For your SAFETY. Click Before You Dig, Drill or Excavate. Plan ahead. Dangers of hitting underground lines. May/June 2018

Transcription

1 Click Before You Dig, Drill or Excavate At this time of year many Manitoba homeowners are itching to get outside to begin working in their yards. If you re among this group and if you re planning any project that involves excavation like digging postholes for a fence, planting shrubs, installing a sprinkler system, or even putting in a new garden or flower bed find out the location of underground natural gas and electrical lines before you dig. This could save your life and the lives of those around you. Every year, homeowners and contractors in Manitoba damage buried utility lines on their property or job sites resulting in costly repairs, injuries, lawsuits and tragically, even fatalities. These accidents can be easily prevented with a free line location. Manitoba Hydro is part of the ClickBeforeYouDigMB.com service provided by the Manitoba Common Ground Alliance. A landowner can request natural gas and electrical line locates, along with many other utility locates, with one online request or phone call. ClickBeforeYouDigMB.com is free, simple to use and available 24/7. Once an online request is submitted and the locate is scheduled, Manitoba Hydro will mark underground natural gas and electrical lines free of charge, so work can proceed safely. Since joining ClickBeforeYouDigMB in 2016, Manitoba Hydro has seen a 30% increase in locate requests. Plan ahead You must send a locate request to ClickBeforeYouDigMB.com at least three full work days before you intend to begin any project that involves excavation or disturbing the ground deeper than 15 cm. If you don t have access to a computer, you can call ClickBeforeYouDigMB at Dangers of hitting underground lines The depth of buried gas lines and electrical cables can change over time, depending on the type of soil covering them, erosion and other activities above ground, such as street-widening, landscaping or the installation of a new flower bed. If you dig into the ground and hit an electrical line, you may: cause a power outage; suffer a serious injury from a shock or be electrocuted. If you dig into the ground and hit a natural gas line, you may: release natural gas which, if ignited, can cause injury or even death; damage or destroy your excavation equipment; cause a local or widespread natural gas disruption, including evacuation; be liable for the cost of repairs. Dig safe. Know what s below.

2 Plan for a safe seeding season In 2017, there were over 150 reported incidents of farm equipment contacting overhead power lines in Manitoba. Almost 50 per cent of these contacts involved cultivators or air seeders. Farm injuries can have devastating effects, both emotionally and economically, to producers and their families. And most injuries are predictable and preventable when people know what to look for and how to minimize farm hazards. If you have overhead power lines on your farm, consider burying them. Manitoba Hydro s Go Underground Program compensates a portion of the costs related to moving the primary power line underground in farm yards. Buried power lines: eliminate the danger of farm equipment coming in contact with overhead power lines; prevent the possibility of lines coming down in storms; improve the appearance of the farm yard. Discuss power line safety with everyone who works on the farm: Plan your route ahead of time. Do you know the height of a power line can change depending on the temperature outside, the load it s carrying, and whether it is windy or calm? Cultivators, air seeders and grain augers are at high risk for contact with overhead power lines. If you can t avoid passing under a power line, proceed cautiously and check constantly to make sure your machinery is a safe distance away from the power line. Never attempt to move a power line out of the way. Only properly trained and equipped Manitoba Hydro employees can safely lift power lines. Never transport metal elevators, ladders or irrigation pipes near power lines. Farm equipment is a good conductor of electricity and a power line can flash or arc at a considerable distance even without direct contact to the power line. If your equipment or load exceeds 15 feet 9 inches or 4.8 metres, obtain an agricultural move permit from Manitoba Hydro. Visit hydro.mb.ca to find out more information about farm safety and our Go Underground Program.

3 Stay safe on the job this summer Injury rates among young workers spike between May and September, when young people are off school and in their seasonal jobs. Many of these accidents are the result of pressures and distractions of a new job, a lack of understanding about electricity, and not being careful. It s important for new employees to ask questions or speak up when they have concerns. How much electricity does it take to cause fatalities? Every year in North America, electricity kills hundreds of people in the workplace and at home, and it injures many more. It takes about 1000 milliamps of electricity to run a 100-watt light bulb but under the right conditions, it can take only 50 milliamps to kill. Whether the voltage is high or low, an electrical current can cause serious injury or death if you become a path for electricity to get to the ground. Here are some tips to help you avoid the safety hazards common to summer jobs: Be aware of overhead wires when shingling, siding or painting. Use extreme caution and stay a safe distance away when raising, lowering or moving pipe, rods, ladders, or equipment. Do not touch service wires that enter a building. Do not trim trees closer than ten feet (three metres) to power lines. Call Manitoba Hydro if tree branches are touching power lines. Never climb hydro poles or attach signs or equipment to them. If you are outside during an electrical storm, stay away from large trees or poles, especially if they are the tallest in the area. Use a GFCI outlet when using power tools outdoors. Before you do any digging or disturbing the ground deeper than 15 cm, verify the location of all underground electrical or natural gas lines through ClickBeforeYouDigMB.com.

4 Going Fishing? Obey warning signs around dams Areas around hydroelectric dams and waterways can be scenic, but they can also be quite dangerous. If you decide to squeeze in a day of fishing on a Manitoba river, for your safety, make sure you follow these simple rules if you are near a hydroelectric dam or generating station: Obey all warning signs, fences, buoys, booms and barriers that are there to prevent access to dangerous areas. Go only where there are clearly marked walkways or observation points. There are many areas above and below hydro generating stations and dams, where the water is flowing quickly, currents are unpredictable, and the river is deep. The rocks next to these areas can be unstable and slippery. Never wade into any moving water. Falling in these locations could be fatal. Never stand below a dam or anchor or tie a boat there. Water levels can change very quickly, and the change in water flow can take you by surprise, swamp your boat, or pull you into an undertow. Stay away from dry riverbeds that are below dams because they can change quickly into rapidly flowing waterways. Never cast your fishing line close to power lines or dams. Your line could become caught, causing electrocution or other injury. Be on the lookout for changing water levels on the river. Check upstream often for any signs of increasing currents or rising water levels. The sound of a horn near a generating station indicates the spillway is opening, which means a change in water flow. If you don t hear a horn but notice the water level rising, get out of the water immediately. Explain the dangers to children and always keep them close when you re anywhere near a hydroelectric facility. Find places well away from any hydroelectric facility to enjoy your summer activities safely. For more information on safety around dams, visit hydro.mb.ca.

5 Keep Your Stubble Fire Under Control Stubble burning and grass fires are common ways to eliminate overgrown areas. Although it may be effective, be sure safety precautions are in place and keep a close watch over your fire to ensure it doesn t get out of control. Uncontrolled stubble and grass burning can damage utility poles and interrupt electrical service to the community. Landowners must keep safety in mind and take these precautions when burning: Check with your municipality for regulations before you start your fire. Information is available at gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops regarding current burning restrictions. Clear the area around the base of hydro poles that might be in the burn area and set up fireguards to protect them. Make sure your fire will not pass under a power line. Be proactive and call the fire department immediately if your fire appears to be getting out of control. If a hydro pole is down, stay clear of the area. Fallen poles and downed power lines are extremely dangerous. Do not touch or attempt to move these lines. Call Manitoba Hydro immediately. As a landowner, you are responsible for damage caused by your fire and may be held liable for the replacement or repair of utility poles. Keep a close eye on your fire this season to prevent power outages and repair costs.

6 Read the signs there s danger in those power lines Some signs can save your life like the signs around substations and padmount transformers. Protect your children from the hazards of a substation Substations are part of the system that delivers electricity to homes and businesses. Manitoba Hydro has fences around these stations to protect the public from the equipment inside. Signs on the fence warn the public of electrical danger and instruct them to stay out. Only people who have special protective equipment and training are allowed to work in a substation. If there is a substation in your neighbourhood, take time to explain to children that the high voltage electricity inside a substation makes it a dangerous place. Show them the warning signs and explain the importance of staying clear. Emphasize these safety tips: If a ball goes over the fence, never climb the fence to go into the substation to retrieve it. Call Manitoba Hydro for assistance. Never fly kites near a substation or near any power lines. Gardening and playing safely around that green box in your yard Padmount transformers are the green metal boxes, often found on residential lawns and in gardens which supply electrical energy to homes. While they pose a landscaping and gardening challenge, it is important to read the warning signs on them as they contain high voltage electrical equipment. Children should never play on or near them. Locks are in place to ensure the doors and covers on transformers remain closed. Because padmount transformers are surrounded by underground cables, digging around them could cause an electrical outage as well as severe and potentially deadly electrical shock. If you are planning any type of digging near a padmount transformer, ClickBeforeYouDigMB. com to have the underground lines located free of charge so you can dig safely. Report open or vandalized equipment If you see a substation fence or a padmount transformer that has been vandalized or is unlocked, stay away and call Manitoba Hydro immediately to report the hazard by calling in Winnipeg or toll-free.