At Natchez Trace Electric Power Association (NTEPA), your safety is our top priority. Follow these simple electrical safety tips to keep you and your family safe.
Power Line Safety
- Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume a downed power line is live and life-threatening. Stay in the area to alert others, and call either 911 or NTEPA at (662) 456-3037 to report the danger.
- Don’t touch anything that is touching a power line, such as a fence, tree limb, ladder, or vehicle.
- Do not play around power lines or climb trees near them. Never fly kites, drones or model planes near electrical wires.
- Stay away from substations and power lines, and keep children away.
- Call 811 before you dig to locate underground lines.
- Remember the 10-foot rule when climbing a ladder. Always maintain a 10-foot distance from power lines.
- Attaching or mounting any foreign object to any utility pole is a violation of the National Electrical Safety Code and Mississippi State Law. It is a safety hazard and can cause damage to the pole. Please avoid attaching anything to utility poles and remove anything you have already attached to one if you can do so safely.
Safety at Home
- Never put fingers or any objects in electrical outlets. Cover outlets to keep children safe.
- Keep electrical appliances away from water to prevent electrocution.
- Never use electrical appliances for anything other than what it is intended. Ovens are not heaters, space heaters are not clothes dryers, etc.
- Turn off appliances before unplugging them. Pull the plug – not the cord – when unplugging appliances.
- Never tamper with your electric meter. Not only is it unsafe, it’s illegal.
- Use extension cords only temporarily, and never use them for space heaters or air conditioners.
- Dispose of old or frayed extension cords.
- Never use water to put out an electrical fire. Use the appropriate fire extinguisher.
- Use light bulbs that are the proper wattage for the fixture. Improper-wattage bulbs can cause an electrical fire.
- Install ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets in bathrooms and kitchens. They monitor electric current and trip the circuit, cutting off electricity, if there is an imbalance of current.
- Contact a licensed electrician for electrical work in your home.