Hotline of power engineering specialists:
IDGC of Centre and IDGC of Centre and Volga Region continue to work systematically to reduce risks of injuries to third parties at power grid facilities.
Practice shows that most often the causes of injury to third-party people are their illegal actions (theft of electricity, equipment), approaching electrical installations at an unacceptable distance, conducting unauthorized work within security zones of overhead and cable power lines. To prevent such cases in the regions of its service area (20 subjects of the Central Federal District and Volga Federal District), IDGC of Centre and IDGC of Centre and Volga Region implement a program to reduce risks of injuries of third parties, which includes a set of organizational, technical and awareness-raising activities.
The most serious attention is paid to the prevention of electric injuries among the younger generation. Employees of branches of both companies organize thematic lessons in the educational institutions of the regions, where they introduce children and adolescents to the rules of safe behaviour near power facilities and the rules for using electrical appliances. This work is especially active on the eve of holidays, when children spend a lot of time in the absence of adults, and continues throughout the summer months in the camps for children’s recreation. It attracts parents and teachers. Only the power engineers of IDGC of Centre in January-May conducted about 1,500 such classes in the regions of their service area.
The measures taken make it possible to minimize the number of accidents involving third parties at facilities of the power grid infrastructure. However, due to the fact that not all citizens are sufficiently responsive to the need for strict adherence to the rules of electrical safety, they cannot be completely ruled out. Often, they are violated by adolescents and young people.
Thus, the neglect of the rules of electrical safety turned out to be a tragedy for a student of an agricultural college in Rylsky district of the Kursk region. As we found out in the preliminary questioning of local residents and eyewitnesses, a group of college students in the number of 6 to 9 people, returning home after the party, climbed a pole of a 110kV overhead power line to make selfie. One of the young people at the descent from the pole approached at an unacceptable distance the wire of phase "A" and was fatally struck by electric shock. At present, an investigation is being carried out on this fact.
IDGC of Centre and IDGC of Centre and Volga Region remind of simple rules, the observance of which will allow to avoid the risk of electric trauma:
- never enter the territory and premises of transformer substations and other electric grid facilities;
- do not open doors of electrical installations and in no case go beyond fences and barriers;
- do not touch electrical parts of substations and its metal parts (doors, stairs, etc.);
- do not climb power lines (Conductors) and do not play near them;
- do not touch ragged or sagging wires of the power line at a distance of more than 8 metres;
- do not arrange fishing in the protected zone of the power line using fiberglass and telescopic fishing rods, as well as launching kites and aircraft;
- it is strictly forbidden to make an extreme photo (selfie) on power line poles, structures of transformer substations and the territory adjacent to them. Using a monopod for selfie can lead to electrical injuries incompatible with life.
The energy sector also urges parents and teachers to support them in the work to prevent electric injuries among children and adolescents, constantly remind them of the danger of electricity and the rules of behaviour near power facilities.
All identified damage to equipment of the power grid complex must immediately be reported to the dispatching offices of their Distribution Zones or by the 24-hour hotline of power engineers. The single direct number of power engineers of IDGC of Centre is 8-800-50-50-115, IDGC of Centre and Volga Region - 8-800-100-33-00. All calls are toll-free.