Kids and Electricity: Safety First

Most families have a fire plan, a tornado plan, and even a “what to do when you’re locked out of the house plan.” What many families don’t have is a practiced electrical safety plan. You may have told your children a million times not to put their fingers in wall sockets, but have you told them a million times not to fly a kite under power lines?

Here are five key safety tips that your children should not only know, but memorize, when it comes to electricity:

1. Look Up!

Kids love to climb trees, but trees under power lines may be too dangerous to climb. Teach your kids to always look up before climbing trees. If power lines are running through or near the branches, it is not a safe to climb that tree.

2. Don’t Fly!

Teach children to never fly kites or carry helium balloons on long strings under or near power lines. Electricity is always looking for a route to the ground; kites and balloons make the perfect conduits.

3. Look Down!

In some neighborhoods, power lines are buried in the ground. It can be difficult to tell where these lines are located. Teach your children not to dig in the ground in any areas you have not told them are safe.

4. Look Ahead!

Transformers are often large, green, metal boxes sitting on the ground. Teach your children that these are not mountains to be climbed or treasures to explore. Tell your children that if they notice one of these boxes open, they should alert an adult immediately.

5. Look Out!

When lightning strikes, it’s time to head inside. Children should know to go indoors when storms are approaching, but especially when thunder sounds and lightning strikes.

Don’t tell your children these things just once! Make sure that an electrical safety plan is part of your overall emergency preparedness plan. When your children know what to do and not to do around electricity, accidents are less likely to occur.