In June, Neon Leon, Lightning Liz and the CWEMC crew visited summer programs around the service area educating children about electrical safety at the Washington County Public Library, McIntosh Public Library and Wilson Hall Middle School in Grove Hill.

The children learned how electricity creates a better quality of life for everyone and that if not used properly, electricity can be dangerous. The Safety City demonstration board is particularly effective at teaching school-aged children the importance of staying away from power lines and substations in a visual and memorable way. Safety city visually demonstrated the dangers of overhead power lines and what could happen if one should come in contact with electricity.

Canaan Hare, Justin Corley, Jermarka Williams, Drew Odom and Sarah Turner from Clarke-Washington EMC showed the children electrical safety equipment that linemen wear such as safety gloves and hard hats and explained that is why they can work on power lines safely. Children had the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as throwing in a fuse, using a crimp gun to install connectors and splices, and using a shotgun stick to remove and install clamps all while wearing safety gear.
Clarke-Washington EMC makes learning fun, especially when it comes to important issues like staying safe around electricity.
Some of the safety tips discussed were:

  • never climb a tree if there is a power line nearby
  • never climb a power pole
  • never go near a fallen power line
  • never fly kites near power lines
  • never touch anything that uses electricity while standing in water
  • keep ladders, antennas or any other tools away from power lines.

There is no better way to get an electrical safety message across than to show a group of children what happens when Neon Leon and Lightning Liz touch a live electric line.

If you are interested in scheduling a safety program, please visit cwemc.com/safetydemonstrations/ to fill out a safety demonstration request form. If you have any questions contact Sarah Turner at s.turner@cwemc.com or call 1.800.323.9081.