Extreme Weather and How it Affects Electrical Safety

Good Monday Morning Team,

Last week we learned that May had been named National Electrical Safety Month by the Electrical Safety Foundation International, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also point out that May heralds the usual arrival of sometimes powerful thunderstorms that can produce high winds, lightning, hail, and tornados. We should all be paying close attention to the weather reports and taking precautions when warned. Cassie, in the HR Department, sent out an email on Wednesday that really covered the subject very well so I won’t go into that any further except to say please stay informed, stay alert, and be prepared.

I will talk a little about the weather as it relates to electrical safety though. High winds can knock down power lines and I think we all know that should we ever come across any that have fallen that we never approach them. Always assume those lines are live. If a line happens to fall across your vehicle, never try to get out, but remain in the car until the fire department or utility company arrives and then follow their instructions. For safety sake, you should always be prepared for the possibility that the power can go out and leave you in the dark. You should have flashlights or battery operated emergency lighting in your work spaces. I have been in some buildings where the power went out due to a nearby lightning strike and had it go darker than dark. Not being able to see your own hand in front of your face really doesn’t describe the darkness that descends when you are in the bowels of a building with no emergency lighting source. It probably goes without saying that tripping over something while in that kind of dark can lead to injury.

And speaking of lightning, this is like electricity on steroids. A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun or 50,000 degrees. It can turn the moisture inside a tree instantaneously into steam causing the tree to explode. A single bolt has enough energy to light a 100w light bulb for about 3 months straight. To stay safe from it we need to move indoors away from doors and windows. We shouldn’t be washing dishes or clothes, using a corded phone or our computers during thunderstorms. Lightning can travel through the wires and metal plumbing pipes in the structure itself. If caught outside during a lightning storm don’t stand under or near trees. Try not to be the tallest object around you, but find the lowest spot you can and crouch down while the threat passes. Get rid of all metallic devices you may have with you. Umbrellas, golf clubs, and aluminum bats all have been targets of lightning strikes. As mentioned before, moving indoors offers the most protection, though an enclosed hard-topped metal vehicle is better than nothing.

Another electrical threat that extreme weather can expose us to is flooding. Water and electricity never mix well. People have been killed or badly injured by wading through flood waters and stepping on a fallen power line. Also, be very cautious when faced with wading through standing water inside a structure. We had an incident at one of our downtown buildings a while back and while not related to extreme weather, still caused water in the basement to rise to a level that surrounded the building’s main electrical switch gear. According to the electrician hired to put the system back into use after the water was removed, the electrical system didn’t immediately short out and go dead even when partially submerged. There was evidence that it remained energized and boiled the water around it for a short time, obviously a potentially deadly situation for anyone unwary enough to have waded into the room. And it really doesn’t take that much water to expose you to shock hazards. Rain, perspiration or high humidity that just dampens our skin makes us highly susceptible to shock should we be exposed to a live conductor.

Next week we’ll go into some of the PPE needed to help protect us from more routine electrical work, but I encourage you all to review your WOM Safety Manual as well as your Severe Weather action plan. Let’s all remain aware of the potential hazards we face and do all with-in our power to avoid becoming a victim of simply being unprepared.

Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Raymond Moore