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NNEC is committed to our members’ safety.

High-voltage power lines are installed out of normal reach to prevent people from coming into contact with these lines. Unfortunately, situations occur which bring power lines within easy reach such as a car breaking a utility pole or a tree falling on the lines. Electricity follows the path of least resistance and the human body is a good conductor.

Follow these safety guidelines to avoid serious injury or death:

Call NNEC Immediately Day or Night to Report a Downed Power Line or Other Potential Danger with a Power Line at (866) 663-2688 (1-866-NNEC OUT).

  • Overhead power lines are not insulated. Touching a power line or an object in contact with a power line can cause serious injury–or even death!
  • If you see a downed power line, move away from the line and anything touching it. Never touch a power line! Even if downed power lines do not hum, spark, or “dance,” they can carry a deadly electric current.
  • The proper method to move away from a downed power line is to shuffle away with small steps, keeping your feet together at all times to minimize the chance for a human path of electric current.
  • If someone is in direct or indirect contact with the downed line, do not touch the person. Call 911. Make sure the emergency responders are aware of the downed power line!
  • Do not try to move a downed power line or anything in contact with the line by using another object such as a broom or stick. Even wood, if wet or damp, can conduct electricity.
  • Do not drive over downed power lines.
  • Teach your children to stay away from utility poles, and trees near power lines, and to fly kites or model planes in open fields away from power lines.
  • Never put your feet near water where a downed power line is located.
  • Keep metal ladders or anything that could be a conductor away from overhead lines. Metal pipes and truck booms are excellent conductors of electricity!