Published: June 15, 2009 10:51 pm         

Electric co-op sponsors safety demonstrations at schools, events

EnerStar Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Paris, Ill., is in the dangerous business of providing electricity. The co-op’s linemen are trained to work with high-voltage power lines every day, but they know the general public doesn’t always understand how dangerous electricity can be, even at the lower voltage that powers our homes and businesses. That’s why the local electric co-op has sponsored safety demonstrations at local schools and other events throughout the service territory.

EnerStar’s Manager of Member Services Angela Griffin says, “For the past eight years we’ve reached out to young fourth grade students in April, before the kick off of May’s National Electrical Safety Month campaign. We want to teach them at a young age so they’ll be safe this summer and throughout the rest of their lives. Safety education is part of our mission.”

EnerStar works with Kyle Finley and Scott McTaggert, former electric co-op journeymen linemen and owners of Live Line Demo, to put on powerful electrical safety demonstrations for the young students and other groups. The display uses actual poles, transformers and line hardware to “make the sparks fly” and get the attention of any age group.

“It’s a lesson they can’t sleep through and one we hope they never forget,” says Griffin.

Finley shows the students what happens when a kite hits a power line, or a why a Mylar balloon that escapes a birthday party can create a fireball when it hits electric lines. He uses props like a fake squirrel and hot dogs to show what can happen when something alive comes in contact with high-voltage lines.

Also helping out with the safety demonstrations is EnerStar member Delmar Bell, a Paris area farmer, who was injured in a power line accident more than 20 years ago. Bell lost both of his arms in the accident. “I want young children to learn from my mistake,” he says.

Griffin says the co-op is also a part of the Illinois-based Safe Electricity program, which provides electrical safety education programs and materials through 300 partners nationwide. She says, “Illinois’ electric co-ops, along with other utilities and the University of Illinois, started Safe Electricity and its Web site is a virtual library of safety education resources for children and teachers. By going to www.SafeElectricity.org you can find excellent tools to teach safety programs at after-school and summer day camp programs.”

Safe Electricity also sponsors video ads and programs detailing the gripping real stories of those who have personal knowledge of the importance of understanding electrical safety.

“One of those stories is from the parents of Caitlyn MacKenzie, a 12-year-old girl who was killed when she simply turned out a light near her family’s pool,” says Griffin. “A simple ground fault circuit interrupter installed at the pool could have saved the life of this beautiful young lady. As a parent that story hits home, and it’s why I’m so glad we support the Safe Electricity Teach Learn Care TLC Campaign.”

Griffin says in addition to installing ground fault circuit interrupters, owners of older homes can upgrade their electric system with new fire prevention technology such as arc fault circuit interrupters. These advanced electronic circuit breakers detect dangerous conditions in a home’s wiring and cut off power before a fire develops.

Additionally, those with young children can install new tamper-resistant receptacles. These devices look like normal electrical outlets, although they have a built-in shutter system that prevents children from inserting foreign objects into the slots. Use of tamper-resistant receptacles would prevent most of the 2,400 burns suffered by children each year from outlets.