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Electrical Safety
| At AltaLink, we take electricity safety seriously. We are proud of our world-class annual safety record and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of safety in our work and promoting awareness of electrical safety in the community. |
5 Ways to Stay Safe around Electricity 1. Be aware
Before you plan on doing any work near a power line, whether it’s on a farm or in the city, be aware of where all overhead and underground power lines are. Call Alberta One Call at 1-800-242-3447 to locate power lines before you begin your work.
2. Exercise caution
Look up and make sure to use extreme caution to not touch or approach power lines when performing activities that could be potentially dangerous such as using a ladder, pruning or cutting trees, operating farm and other equipment, carrying long tools or pipes, etc.
3. Proceed with care
Always look out for fallen or sagging wires, especially after storms, and stay clear of downed power lines.
4. Stay clear
Stay at least 10 metres from a downed power line or any other damaged line or tower. The voltage on the ground is the highest and it decreases with distance. If you feel a tingling sensation, immediately put your feet together and shuffle away from the damaged facility.
5. Stay in or hop out
If you are in a vehicle that is touching a downed or damaged power line or tower, stay in your vehicle if you can. If it is safe to remain in your vehicle, do so until help arrives. If it is unsafe due to imminent danger such as a fire, jump out of your vehicle with your feet together and without touching the vehicle or any other equipment. Shuffle away from the damaged facility. |
Power Outage Safety Power outages can occur for a number of reasons, including storms and power lines that have been hit by a piece of machinery, and fortunately in most situations power can be restored rather quickly. In extreme conditions, power outages can last for an indeterminate amount of time, and you should be prepared for it if it happens. When a power outage occurs:
1. Never go near or touch a downed power line or any other damaged electrical facility.
2. Determine if the power is out only at your home. If your neighbour’s power is on, check your circuit breaker panel. Turn all breakers off for 10 minutes before turning them back on. If your neighbour’s power is also off, phone FortisAlberta at 310-WIRE (9473) to report the outage.
3. Unplug electrical equipment. This will protect your electric devices from damage when the power is restored. Use surge protectors on sensitive electronic equipment.
4. Determine cause of outage. Phone FortisAlberta at the number above, or use a laptop running on battery power to check for an update on the status of the outage on FortisAlberta's website. |
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