repair or replace damaged items.
• Avoid damp conditions — including puddles and wet grass — when using electricity.
• Make sure you have ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets (GFCI) installed in bathrooms, kitchens and outdoors - anywhere near water. And test them monthly by pressing the "test" button.
• Never remove the third prong from a three-prong plug. The third prong provides a path to ground for electricity that is straying or leaking from a product. This protects the equipment and can help prevent electric shock.

Our employees think about working safely with electricity all the time. We are concerned about your safety too. Check this list for safe practices:

• Electrical safety begins with proper wiring. Has your wiring been installed and checked by a qualified electrician?
• Does your home have at least a 100-amp service?
• If your home is heated electrically, does it have at least a 200-amp service?
• Do all appliances and electrical cords carry approval of the Underwriters' Laboratory (UL) or other authorized laboratory?
• Are all plugs on electrical appliance cords the three-prong type and grounded?
• Do you have a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) in the bathroom, kitchen and where water can come in contact with electricity?
• Check cords for wear, especially at plug and connections. Replace cords that have exposed wire!
• Do you keep cords away from heat and water?
• Do you ever disconnect an appliance by pulling the cord? Always pull the plug.
• Are all convenience outlets grounded?
• Are electrical outlets for outdoor use weatherproofed?
• Are moisture-resistant appliance cords used outdoors?
• Does every major electrical appliance have its own circuit?
• Do you ever handle or use appliances if you are wet or are standing on a wet surface, like in the bathroom or kitchen? Please do not!
• Do power tools have heavy duty, grounded cords?
• Are all antennas grounded?

Here are more tips:

• Never fly a kite near power lines.
• Before climbing a tree, look up to make sure that the tree and its branches are not near a power line.
• Never attempt to touch a fallen power line with any object. Always assume it's energized.
• If a power line falls on your car and your car is unable to move, stay in the car until help arrives. Stepping from the car to the ground will create a path for electricity - through you! If you must get out of the car, do not step out.....jump.
• Be alert when using ladders, antennas and other long objects. Make sure they don't come in contact with overhead power lines.
• Call Ohio Utilities Protection Service before digging, at 1-800-362-2764.

Holiday Safety Tips

Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees, according to the National Electrical Safety Foundation. Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 30 injuries and an average of more than $10 million in property loss and damage.

Midwest Electric offers these electrical safety tips to help make your family’s holiday a safer one:

Trees:

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." It indicates the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it at least three feet away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways with the tree.

Lights:

• Use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.
• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.
• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for the intended use.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
• When putting up lights and decorations outdoors, be aware of and stay away from overhead power lines.
• Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).
• Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
• Use caution when removing outdoor holiday lights. Never pull or tug on lights —they could unravel and inadvertently wrap around power lines.
• Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.

Fact or Fable: Amperage Is More Lethal than Voltage in Electric Shock

This is a Fact. The severity of injury from electrical shock depends on the amount of electrical current and the length of time the current passes through the body. For example, 1/10 of an ampere (amp) of electricity going through the body for only 2 seconds is enough to cause death. The amount of internal current a person can withstand and still be able to control the muscles of the arm and hand can be less than 10 milliamperes (milliamps or mA or 1/1,000 amps). Currents above 10 mA can paralyze or "freeze" muscles. When this "freezing" happens, a person is no longer able to release a tool, wire, or other object. To put that amount of current flow into perspective, 15,000 milliamps (15 amps) is the lowest overcurrent at which a typical fuse or circuit breaker opens a circuit!

Usually, it takes about 30 mA of current to cause respiratory paralysis. Currents greater than 75 mA cause ventricular fibrillation (very rapid, ineffective heartbeat). Once started, this condition will cause death within a few minutes unless a special device called a defibrillator is used to save the victim. Heart paralysis occurs at four amps for even an instant of time, which means the heart does not pump at all. Tissue is burned with currents greater than five amps.

The path of the electrical current through the body affects the severity of the shock. Currents through the heart or nervous system are most dangerous. Only qualified personnel, such as trained electricians, should work on electrical circuits; and it is a good practice for them to hold one hand behind their back when the other hand is anywhere near an open electrical circuit. You do not want to create a current flow path that goes from one hand to the other across your heart.

Voltage level does come into play, but only with respect to current flow. People have stopped breathing when shocked with currents from voltages as low as 49 volts. Compare this to the tiniest "static electricity" spark at about 1,000 volts. Longer "car door sparks" and "doorknob sparks" can involve as much as 10,000 to 25,000 volts. While the spark will inflict some momentary pain, there is virtually no amperage flow and the shock is relatively harmless. However, electric circuits powered by your utility have the potential for large current flow. Higher voltage utility circuits, therefore, have increasing levels of lethal potential. A 480-volt circuit is more dangerous than a 120-volt circuit.

OTHER

Outlets: Avoid overloading with too many appliances. Wall plates that are found broken on the outlet should be replaced as soon as possible. If young children are present, make sure to have safety covers on all of the unused outlets that are accessible to them.

Plugs: Check for loose-fitting plugs that can overheat and lead to fire. You should never remove the ground pin in order to make a three-prong plug fit a two-conductor outlet, as it could lead to electrical shock. All plugs should fit securely into an outlet; a plug should never be forced into an outlet if it does not fit.

Cords: Make sure that cords are in good condition and are not frayed or cracked. They should never be nailed or stapled to the wall, baseboard, or any other object. Furniture should not rest on cords. Cords should not be placed in high-traffic areas of the house. Extension cords are to be used temporarily; they should not be considered permanent household wiring. Both cords and extension cords should not be overloaded.

Light Bulbs: Check the wattage of all bulbs in lighting fixtures to make sure they are the correct wattage for the size of the fixture. Bulbs that have a higher wattage than necessary should be replaced. If you are not sure of the correct wattage, make sure to check with the manufacturer. When inspecting light bulbs, make sure they are screwed in securely - as loose bulbs may overheat.

Appliances: If one appliance repeatedly blows a fuse, trips a circuit breaker, or if it has given you a shock, unplug it and make sure to have it repaired or replaced. In addition, appliances should not be used near water.

Computer / Entertainment Equipment: Check to see that the equipment is in good condition and working properly. Make sure to look for cracks or any damage in the wiring, plugs, and connectors.

It is also important to realize that electrical injuries do not always occur from things that are directly visible. Unsafe wiring in the walls of the home can also lead to electrical shocks, fire, and other hazards. When having additions, renovations, or upgrades done to your house that involve electrical work, it is vital to have a qualified electrician do the work. The electrician should obtain a working permit that ensures a qualified inspector checks the electrical work, making sure it complies with the proper codes.