Texans should follow Oncor’s list when spring cleaning

DALLAS (Business Wire EON) May 5, 2008 -- Many Texans take advantage of May’s usually sunny days to do some spring cleaning. With May also being National Electrical Safety Month, Oncor has an electrical safety checklist everyone should follow.

Spring cleaning indoors:

• When vacuuming and sweeping, check for electrical cords crossing your path or running under rugs. Cords should be out of pathways to avoid tripping and should never be hidden under rugs or furniture where they could overheat and potentially start a fire. Inspect these cords for damage such as fraying or cracking, which is cause for replacement.
• Check outlets to ensure they aren’t overloaded. An outlet that makes popping noises, is hot to the touch or has sparks coming out of it should be checked by a certified electrician.
• When cleaning in the bathroom and kitchen, make sure electrical appliances are not placed where they’ll get wet. Electrical parts can become grounded when wet, posing an electric shock or overheating hazard.
• When dusting, check lamps and fixtures to ensure they have light bulbs with the correct wattage. Wattage should be of equal or lesser value than that recommended by the manufacturer.

Spring cleaning outdoors:

• If you use power tools to work outside, make sure extension cords are marked for outdoor use and rated for the power needs of your tools. Overloaded cords may lead to electric shock and serious injury.
• Wear safety goggles and other protection as recommended by the equipment or tool manufacturer when mowing, trimming or edging. Avoid loose clothing or jewelry that could get caught in moving parts.
• Check for overhead power lines when using ladders to clean your gutters or pool cleaning equipment that could reach within 10 feet of the lines. Touching an overhead power line can lead to serious injury or even death from electric shock.
• When digging in your yard to plant new flowers and plants, make sure you know where underground electric lines are located. Always call 1-800-DIG-TESS (toll-free) at least two working days prior to digging in order to locate underground utility lines. In fact, state law requires it if digging 16 inches or deeper.
• If planning on trimming trees, check for overhead power lines. The only safe way to trim trees within 10 feet of power lines is to call a professional. Every year in Texas, people are injured or even killed when they climb or prune trees near power lines. Tree limbs in contact with power lines can act as conductors, and a person can be seriously injured if contact is made.

To find out more about Oncor’s Lifetime of Safety campaign, visit www.oncor.com/safety.

Oncor is a regulated electric distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, providing power to 3 million electric delivery points over more than 102,000 miles of distribution and 14,000 miles of transmission lines. While Oncor is a subsidiary of EFH, Oncor is a separate entity that reports to a separate board that is comprised of a majority of independent directors.

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