When used with care electricity can be safe and improve lives. But it can cause death and injury if used improperly.
Here’s the How & Why
Electricity flows along paths called circuits. When you turn the light switch on, you are closing a circuit (that is, creating a path) from our electrical distribution system along power lines to your home’s wiring and then to your light bulb. When you turn off the light switch, you are opening that circuit, which then cuts off the electricity flow.
Some materials allow electricity to flow through and others block it. Materials that allow electric current to flow are called conductors. Aluminum, brass, copper, silver, gold, and water make good conductors of electricity. Materials that do not conduct electricity are insulators (also referred to as non-conductors). Glass, rubber, and plastic are good insulators. Appliance cords are insulated with non-conductive materials such as plastic or rubber. High voltage lines and equipment are constructed high overhead using the air space as insulation and underground lines are insulated and out of public reach or protected by some other means.
It’s never safe to approach a power line that is on the ground.
This is often called a “downed” power line. Our protection system is designed to de-energize a line when it falls to the ground, but sometimes conditions affect our system’s ability to know that a line has fallen and is on the ground. Approaching downed power lines can be fatal, never attempt to move a downed line regardless of the circumstance.
You don’t have to touch a power line to be electrocuted. Electricity is always searching for a path to the ground. If you make contact with a tree or other object in contact with the line, you can become that path.
If you see a downed power line, never approach the line and stay as far away as possible. Contact Lewis County PUD at (800) 652-6152 and call 911.
Power Outage Safety
- Stay away from power lines on the ground. Always assume downed lines are energized even if the lines are sagging or broken.
- Do not attempt to remove trees or limbs from lines.
- Do not sit in an idling car in the garage to get warm. Never use a camp stove or charcoal grill indoors to generate heat.
- Lower the thermostat to a minimum.
- Turn off all appliances that were on when the power went out.
- Leave an outside light on so repair crews will know when power is back on.
- Have a battery-operated radio or TV. In the case of large outages, Lewis County PUD notifies the media of the status of the outage.
- Have a cell phone or an inexpensive, basic phone available to make and receive calls during an outage. Many of the latest phone models do not work without power.
- Call Lewis County PUD at (360) 496-6100 to report a downed line or car accident with a Lewis County PUD pole.
- Never touch or go near a downed power line. Always assume power lines are energized.
- Don’t touch anything that may be touching a downed wire, such as a car.
If your car crashes into a utility pole, your vehicle may be charged with electricity. If this is the case and you step out of the car, you will become the electricity’s path to the ground and could be electrocuted.
Make sure you:
- Stay in the car, and tell others to do the same.
- Call 911 and mention the accident involves a utility pole.
- Do not leave your vehicle until a utility professional has told you it is safe to do so.
The only circumstance under which you should exit the vehicle is if it is on fire. If necessary:
- Jump clear of the vehicle with your feet together and without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time.
- Continue to shuffle with your feet together to safety. Doing this will ensure that you are only one point of contact and will not have different strengths of electric current running from one foot to another, which can be deadly.
If you come upon an accident involving power lines, do not approach the accident scene. If you see someone approaching, warn them to stay away.
Here's how we prepare for storms:
- Continually monitoring the weather.
- Notifying staff to be available to work.
- Annually performing reliability improvements, including right-of-way maintenance.
Here's what you can do before your power goes out:
- Charge cell phones.
- Have a plan for your pets and livestock.
- If your water supply is dependent on electricity, fill your bathtub and/or large containers with water.
- Ensure smoke alarm batteries have been changed recently. Also, consider how an outage will affect home security systems, garage doors, and sprinkler systems.
- Assemble an emergency storm kit containing:
- Flashlights and fresh batteries.
- Battery-powered radio or TV and extra batteries.
- Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day).
- Nonperishable foods.
- Blankets, bedding, or sleeping bags.
- First-aid kit and prescription medications.
- Hand-operated can opener.
- Special items for infants, the elderly, or family members with special needs.
- A variety of hand tools.
- Identification and copies of important family documents in a waterproof container.
- Cash (ATMs may be unavailable).
- View the Power Outage Map to see any active outages.
- If your outage does not show on the map, please call us at (844) 974-4331.
Lewis County PUD has its crews on call 24 hours a day and ready to be dispatched throughout our service territory. The following are a few reminders and safety tips for winter storms.
For Cold Weather:
- Do not sit in an idling car in the garage to get warm. Never use a camp stove or charcoal grill indoors to generate heat.
- Consider opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer room air to circulate around the plumbing.
- Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat in your home set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.
Power Outage Safety:
- Stay away from power lines on the ground. Always assume downed lines are energized even if the lines are sagging or broken. Call Lewis County PUD at (360) 496-6100 right away to report them.
- Do not attempt to remove trees or limbs from lines.
- In the case of large outages in rural/limited access areas where snow removal has not been consistent, members should be prepared for lengthy outages.
- When shoveling snow off the roof – look up and be sure there are no power lines above you.
- If you are able, keep your driveway plowed to help our crews have better access.
- Turn off all appliances that were on when the power went out.
- Leave an outside light on so repair crews will know when the power is back on.
- Have a battery-operated radio or TV. In the case of large outages, Lewis County PUD notifies the media of the status of the outage.
- Have a cell phone or an inexpensive, basic phone available to make and receive calls during an outage. Many phone models do not work without power.
- Generators can cause a serious safety problem if improperly installed and could cause injury to utility workers and the general public. All backup generator installations must have a transfer switch installed in accordance with the requirements of the National Electric Code. Call the Lewis County PUD office at (360) 496-6100 for more information.
For more tips on how to develop a family emergency plan and what to include in an emergency storm kit, visit the American Red Cross website.
If a power outage does occur, please call the Lewis County PUD outage line at (844) 974-4331. Our outage management system tracks calls based on caller ID. When calling in power outages Lewis County PUD members should call from the phone number Lewis County PUD has in its system to identify the location. If you aren’t sure which number we have in our system for you please call our office at (360) 496-6100.
Weather-related:
- High winds
- Lightning
- Ice or snow
Others:
- Farm equipment or vehicle contact with poles or wires
- Animals (squirrels, raccoons, birds, etc.)
- Trees and branches in contact with lines
- High power demand that causes overload
The following are some of the common questions (and answers) about power outages:
Does Lewis County PUD provide restoration estimates?
Generally, Lewis County PUD includes estimated times of restoration on our outage map, when they are available. During severe storms, it is very difficult to make accurate estimates.
How do you determine where to restore power first?
During a storm, crews work to restore power to the greatest number of members in the shortest time possible.
Why doesn’t Lewis County PUD put all the power lines underground?
Currently, more than half of our power lines have been built underground. Almost all new construction is also built underground. Underground lines can be three times the cost of overhead lines. After the wind and snowstorms of 2015, Lewis County PUD was awarded more than $10 million in special grant funding from FEMA to convert approximately 50 miles of our most problematic overhead lines to underground.
What is Lewis County PUD doing to keep trees from falling on lines?
To minimize the risk of trees contacting our overhead lines, Lewis County PUD has an aggressive vegetation management plan. We trim rights-of-way to provide for the minimum clearance distance of 30 feet or 15 feet on either side of the power line. We also ask members to call and report any trees they see close to our primary lines or dead trees that may fall on our lines. Lewis County PUD will remove trees threatening our lines at no cost to landowners. Lewis County PUD does not trim service lines (the line from Lewis County PUD’s transformer to your house). That is the homeowner’s responsibility. We will come out at no charge and drop the service line so the member can trim service line trees safely.
Should I help your crews by cutting trees that have fallen on power lines?
If a tree has fallen into power lines on your property, please stay away and contact us as soon as possible. Downed power lines are dangerous. Never touch them. For safety’s sake, always assume that a fallen power line is live, and follow these guidelines:
- Avoid touching the downed line with your hand or an object, such as a stick, broom, or pole.
- Avoid touching anything, such as a car, object, or equipment, or anyone who is in contact with a fallen power line.
- Avoid driving over a fallen power line.
- Trees and water conduct electricity. Do not spray water at a live power line. You can become electricity’s path to the ground if you are touching water that touches electricity resulting in injury or death.
Where can I get updates during outages?
We encourage members to sign up for outage alerts by text or email using your SmartHub account. Remember to keep your contact information (phone and email) updated so we can notify you in the event of planned power outages.
Additional Safety Topics
Know What's Below
Visit Call Before You Dig is a free service up to Lewis County PUD's meter that locates underground wires and lines in Lewis County PUD. Call the toll-free number, 811, at least 2 business days but no more than 10 business days before digging or excavating and have the following information ready: start date, phone number, type of work, job location, and special marking instructions.
After making this call the locations of underground wires and lines will be marked. This prevents digging equipment from hitting or cutting off power, water, phone, cable, or gas lines. Accidental contact with a line can result in serious injury and possibly death. Damages to these lines can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and could include fines and repair costs.
Please note: underground lines that extend beyond the meter or are on member-owned equipment may not be located unless you call for a private location.
Many electric, water, and natural gas customers throughout the country are being targeted by impostor utility scams each day. Scammers typically use phone, in-person, and online tactics to target customers. Raising awareness and educating customers about scams is Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) top priority. Visit the Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) website.
UUAS will continue to help spread awareness of the suspicious behaviors and the evolving tactics that scammers use to target customers. It is important that customers call their utilities directly to check on the status of their accounts if they are ever unsure about the authenticity of a caller or the identity of a service worker, or if they suspect any fraudulent activity.
We encourage all members to be aware of electrical equipment while hunting. Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy the great outdoors.
- Keep clear of electrical equipment.
- Do not shoot at or near power lines or insulators.
- Know where power lines and equipment are located when you hunt,
- Be vigilant in wooded areas where power lines may not be as visible.
- Never place deer stands on utility poles.
- Never place decoys on power lines or other utility equipment.
Keep Food Safe: When In Doubt, Throw It Out!
Unfortunately, power outages do occur from time to time. It’s important to know how to keep your food safe during an outage. Use these tips from USDA to help minimize food loss and reduce your risk of illness.
Before a power outage:
- Keep refrigerator at 40° or below.
- Freeze items like fresh meat and poultry that you won’t use immediately.
- Keep the freezer set to 0° or below.
- Group frozen foods to help items stay colder longer.
- If you anticipate an extended power outage, buy dry or block ice to keep the fridge and/or freezer cold.
During a power outage:
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed!
- If the doors stay closed during the length of the outage:
- A full freezer will hold its temperature for 48 hours.
- A refrigerator will keep food safe for 4 hours.
After a power outage:
- Check the temperature inside your refrigerator and/or freezer.
- If the temperatures are safe, the food should be safe to eat.
Foods that should be thrown out after an extended power outage:
- Meat, poultry or seafood products
- Milk, yogurt, and other dairy products
- Cooked or sliced produce
- Eggs and egg products
- Soft and shredded cheese
- Opened baby formula
- Dough and cooked pasta
For the safety of Lewis County PUD employees and the public, we track where backup generators are installed on our system and request all members who have installed generators call Lewis County PUD at (360) 496-6100.
Generators can cause serious safety problems if improperly installed and could cause injury to Lewis County PUD workers and the general public. All backup generator installations should have a transfer switch installed in accordance with the requirements of the National Electric Code. Transfer switch installations must be inspected by the State Electrical Inspector and we request that members provide Lewis County PUD with a copy of the State Electrical Permit for the transfer switch installation.
Contact us at (360) 496-6100 for more information.
Never leave a fire unattended and make sure you completely extinguish the fire when you're done. Drench the fire with water and stir the ashes unit cold.
When burning yard waste, follow local ordinances. Avoid burning in windy conditions, and keep a shovel, water, and fire retardant nearby to keep fires in check.
Play it safe when using fueled lanterns, heaters, and stoves. Lighting and heating devices should be cool before refueling. Keep flammable liquids and fuel away from appliances.
Never discard cigarettes, matches, and smoking materials from moving vehicles, or anywhere on park grounds. Completely extinguish cigarettes before disposing of them.
Source; National Geographic
Like any other source of electricity, solar panels can pose potential hazards. Keep these safety tips in mind when you're near solar panels.
- Stay at least 10 feet away from the installation.
- Never walk on solar panels.
- Never cut any wiring to the solar panels.
- Never touch broken or damaged solar panels.
Sometimes after a power outage, we receive questions and comments from members about their smoke alarms going off or chirping. Many smoke alarms are powered by AC (alternating current) and use a battery backup. When the power goes out some units chirp to inform you they are running out of batteries. If this happens the batteries should be changed right away.
Some other smoke alarm reminders:
- Test your alarms every month to be sure they're working properly.
- A good time to remember to change the batteries is when you change your clocks twice a year as daylight savings time begins and ends (if you hear the chirping low-battery signal, replace batteries immediately).
- Replace your alarms every 10 years; check the alarm for the manufacture date, and toss it if it’s at least 10 years old.
- Review the manufacturer’s documentation on your type of alarm.
To learn more about smoke alarms visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.
Overhead Hazards
Overhead power lines carrying over 600 volts are defined as high voltage and are usually not insulated. Lower voltage lines may be, but you still should not touch them.
- Any overhead wire is a potential hazard. Keep at least 10 feet away from high voltage overhead power lines and keep any tools or equipment away also.
- Use extreme caution when raising, lowering, or moving pipes, rods, ladders, equipment, or other metal materials near overhead power lines.
When guiding a crane load line, make sure it and the crane stay at least 10 feet away from live, high-voltage power lines. - Use extreme caution when painting or cleaning in an area where overhead power lines pass near a building. Do not touch service wires that enter a building.
- Do not work on trees or signs closer than 10 feet to live, high voltage overhead power lines unless you are trained for the job. If you must work close to such power lines, ask your supervisor to arrange with the power company to guard the lines, and disconnect or re-route them.
- Never climb power poles or install equipment on them.
- If you are outdoors during an electrical storm: stay away from large trees or poles, especially if they are the tallest in the area; and:
- If you are in a large flat area such as a field or lake, crouch down with your feet close together and get to shelter as soon as possible. Do not lie flat. Keep to low areas rather than on high points such as ridges of land.
Underground Hazards
In many areas, electrical equipment may be located underground.
- Use extreme caution when digging or trenching any area serviced by underground power lines. Many new housing developments as well as older commercial areas have high-voltage electrical cables running underground.
- Find out the location of underground power lines before digging deeper than 1.5 feet. Have the power company identify the location of underground power lines if there is any doubt. In Lewis County call 811.
- Stop digging immediately if you run into a yellow plastic warning ribbon or plank in an area you are digging. (Not all underground cables are marked, although many are.)
- Do not drive ground rods or other objects more than 1.5 feet into the ground within 10 feet of an underground cable. Do not plant trees over underground cables.
Equipment Hazards
Electrical equipment and appliances sometimes pose safety hazards.
- Check that portable power tools are double insulated or are plugged in with a three-prong plug. Never break off or bypass the third prong.
- Know where the circuit shut-off switch is for any electrical equipment you are using. Ask for proper instruction before using equipment you are not familiar with. Never turn on a machine or circuit if it has an "Out of Service" sign on it.
- Use a fused power bar with a three-prong plug to plug more than 1 piece of equipment into a single power outlet. Be sure the total power drawn is less than the circuit rating.
- Use only three-wire extension cords rated for exterior use in outdoor locations.
- Never run power cords or extension cords over or through water. Never touch an electrical tool if your hands or feet are in contact with water. Never use electrical equipment outdoors when it is raining.
- If a fuse or circuit breaker repeatedly blows, move the equipment to another circuit. If it continues to blow, ask to have a qualified electrician check the circuit.
- Roll and store extension cords properly to prevent damage. Discard any cords with frayed, cracked, or missing insulation. Keep extension cords away from areas where vehicles may pass over them.
- Disconnect tools before moving, adjusting, cleaning, or repairing them. Have them "locked out" with your personal lock if they cannot be disconnected from the main power supply.
- Only qualified electricians should work on electrical service equipment or wiring.
If an Accident Happens
If you are the first person on the scene of an electrical accident, use extreme caution. There may still be live electrical equipment in the area. Don't become the next victim. Before you do anything else, call for trained emergency help unless the danger is clearly over.
If there is any question that risk may continue, follow this procedure:
- Call for trained emergency help. Keep everyone well back until the power is off.
- If the victim is no longer in contact with the power source, help the victim move to a safe place. Offer first aid if necessary.
- If the victim is still in contact with a low-voltage power source (less than 600 volts), quickly look for the electrical power source and disconnect it at the source if possible.
- If this is not practical, you may be able to separate the victim from the power source using a dry non-conductive broom handle or other dry insulating material. Do not directly touch the victim unless he or she is separated from the power source. Although many materials are non-conductors at any voltages, they must be dry.
- If you cannot separate the person from the low-voltage power source, stay clear and make sure others stay clear too.
- If the accident involves high voltage wires (above 600 volts), the ground itself may be hazardous. Stay at least 30 feet away and keep others away until trained emergency help arrives.
- If there is a danger of fire, call the fire department. Then use a chemical or gas fire extinguisher if possible. Never use water.
- If you are in a vehicle or on a machine that is in contact with electricity, stay where you are. You are safer where you are. If you attempt to leave, you may become a path for the electricity to ground.
- If you must leave a vehicle or machine that is in contact with electricity because of fire or possible explosion, do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Jump clear of the vehicle. Land with your feet close together. Do not fall onto your hands. You may become a path for electricity to travel between different areas in the ground. Hop or shuffle to safety. Keeping your feet together, hop or shuffle at least 30 feet from the power source.
More information on electrical safety can be found on the Electrical Safety Foundation International website.
Swimmers
- Never swim near a boat or launching ramp.
- If you feel a tingling sensation while swimming, tell someone and swim back in the direction from which you came.
Boat Owners
- Have a certified marine electrician inspect your boat regularly
- Test GFCIs and ELCIs monthly.
- Use portable GFCIs or shore power cords that are UL - Marine Listed
Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International
Keep your electronic equipment safe.
A power surge is typically caused by lighting, changes in electrical loads, faulty wiring, or damaged power lines.
Install power strips with surge protection to protect sensitive equipment.
- Easy to use (just plug in)
- Protect electronics plugged into the device
- Must be replaced over time or after a major surge event
Remember: Not all power strips offer surge protection. Carefully read the packaging labels when purchasing.
5 Tips for Hiring an Electrician
A licensed electrician can help with a variety of home projects from lighting upgrades to full renovations. Keep the following tips in. mind if you're looking to hire an electrician.
- Hire a licensed, qualified electrician for the job. Look for a master electrician to manage the projects. Master electricians have the most experience and will often oversee the work of a journey-level electrician or apprentice.
- Make sure the electrician is insured. Seasoned electricians know the importance of protecting themselves in case of an accident.
- Read all the reviews: Hire an electrician that has several positive reviews - not just 1 or 2. Read reviews on different sites like Nextdoor, Yelp, and HomeAdvisor, and consider asking your neighbors for recommendations.
- Determine your budget. Get 2 quotes. Knowing your budget upfront helps move the process along. Prices can greatly vary, so get multiple quotes (at least 2).
- Talk timeline. Some electricians accidentally overlook projects. If your job is time sensitive, convey that early on and discuss a realistic timeline with the electrician.