Electricity provides necessities and luxuries that certainly add to the quality of our lives. However, carelessness with electricity can unfortunately result in burns, injuries and even death.

Similar to lightning, electricity is always striving to find a path to the ground. Should any part of your body come in contact directly or indirectly with an energized object, you have provided that pathway to the ground and, therefore, are in immediate danger.

CEC is very serious about safety and encourages you to remember the following safety rules, learn to be observant and report any unsafe conditions to us immediately.

• Consider any electrical line dangerous. Keep all objects (examples: kites, ladders and antennas) away from power lines.
• Do not attempt to raise or move electric lines.
• Before digging where there may be underground power lines, contact New Mexico One Call at 1-800-321-2537 or Arizona Bluestake at 1-800-782-5348. We will locate and mark the path of any underground lines.
• Report to CEC any potential power line hazards, including trees growing into the lines.
• Always stay away from any electric line down on the ground. Call CEC or the trouble call number immediately.
• Never touch a person or object that is in contact with a power line.
• Be careful when using generators. Under certain circumstances, if plugged into an electrical outlet in your home during an electrical power outage, a generator can re-energize the lines, making hazardous working conditions for linemen working to locate the outage problem. Proper switching equipment can eliminate this hazard.

Please check with us for further information on these or any other questions you may have concertning electrical safety.

CEC sponsors an annual safety coloring contest and a Safe Haven Program for children in which children involved in crime or accident can get help fast. Call us for further details, and if you or your organization would like us to demonstrate electrical safety or give a presentation to your group, we encourage you to contact us - we would love to do it!