Atlantic City Electric's Speakers Bureau Program includes electrical safety demonstration

MAYS LANDING, N.J. - In recognition of May as National Electrical Safety Month, Atlantic City Electric wants to remind the public that electrical safety should be practiced every day of the year.

Electric shocks kill nearly 400 people and injure thousands more around the nation each year, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

Atlantic City Electric encourages school administrators, community groups and others to contact the company's Speakers Bureau to schedule an electrical safety demonstration. The Speakers Bureau contact information is: 1-800-355-0368 or speakersbureau@atlanticcityelectric.com.

"We need to educate more people, children in particular, of the potential hazards involved when using electricity," said Steve Brown, Manager Safety Services for Atlantic City Electric. "The company's Speakers Bureau program is the best venue for doing just that."

"With the onset of spring, many people will be working outdoors, trimming trees and such," Brown said. "It is imperative for them to know where the electric wires and equipment are located and how to work safely around them," he added.

Brown recommended that people avoid unnecessary risks when working around electricity by calling a licensed contractor or electrician.

He said if people are planning to dig safely on their property, they must first call 811 (the number for One Call) to make sure the underground utilities are located and marked in advance to digging.

Here are some additional electrical safety tips from Atlantic City Electric:

• If you see a downed wire, stay away and call Atlantic City Electric's emergency outage number at: 1-800-642-3780 (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties).
  
• Remind children to stay away from electric facilities such as substations, transmission towers and the green electrical metal boxes occasionally placed in front yards.
  
• When carrying long or tall items, such as ladders, tree saws and pool cleaning equipment, hold them parallel to the ground. Look up before you raise them into the air to be sure they're clear of any power lines.

• Remember that electricity can move through conductive materials, such as water, metal, wood, aluminum, string and plastics.
• Stay away from overhead lines. Be careful when trimming trees or working near the electrical connection to your property.

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Atlantic City Electric, a public utility owned by Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides safe, reliable and affordable regulated electric delivery services to more than 540,000 customers in southern New Jersey.