Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Spring school holidays are approaching, and this means that issues of children’s electrical safety are of particular relevance. On holidays, children are often left without adult control, and unsafe games and entertainment can lead to tragedies.
Power engineers of IDGC of Centre and IDGC of Centre and Volga Region (included in ROSSETI’s Group of Companies) draw the attention of parents and teachers to the importance for children to observe the rules of conduct near power facilities and when using electrical appliances.
Throughout the year, the energy companies work with children and adolescents, increasing the level of literacy in electrical safety issues, preventing accidents with minors at facilities of the power grid complex. During the spring and summer holidays, the power engineers strengthen technical and informational activities. The task of the specialists is not only to strengthen the technical safety of power facilities, to provide reliable locking devices and strong fences on the territory of substations, but also to convey information to the maximum number of schoolchildren. To do this, on the eve of holidays, power engineers in an accessible, interesting form tell about the rules of electrical safety: they broadcast audio and video clips, place posters in vehicles, in elevators of residential buildings, organize thematic contests, increase the number of specialized lessons on “electrical literacy”. The goal of all activities is to explain to children and adolescents the importance of observing the elementary rules of electrical safety that can save their lives.
For example, in 2018, specialists of IDGC of Centre and IDGC of Centre and Volga Region conducted more than 4,000 electrical safety lessons. In 2019, the power engineers do not slow down the rate of work on the prevention of children’s electrical injuries by organizing educational events both in schools and in kindergartens, as well as using Internet sites for conducting interregional competitions on knowledge of electrical safety rules. In January and February, about 280 such events were held.
“The lessons of electrical safety are one of the most important activities of the program to reduce the risk of children’s electrical injuries at power facilities of the companies. Such risks can be prevented only by combining the efforts of the power engineers, teachers and parents. We work on this consistently and purposefully,” stressed Igor Makovskiy, the head of IDGC of Centre - the managing organization of IDGC of Centre and Volga Region.
Every child should know important electrical safety rules when leaving home:
1. It is fatally dangerous to take pictures (do a selfie) near power facilities. It is forbidden to climb power line poles, and even stand near electrical equipment using a selfie stick (monopod). Electricity can kill even in the absence of human contact with the wire! You can get under high voltage by raising the monopod above you!
2. You must not climb power line poles, roofs of transformer substations and roof of garages with open wiring, technical basements of residential buildings are also not a place for games. It is dangerous to open staircase electric switchboards and entry power panels in buildings!
3. You must not play near transformer substations (booths) and get inside! Equipment is under high voltage!
4. Signs warning of the danger of current: “Stop! High Voltage!”, “Danger! Keep out!” - placed intentionally, this is not a joke.
5. For sports and outdoor games, choose places remote from the power line. Remember: the approach of a person, sports equipment to power lines at an unacceptable distance, and even more so a collision can lead to severe burns, paralysis of vital organs, death.
6. The safe distance to the broken wire is 8-10 metres. Getting closer, a person is in mortal danger. It is necessary to leave the danger zone of “step voltage” with a special step, without taking your feet off the ground.
Do not remain indifferent! If you find wire breaks, sparks, damage to poles, insulators, unclosed doors and destroyed locks of transformer substations, electrical panels, immediately inform about this by calling the round-the-clock telephone numbers of contact centres of power engineers: 8-800-50-50-115 (IDGC of Centre) and 8-800-100-33-00 (IDGC of Centre and Volga Region). The call is toll-free. Call also if you have witnessed an offense. Any illegal actions on the territory of power facilities and in the protection zone of power lines lead to administrative or criminal penalties.
