newy.com.au – Ausgrid is urging families to stay at least eight metres from fallen powerlines after a weekend of damaging winds and widespread power outages.
The warning comes as about 100 Ausgrid volunteers visit more than 50 primary schools across the Hunter, Central Coast and Sydney for Electricity Safety Week, which runs from September 7 to 11. The sessions teach children how to recognise electrical hazards at home and outdoors.
Ausgrid says fallen powerlines must always be treated as live. People should never touch them, or anything in contact with them, and should report hazards to the distributor on 13 13 88. If there is an immediate threat to life, call triple zero (000). Children should stay away and tell an adult.
The advice extends beyond storm damage. Ausgrid’s general manager of safety, Matthew Sweeting, said he recently saw teenagers digging a mountain-bike track beside a high-voltage electricity kiosk while walking his dog on Sydney’s northern beaches.
“They were simply having fun and building a track, but they did not recognise that digging beside electrical equipment could put them at risk,” Mr Sweeting said.
He urged parents to teach children not to climb on, play near, dig beside or interfere with electrical kiosks and substations. Anything that appeared wrong should be reported so a crew could investigate. Children should also avoid climbing trees near powerlines and keep kites, drones and other objects away from overhead wires.
Inside the home, Ausgrid is encouraging families to check the equipment children and teenagers use every day. Frayed or damaged cords, chargers and appliances should not be used, while overloaded power points and power boards can overheat and create a fire risk.
Phones and tablets should be charged on a hard, flat surface, such as a desk or table, rather than on beds, pillows or other soft surfaces where heat can build up. The distributor also warned older teenagers becoming more independent at home not to attempt electrical repairs or do-it-yourself electrical work, which should be left to a licensed electrician.
Mr Sweeting said parents could help children stay safe without needing to explain the technical details.
“Parents don’t need to teach their children how electricity works. They simply need to teach them how to recognise a hazard and what to do if they see one.”
