Safety
Danvers Electric Monthly Safety Corner
June - National Safety Month (PDF)
Call before you dig! Call DigSafe by Dialing 811. It's the law.
Homeowners and even some contractors can make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked. But every digging job requires a call-even small projects like planting trees and shrubs.
The depth of utility lines varies. And there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Call two days in advance of digging and a DigSafe representative will send out someone to mark underground facilities.
Please do the following at least 2 days in advance:
- Call DigSafe by Dialing 811.
- Click here for more about DigSafe procedures.
OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers great safety tips and a lot of expertise in the field.
Electrical hazards and carelessness can cause burns, shocks and electrocution.
The Electrical Safety Foundation Institute has a great corner of their website called "Kids' Corner". It's loaded with interactive lessons, activities and videos aimed at keeping your children safe.
Share it with your family. Stay safe, healthy and alive.
Public Safety:
- Before a storm hits, ensure you are prepared. Keep flashlights and extra batteries on hand, and make sure mobile devices are fully charged so you can stay connected.
- Never touch a downed or damaged power line. Do not attempt to move downed or damaged power lines with branches, boards, etc. IF you see any downed lines, stay away and report them immediately to Danvers Electric by calling 978-777-2668 during regular business hours (M-F: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM) and by calling the police at 978-774-1212 during non business hours.
- Never attempt to remove trees or limbs from any utility line. Assume all objects touching a power line are energized.
- Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. Before running a generator, disconnect from the Danvers Electric Distribution system by shutting off the main breaker in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could endanger our crews and your neighbors and cause significant damage to your generator.
- If you are using a portable generator during a power outage, always operate it outside. Keep the generator away from doors, windows, or garages to prevent deadly carbon monoxide from entering the house. Store the fuel in a proper place.
- Customers who depend on electrically powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should contact us during regular business hours (M-F: 7:00 - 3:00) at 978-777-2668 for information on requesting designation as a life support customer. In a medical emergency, always dial 911.
- If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off, but leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.
- Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors, and others who may need assistance during an outage.
- Using candles can be hazardous. As a result, Danvers Electric strongly recommends using flashlights. If customers choose to use candles, they should use them safely. Don’t leave candles unattended; observe them around children and pets. Keep candles away from curtains and other flammable objects such as paper.
Safety:
- Businesses and homeowners are encouraged to conduct a damage assessment of their facilities. In some cases, damage to your equipment may be repaired before electric service can be restored to your property.
- Danvers Electric is responsible for the wires from the utility pole to your Point of Attachment (POA) to the residential or commercial establishment. You are responsible for the equipment that brings it into the establishment.
- Check your service line and meter box. If the meter is damaged, call Danvers Electric during regular business hours, (M-F: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM) or call the police at 978-774-1212 during non business hours. .
- Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards immediately.
- If your power’s out, avoid opening your refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. Leaving the door closed will keep your food cold longer.
- When the power has been returned, if your food is in doubt, throw it out.
- Do not attempt to move downed power lines with branches, boards, fiberglass, garden tools, etc. These objects could conduct electricity, and you could be seriously injured or killed.
- Touching a power line with any part of your body or object, such as ladders, tree trimmers, poles, or ropes, can result in severe injury or death. If you see a wire down, contact Danvers Electric by calling 978-777-2668 during regular business hours (M-F: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM) and by calling the police at 978-774-1212 during non business hours.
Storm and Restoration Updates:
- When the power goes out, the restoration begins as soon as conditions are safe for our field personnel to commence work.
- Many storm-related outages in our area are caused by trees or overhanging branches falling onto power lines.
- If you called us once to report an outage and everyone’s power seems restored except yours, don’t hesitate to contact us again. Unfortunately, that usually means a secondary problem is affecting your service.
- (Second outage (after the power’s been restored the first time)) Crews may switch main lines off and on to work on area equipment. Weak tree limbs also continue to fall and disrupt service.
- (Storm downgraded) If the storm has been downgraded, we remain ready for continued snow, rain, and gusty winds.
- (Life support) Because our customers who depend on life-support equipment are spread throughout our service area, it is impossible to prioritize restoration for individual customers.