Periodical postage (ISSN 1052 2433)
News for members of Twin County Electric Power Association
4 Smith Countian’s dream of log cabin living
14 Southern dishes
get Mexican makeover
18 Find something fun to do in Mississippi Events
10 I Today in Mississippi I May 2018
For after-hours outages, call
866-897-7250
Electrical
Safety is no accident By Debbie Stringer You can’t see electricity and you can’t tell if a power line is energized or not—even when it’s lying on the ground. That’s why electrical safety awareness is so important, according to Richard Stallworth, safety coordinator for Twin County Electric Power Association. “The public needs to assume that all power lines are energized at all times. And you don’t need to touch anything the power line is touching,” he stressed. Even a downed power line can still have enough amperage to stop a human heart. “It really doesn’t take much electricity whatsoever to put you in harm’s way,” Stallworth said. May is National Electrical Safety Month, but electrical safety is a yearround priority at Twin County. The cooperative devotes immense effort to ensuring its lineworkers stay safe on the job. Equally important is helping Twin County members understand the danger of carelessness around overhead and
underground electric utility equipment. Electrical safety is truly a matter of life and death. Stallworth offers these safety guidelines for all Twin County members: • If you come across a downed power line or damaged utility pole, report it immediately to local authorities and then Twin County. The cooperative will dispatch personnel to the site at any time of day or night, 365 days a year. • In the case of an emergency situation—say, if the line falls onto your vehicle or property—call 911 before calling Twin County. Remain inside the vehicle or indoors until a line crew can remove the hazard. “Just stay put,” Stallworth warned. • Never walk near or underneath a damaged power line or utility pole. • Never try to remove a tree, limbs or anything tangled in a power line. • Avoid planting trees beneath or too close to power lines. Trees growing into power lines cause outages and become safety hazards.
As Twin County’s safety coordinator, Richard Stallworth ensures the cooperative’s compliance with electrical safety regulations and practices, and helps promote electrical safety for the benefit of Twin County members.
May 2018
“The public needs to assume that all power lines are energized at all times. And you don’t need to touch anything the power line is touching.” – Richard Stallworth • Look up to locate overhead power lines before starting any outdoor work. Keep ladders and other tall equipment well away from the lines. “Be aware of your surroundings before you start—everything up, down and sideways of the work about to begin,” Stallworth said. Special consideration should be given to underground power lines, and all other underground utilities. Phone, cable, power and natural gas lines can be damaged by careless digging, causing service outages and possibly serious injury. “Digging is a big concern for Twin County and for all underground utilities. People dig without thinking what’s below the ground,
Tip of the Month
then they’ll hit something,” Stallworth said. A call to 811 can prevent an accident by alerting utilities to mark the location of their lines on property where an excavation is planned. “Certainly any digging more than a foot deep should be done only after calling 811 so underground utilities can be marked before you begin work. This includes digging holes for trees and shrubs, and for sprinkler systems, fence posts, decks and patios,” Stallworth said. Avoid installing landscape plants within 3 feet of a pad-mounted transformer, or any type of utility equipment on top of the ground. Crews need adequate room to work with the equipment, Stallworth noted. “Anything that is done too close to our equipment puts our guys in danger and could shorten the life of the equipment itself,” Stallworth said. “Plus, they’re metal so they’re hot. The job they do generates heat, and with our summertime heat, you could get burned just by touching it.” Just stay away from all electric utility equipment and facilities, above or below ground, Stallworth urged.
Laundry Tip Rubber or wool dryer balls help separate clothing in the cycle, providing better airflow and a shorter drying time. Wool dryer balls can help absorb moisture, which also reduces drying time. Source: energy.gov
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Today in Mississippi
Before you pick up the shovel, pick up the phone. Your guide
to
Electrical Safety
Free Safety Guide! Download at BeAwareEverywhere.com
Call 811 to locate underground power lines. Electrical hazards aren’t always obvious. So be smart. Be safe. And call before you dig.
Twin County will be closed Monday, May 28, in observance of Memorial Day. Crews will be available throughout the holiday weekend to respond to service emergencies.
To report an outage:
866-897-7250
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