Winter Electrical Safety Tips

When winter brings wind, rain, snow and ice, this stormy weather increases the chance of power outages, which could mean you’ll be faced with a dangerous situation. Here are some tips to help keep you and your family safe this winter.

Stay Away from Downed LinesStay Away from Downed Power Lines

A downed power line is one of the most dangerous things you can encounter. If faced with one, move away from it and call us immediately at (503) 397-1844. Always assume a power line is energized and could cause serious injury or death.

If You Hit a Power Pole While Driving

If you hit a power pole while driving and the power lines fall onto your car, stay there. You’re safe from shock unless you try to get out.

A car fire is the only exception to this rule. If you must exit the vehicle, jump free rather than stepping out so that you avoid touching the car and the ground at the same time. Because the ground in the area of the downed line may carry dangerous levels of voltage, quickly shuffle away using small steps, keeping your feet together and on the ground at all times.

Create a Home Emergency Kit

Emergencies happen. Whether you are faced with a storm, a natural disaster or an extended power outage, you and your family will be safer and more comfortable if you have a home emergency kit.

Use Standby Generators Safely

If you own a standby generator, don’t use it without a properly installed transfer switch. During an outage, electricity from your generator could back-feed power lines, causing an illegal and dangerous situation for our line crews who are working to repair the lines.

A transfer switch prevents this from occurring by preventing electricity from traveling into our system. Transfer switches also make using your generator much more convenient, allowing appliances to be operated much like when the power is turned on.

We have a manual transfer switch called the GenerLink available for lease.

Please contact our Energy Experts at (503) 366-9912 or by email if you have questions about generators or transfer switches.