Oncor Urges Continued Safety When Working Around Power Lines

DALLAS, May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year in Texas, people are injured or even killed when they climb or prune trees near power lines. Electric customers may be tempted to prune trees near power lines, but for safety reasons, Oncor asks that customers stay at least 10 feet away from high voltage lines and avoid working on tree limbs that are in contact with power lines. Tree limbs in contact with power lines can act as conductors and a person can be seriously injured if contact is made. 

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"For Oncor, the safety of our employees, customers and the public is paramount," Oncor Chief Operating Officer Jim Greer said. "We want to remind our customers to be aware of the dangers of being too close to power lines. Parents should talk with their families about electrical safety, and business operators should talk with employees about it, too, so that we all know the risks and how to stay safe."

Oncor urges extreme caution when pruning trees near power lines. Leave tree trimming to the professionals. Only line-clearance qualified trimmers should trim limbs less than 10 feet away from power lines.

The following are tips for tree pruning and how to stay safe:

• To report a tree within 10 feet of power lines that could cause a potentially hazardous condition like sparking, customers should call the number on their electric bill to report the situation. If there is a fire or sparking occurring, call 911.
• If a tree is in a power line, call the number on your electric bill. Don't touch anything that comes into contact with the line. If the power line falls, leave the area immediately and call 911.
• If you would like to prune near the line running from the pole to your house, call the number on your electric bill BEFORE pruning to arrange for the power to be temporarily disconnected. For a fee, power can be disconnected from an individual home and reconnected the same day.
• Don't take tools or other objects near power lines.
• Before digging, ALWAYS call 811 to have underground lines located and marked at no charge.

For questions about safe tree trimming, Ask Oncor at 888.875.6279 or visit AskOncor.com. 

Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC ("Oncor") is a regulated electricity distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to more than 3 million homes and businesses and operating approximately 118,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines in Texas. While Oncor is owned by a limited number of investors (including majority owner, Energy Future Holdings Corp.), Oncor is managed by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of a majority of independent directors.

SOURCE Oncor

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