April 2011

Spring Safety Tips

Dear Member:

It’s time to put away the winter gear and step out into the spring season. As the weather warms up and outdoor activities beckon, please consider these safety tips.

Cut Trees Safely
A careful site evaluation is very important before you begin any tree cutting project. Take time for a safety check. Look up and around for power lines. Contact with a power line while falling a tree could be fatal. Take a few minutes to make your tree cutting project safe.

Power Poles Have Only One Purpose
It is easy to forget that power poles have only one purpose—to provide support for overhead power and communication service. They often seem to be so convenient for other uses. Signs, posters and recreational equipment such as basketball hoops, create hazardous working conditions for our linemen. Sharp protruding objects like nails, tacks, staples, barbed wire and fencing of any type attached to poles make it difficult to climb and can seriously injure our linemen if they should happen to slip or fall. These objects might also puncture the rubber gloves or other safety equipment used by our linemen, making them vulnerable to electrocution. For the safety of our linemen, please look for other places to hang signs or posters.

Call Before You Dig
Don't forget the danger of underground power lines. If you are planting shrubs, digging fence post holes or doing other excavation work, remember to call before you dig. A simple outdoor chore can be deadly if you come into contact with an underground power line.
State law requires two business days notice if you plan to dig deeper than 12 inches. Call the Oregon One-Call Center, 800-332-2344, and the center will contact the cooperative and other utilities to come out and mark any buried lines on your property.
Work safely this season. Remember to call before you dig.

Bill A. Kopacz
General Manager

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