Four County EMC's electrical system is comprised of transmission and distribution lines. The total line miles equal 5,854. Every inch of these lines is deadly. Our employees are trained for years before they can safely work on and operate these lines. At no time should anyone that has not had the proper training or the proper equipment attempt to work on or around these lines. If there is an emergency situation that needs attention that involves a line from an overhead pole or underground line contact Four County EMC. Do not attempt to move or relocate these lines for any reason.
Fact: Every year there are over 300 deaths and 1200 injuries related to electrical accidents.
Electricity is a powerful energy source. Electricity makes many things possible in our lives. There is no safer energy source than electricity, but please do not take your safety around electricity for granted.
Safety to the public, members and to its employees is top priority to the staff at Four County EMC. This is demonstrated by the dedication and commitment by all employees. Four County EMC participates in a national accreditation program every three years. The program is sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, it reviews maintenance records, training, facilities and construction procedures. By meeting or exceediing the national standards, Four County EMC is able to provide safer and more reliable electric service.
Inside Your Home
Extension Cords
Due to the increase of electrical appliances and electronic equipment, many homes today simply do not have enough outlets. This creates the need to use more and more extension cords.
Use Underwriters’ Laboratory (UL) approved cords. Do not overload cords and outlets and use current limiting power strips.
The use of extension cords should only be temporary. If the extension cord has become a permanent part of your home's wiring, you should consider having a qualified electrician install an outlet.
Outlets
Having trouble with a plug not fitting into an outlet tightly? This could be a safety hazard in need of repair. Loose or poor connections will cause over heating that may eventually cause a fire.
Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) on circuits that have outlets near sources of water such as the kitchen bathrooms and exterior outlets. This can be accomplished by installing a GFCI breaker or a properly located GFCI outlet.
Use outlet safety covers to prevent children from inserting objects into the outlet. Replace any cracked outlet covers.
Flickering Lights
Flickering lights, fuses blowing, and breakers tripping are all signs of some type of an electrical problem. If you experience these events often, you should have a qualified electrician perform an electrical system inspection. A professional may locate potential trouble spots and prevent a tragic incident such as a house fire.
Surge Protection
In the age of computers, circuit boards and other sensitive equipment, surge protection must be considered. Power surges may originate from within the home or from an outside source. These surges can possibly destroy delicate equipment.
Regular power strips do not provide surge protection. Surge suppressors, which look like power strips, offer protection that reacts instantly and can handle high voltage surges.
Four County Electric offers a surge protection system called PowerGuard. This system offers excellent protection and the investment is only a fraction of the cost to repair or replace home equipment.
Call you local Four County EMC office for more details.
Electrical Safety Outdoors
Call Before You Dig
Underground wire installations are becoming more common on today’s electrical systems. So don’t let your guard down just because the lines are not visible. When digging, you may cut or damage the wire. This may cause an outage or even worse you could receive an electrical shock causing injury or even death.
Don’t take a chance. Call the North Carolina One-Call Center 48 hours before you dig at (800) 632-4949. They will notify the utility that a locate has been requested.
Exercise Caution When Using Ladders
Some power line construction is overhead in residential areas. If need to use a ladder for outdoor work, please survey the area and be sure to look up. If your ladder comes in contact with power lines, it can have tragic results.
Inspect Tools Regularly
Prior to using any outdoor power tool, check the cord for nicks and exposed wiring, broken and/or damaged plugs. While using the tool be sure that the power cord is not in danger of being cut or damaged.
Meter Tampering
Tampering with electric lines and meters is illegal and extremely dangerous. Breaking a meter seal and or bypassing utility equipment could cause electrical shock and even death. Meter tampering and power diversion is considered a misdemeanor and is punishable with fines and even imprisonment.
If you witness someone tampering with their electric service, contact Four County Electric. If you need to disconnect your electric service for reasons such as to perform repairs or move a mobile home, call us first, we'll be glad to assist.
Work Safely Around Power Lines
Electricity is just as important in rural areas as in the more populated cities. Due to activities such as farming and rural economic development, more potential hazards are present. Every year on farms and construction sites serious accidents occur due to the lack of understanding about what hazards exist and how they can be avoided. Most of these ncidents could be avoided by practicing a few simple steps.
Make sure your family and employees know the locations of all overhead and underground power lines. They need to understand that when a person makes contact with a power line, a path to ground is created for current to flow and this current has the potential to cause serious injury and even death.
When using large eqauipment such as combines, cranes and irrigation equipment everyone should know the equipment height. To prevent accidental contact, always stay at least 10 feet from any power lines.
Always plan your work or the movement of any equipment. Most accidents occur when equipment is raised or repositioned. Use a spotter to watch and insure that clearances are maintained.
Keep your distance from equipment such as poles, padmount transformers and even guy wires. Hitting these items can be extremely hazardous.