We all know the wonderful things electricity makes possible. There’s TV, radio, video games, computers. Not to mention that electricity keeps us warm in winter, cool in summer, cooks our food, heats our water, cleans our clothes and keeps our homes and schools bright, even when there’s no sun outdoors.

While we should be grateful for what electricity provides, we should also remember that electricity is powerful and we must be careful when using it. This is true for adults as well as children. Sometimes even parents and teachers have to be reminded to treat electricity with respect.

Here are some tips on electrical safety that you may want to share with your family and teacher:

	Never touch broken electrical cords or ones that have wire showing.
	Don’t bite electrical cords. Now you may be laughing, but small children and pets sometimes do bite these cords and it is very dangerous. You may want to teach your brother or sister to leave electrical cords alone.
	Never stick your finger or any object into light sockets or electrical outlets. Ask your mom or dad to buy plug covers so no one will get into trouble.
	Do not pull on cords to unplug them. Hold on to the plug.
	Do not touch anything electrical while you are wet or standing in water.
	Stay away from fallen power lines.
	Did you know that electricity can travel down kite strings or wires? Never fly kites or balloons near any power lines.
	Do not climb power poles or trees close to power lines.
	Do not touch or go near electrical equipment. There are good reasons this equipment is marked "Danger," "High Voltage" or "Keep Out."
	If one of your toys gets caught in electrical equipment, DON’T TOUCH. Find an adult to call CL&P. We’ll get your toy back for you and no one will get hurt.
	The problem is not always in the wires. Sometimes it’s underfoot…on the ground. Stay away from pad-mounted transformers. Those are the metal cabinets on concrete pads that contain electrical equipment. They are not safe places to play.
	You might want to remind adults doing work around the house that they should never put an antenna, ladder, or other tall object in a position where it may come into contact with a power line.
	And if a family member is digging around the house, make sure he or she calls a place named Call Before You Dig (CBYD) : 1-800-922-4455. This company will contact us and we’ll explain where the underground lines are so no one will, by accident, hit one of the underground lines and get hurt.
	If your pet gets stranded on an electric pole, don’t panic. Call us for help at 1-800-286-2000 (947-2000 in the Hartford area) and we’ll make sure you get your pet back safe and sound.