Safety, Safety, Safety

January’s storms of high winds, snow, freezing rain, ice and frigid temperatures imposed chaos throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Most troubling was the tragedy in Northeast Portland when three family members were electrocuted when they tried to save a baby from their car, which had a live, downed power line on it. A heroic 18-year-old woman somehow— unexplainably and thankfully—saved the 9-month-old baby.

The incident is a sober reminder these accidents occur more often than you think. In the United States, approximately 1,000 people die annually as a result of electrical injuries. Of these, nearly 400 are due to high-voltage contact.

Electricity plays an essential role in our lives, powering our homes and workplace devices, appliances and equipment critical to our comfort, enjoyment and daily tasks. When used correctly, electricity is a safe energy source. However, being unaware of your surroundings can result in electrical shock or death.

Electricity always seeks the path of least resistance to the ground, as the electrons move freely through conductors such as wire, metal pipes, poles, ladders and humans.

With winter transitioning into spring, efforts begin to prepare fields for planting and irrigation, and it is not uncommon for electrical accidents to occur. Workers are at risk as they move irrigation pipes stored under power lines. Before moving pipes, look up and live.

The same applies to construction workers and home improvement enthusiasts moving ladders, tools or other objects. Many of us have an overhead line that feeds from Central Electric Cooperative’s system to our homes. Stay clear of the lines and avoid extending ladders, tools or other objects into them.

Spring brings growth spurts to trees and other vegetation. Keep an eye out for trees and limbs nearing contact with the power lines, as they pose a safety hazard and threaten your service’s reliability. Call CEC, and we will arrange for a professional tree trimmer to do the work at no cost to you.

If you plant trees or shrubbery this spring, do not plant them under the power lines, where they may pose a risk in the future.

Lastly, treat all downed power lines as live wires. Never approach or move downed power lines. Always assume they are energized. If you are in your vehicle and a power line has fallen near or on your car, stay put and immediately call 911.

CEC is committed to keeping our employees and members safe. I encourage you to visit our website for more information and safety tips at www.cec.coop. If you have further questions, call a customer service representative at 541-548-2144.

President and CEO Brad Wilson