By Wayne Price

    It probably won’t come as much of a shock to most of you that safety is an important subject to all 34 member-systems of the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. May is Electrical Safety Month, and our member-systems will be sharing safety tips and reminders throughout the month to help raise awareness about the dangers of electricity.
    Safety, when it comes to electricity, is important to the public and to the local rural electric utility employees. Teaching everyone about electric safety is critical to preventing a deadly incident from happening.
    According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, thousands of people in the U.S. are critically injured and electrocuted as a result of electrical fires, accidents and electrocution in their own homes.
    We care deeply about the safety of our readers, and this month, we encourage you to plug into safety. We all depend on electricity to power our lives, but accidents can happen when electricity is improperly used.  
    To promote safety education in the local communities throughout the state, many public power districts and electric cooperatives sponsor safety demonstrations at schools, with youth groups, and with volunteer fire departments. We frequently provide electrical safety content in the Nebraska Magazine, and we encourage the public to contact their local electric utility if they see a downed power line or any other type of dangerous electrical situation. We strive to provide our communities with safe, reliable and affordable electricity and to serve as your trusted energy advisor, now and well into the future.
    Nebraska’s rural electric utilities are committed to a culture of safety that is integral to our daily operations. In fact, many of our member-systems are part of the Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP) that follows specific guidelines and protocols for electrical safety that are considered leading practices. Lineworkers are required to wear personal protective equipment at all times when on the job. This includes special fire-resistant clothing that will self-extinguish, limiting potential injuries from burns and sparks. Insulated and rubber gloves are worn in tandem to protect from electrical shock. Safety teams regularly discuss important safety issues pertaining to work within the building as well as out in the field.
    Be sure to visit your local electric utility’s website or Facebook page to find more information on how to keep your family safe around electricity. You can also visit www.esfi.org or www.SafeElectricity.org for more safety tips.