Louie the Lightning Bug Visits Richard Hardy Memorial School

Children don’t always know – or remember – what can be dangerous around electricity, so it’s up to the rest of us to watch out for their safety. Louie the Lightning Bug and Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative linemen, Dean Cartwright, Jerry Church and Blaine Stewart and communications specialist, Cathy Black made a visit to the kindergarten and first grade classes at Richard Hardy Memorial School to remind the students to always “Play it safe around electricity.”

The linemen showed the students the tools and equipment that they use when working around electricity and cautioned them that they should never touch a downed wire or try to climb a pole. They also gave them a demonstration of how the bucket truck works.

Mrs. Black shared a video featuring Louie the Lightning Bug that taught the children how electricity is made, how it gets to their homes and how to stay safe around it. She also read the story Aunt Sarah and the Amazing Power, and discussed staying safe during a lightning storm and around electricity in general.

Here are some important tips for keeping children safe around electricity.

• Make sure children never climb utility poles, towers or substation fences. Substations are not playgrounds. Walls and fences surround substations for good reason. Don't climb over or crawl under fences or gates. If a ball or toy goes over a fence and into a substation, call your local cooperative and they’ll have someone retrieve the item.
   
• Don’t allow children to play, climb or even touch green, pad-mounted transformers that are located in many neighborhoods.  

• Don’t allow children to play in trees close to power lines. If the tree is near a power line or has wires going through it, find another tree. Even if wires aren't touching the tree, they could touch after a person’s weight is added to a branch.
  
• Don’t allow children to play or swing on guy wires. They hold up the power poles.
  
• If there are downed lines in your neighborhood after severe weather, keep the children inside.
  
  Look for power lines before allowing children to fly kites, model planes and balloons. Never fly them around power lines. Fly kites, model planes or balloons in wide-open spaces like a field or beach.
  
• Cover open electric wall outlets with outlet covers or plastic outlet caps.
  
• Never stick anything, except a plug, into an electrical outlet.
  
• Remind children never to touch electric cords, appliances or switches when they are standing in water or have wet hands.
  
• During a lightning storm, keep children inside. Keep them out of the tub or shower and stay off the phone. Currents from lightning can enter through plumbing and phone lines.
  
  Remember, following a storm, debris can cover power lines that have fallen and even standing near lines that are down can be dangerous.

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