SAFETY TIPS

  • Outside Safety
    • Be careful if you're installing an antenna; get someone to help you. Touching or even going near a hydro wire with a ladder or antenna could cause serious injury or death. Antennas should be installed well away from power lines; the distance should equal at least the height of the antenna plus 3 metres.
    • When planting trees or shrubs that will grow tall, make sure they won't grow up into power lines.
    • Do not attempt to prune or chop down a tree near power lines yourself. Please Call Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. for free assistance at 745-4771.
    • When sailing, always look up to make sure there are no power lines in your path. Contact between them and your mast could be fatal.
    • When installing a swimming pool, look up! If electrical wires are located within 3m of the edge of the pool (measured horizontally), there must be 4.5m of vertical clearance between the wires and the highest point of the pool area. This includes diving boards, slides and decks. Also get a free Underground Cable Locate, There must be 1.5m to 4.0m clearance to the edge of your inground pool (measure horizontally).
    • Remember, many power lines are underground. To cut through one is extremely dangerous and could even black out an entire area or cause a fatality. If you're gardening, landscaping, fencing or doing major excavations, let us know before you dig. (To request a free Underground Cable Locate, click here).
    • If you spot a fallen wire, keep at least 10m away, even if it doesn't appear to be live. Report it to the police and Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. at 745-4771.
    • If a wire falls across your car while you're in it, don't get out. Do use a cell phone to call 911. Wait for a Hydro crew to come and safely remove it. Remember, both the car and the ground around it may be electrified.
  • Day-to-Day Safety
    • If your electrical panel uses fuses, always replace a fuse with the right amperage fuse. Never substitute a higher amp fuse where a smaller one is called for, since this poses a fire hazard.
    • Never change fuses in complete darkness or while standing on a wet floor. It is live behind the fuse.
    • If you blow a fuse or trip a breaker by overloading a circuit, make sure that any appliances on that circuit are turned off or unplugged before you replace the fuse or reset the breaker.
    • When your home or cottage was built, the electrical installation was inspected to ensure that it met the Electrical Safety Code at the time. Keep your wiring safe. If you add to it, be sure to have an electrical inspection.
    • Check for rust on your fuse box caused by moisture. It can corrode connections, which can lead to overheating and fire.
    • Never replace a burnt out fuse with a coin, even as a temporary measure. Doing so could start a fire.
    • Use 'P' fuses for general lighting circuits and circuits to appliances like water heaters, baseboard or portable heaters and stoves.
    • 'D' fuses have a built-in delay feature to handle power surges, which occur when heavy use appliances are turned on. They should be used for freezers, air conditioners, clothes dryers and electric furnaces.
    • It's important to use cords properly and keep them well maintained. Electrical cords are insulated to protect you from the electricity running through the wires inside. These wires are "live" when ever the cord is plugged in and could cause shock upon contact.
    • Never use a tool or appliance with a frayed cord or where the insulation is nicked and wires are exposed.
    • Keep cords clean to prevent insulation from deteriorating.
    • Don't wind cords tightly around an object; the stress could cause the small wires inside to snap or break.
    • Never run cords under rugs. It conceals damage and can cause the cord to overheat and become a fire hazard.
    • Check plugs for bent or damaged prongs. Never break off the third prong of a plug. The third prong (the round one) is a grounding wire put there for your protection; it provides a ground path that helps prevent or minimize shocks. Rather than breaking it off to fit an older outlet, replace a two-prong outlet with a three-prong one and make sure the third prong is properly grounded, or buy a small adapter.
    • Never nail cords to walls or floors. It punctures the insulation and can short out the wires.
    • Don't run cords behind radiators. Heat damage to the insulation can increase the risk of shock.
    • Avoid "octopus outlets"! Clusters of wires and plugs may mean your electrical system can't cope with your energy needs. It may be time to rewire and add circuits.
    • Be careful in the bathroom and near sinks; radios, hairdryers and other electrical appliances are hazardous if you use them near water. If your hands are wet or if you're standing on a damp floor, you could get a serious or fatal electrical shock
    • Any outlets that are near sources of water should be GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets.
    • Not all appliances on the market are safe. Electrical equipment that is poorly designed or manufactured can pose a serious shock or fire hazard. Look for a label such as Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC). They indicate that the product has been tested and meets the requirements of the Ontario Electrical Safety Standards.
    • Keep appliances in good working order. Check cords for damage, fraying or nicks. Never use a tool or appliance with a frayed cord or where the insulation is nicked and wires are exposed.
    • Never handle electrical appliances or equipment with wet hands or while standing on wet ground or in water.
    • Watch out for sparks - they're a signal of potential danger. If you see any sparks, carefully turn off and unplug your appliance immediately, or turn off the power before unplugging.
    • Keep appliances clean. Clean the removable lint filter on your clothes dryer after each load. Dirt, dust or lint can make appliances unsafe to use; lint and dust are flammable.
    • Always disconnect a small appliance before cleaning it
    • If you bring used or second-hand appliances to your cottage, make sure they are still electrically safe (see above for what to look for).