Tree and power line safety Electrical Safety-SMART! Home

Stay safe around trees and power lines

Do you like to climb and play in trees? Follow these tips to help keep yourself and your friends safe:

1. Never climb in or play in a tree growing next to power lines, or that has a power line passing through it.
2. Never touch a power line with your hand or with any other object, whether you are in a tree or on the ground.
3. Don't build a tree house, fort or anything else in a tree that is next to power lines, or that has a power line passing through it.
4. Tell an adult if you see trees growing close to high-voltage power lines or contacting these lines. (High-voltage lines are the ones at the tops of power poles.)
5. If you see a power line that has fallen on a tree or on the ground, stay away and tell an adult immediately. Even if the line is not sparking or humming, a fallen line can kill you if you touch it or the ground nearby.
6. Tell an adult if you see someone trimming a tree next to a high-voltage power line. Qualified line-clearance tree trimmers are the only ones allowed to do this.
7. Only plant trees that will not grow tall or wide enough to contact nearby power lines.
8. Before planting a tree, call your local utility locator service to make sure you won't dig into underground power lines.