Hotline of power engineering specialists:
A round table was held In Yaroslavl branch of IDGC of Centre dedicated to the prevention of electric injuries. In addition to specialists of Yarenergo the event was attended by representatives Yargorelektroset, the Interior Ministry, Emergency Situations Ministry, RTN, departments of education and health of the Yaroslavl region, as well as journalists of regional media.
Power engineers noted the urgency of the problem for the Yaroslavl power system. Deputy General Director of IDGC of Centre — Yarenergo division director Igor Solonikov brought up disappointing facts: last year at facilities of Yarenergo four people were injured with electric shock, two of them died, this year — one tragic accident. All in all at facilities of the distribution complex of IDGC Holding from the beginning of the year 52 people have been injured, 30 of whom have died.
The specialists of the branch responsible for the safe operation of power facilities, pronounced a package of measures to prevent accidents, which is currently being implemented in Yarenergo. In particular, power engineers pay special attention to children’s injury prevention. The branch’s staff regularly conduct classes on electrical safety in rural and urban schools in the region. At the same time they do not have the physical opportunity to visit all educational institutions, so that the holding of such sessions should be more formal. “We’ve been talking about the need to include a course on electric injuries into the school curriculum on life safety. From our side we are ready to give teachers all the necessary information for this subject”, — said Igor Solonikov.
The main causes of accidents are trespassing power facilities and dangerously approaching electrical installations and high-voltage lines. Often, victims of their own carelessness are children. Out of curiosity or mischief they can climb a pole, get over the fence of a transformer substation, open a switchgear bay. In a particular risk zone are people who are trying to repair electrical equipment themselves, as well as those who steal electrical equipment. The most innocuous actions can also result in a tragedy. In one case, a fisherman casting a fishing rod under a power line received fatal electric shock.
The round table organized in Yarenergo allowed participants to begin discussing a joint action program. So, it was proposed to distribute fresh visual information in schools about the rules of electrical safety through the Department of Education and to establish a contest for the best lesson for the prevention of electric injuries among educational institutions of the region and a creative contest for children on safe behavior near power facilities. Another major undertaking — to make manufacturers of fishing rods have the mandatory placement of production notes about the danger of catching fish under power lines. The media will be offered to do the spread of social advertising.
All the participants agreed that behind every case of electric injuries there is a complex issue that must be solved by joint efforts at the level of the whole region. The discussion identified common ground on which to align work together to prevent injuries at power facilities.