Safety Trivia

1. A live electric line has fallen on your car. What’s the safest thing you can do?

D - Stay in the car until help arrives. It is dangerous to try to escape the vehicle with a live electric line on the car.

2. What was the number one cause of death during Hurricane Bertha?

C - Electrocution - Folks didn’t make sure their emergency generators were properly grounded, but it’s also interesting to note that 12 were also sent to Duke Hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning because their generators didn’t have adequate ventilation and the poisonous gasses overtook the homeowners.

3. Birds can safely sit on power wires that would kill people.

True - Birds can safely sit on power wires that would kill people because birds are not touching the ground or any other grounded object.

4. Power lines coming from the transformer to your house are covered and okay to touch.

False - Power lines coming from the transformer to your house are covered but they’re NOT okay to touch. Always stay away from power lines.

5. It is safe to climb a tree located near a power line as long as the limbs aren’t touching the line.

False - It is not safe to climb a tree located near a power line at any time. Electricity has the ability to “jump” from the power line to the tree, thus electrocuting the “tree climber.”

6. It is safe to touch a power line with a pole, antenna or other object.

False - It is not safe to touch a power line with a pole, antenna or other object.

7. If you see a downed, or low-hanging power line, you should:

C - If you see a downed, or low hanging power lines, you should stay clear and call your electric cooperative immediately.

8. How much voltage is needed to hurt or kill people:

D - Any voltage can hurt or kill people.

9. Which of the following can conduct electricity?

D - Metal, tree limbs and the human body can all conduct electricity.

10. Electricity travels at the rate of:

C - Electricity travels at the rate of 186,300 miles per second (speed of light).

11. Most power lines are:

A - Most electric company lines are bare and dangerous to touch.

12. Flammable materials should be:

B - Not be stored near electrical equipment that may cause a spark.

13. Where is the safest place to be during a lightning storm?

C - By far the safest place to be during an electrical storm is in a house or building. The metal plumbing and wiring in the walls of the building form a protective barrier. It is important to remember not to be touching that metallic cage, i.e. stay away from electrical appliances, plumbing fixtures, etc.

14. Using a telephone during a lightning storm is dangerous.

True - Lightning can strike telephone and electrical wires and travel into your house, through your phone cord, into your telephone, to the handset, and shock you! Cordless phones are not dangerous because there is no physical connection to the wires. It is, however, dangerous and rude to use your cordless phone during an electrical storm to call your neighbor who does not have a cordless phone.

15. A car is a safe place to be in an electrical storm because it has rubber tires.

False - While cars are a very safe place to be, it is not the tires that protect you! This is a very common misconception. It is actually the metal that is surrounding you that affords the protection. This is due to something called the Skin Effect, which says that electricity, like lightning, will travel only on the surface of enclosed metal objects. So while your car may be hit by lightning, as long as you stay inside, you are safe. This is of course provided that you have a metal car that is not a convertible. Incidentally, your tires would have to be about a mile thick and made of solid rubber to afford you adequate protection.

16. The average number of people who die in the United States each year from being struck by lightning is about how many?

B - About 100 people die each year in the United States as the result of being struck by a lightning bolt.

17. The greatest number of people who die from being struck by lightning are who?

C - Farmers- According to a study by Dr. Martin A Uman, in his 1971 book, "Understanding Lightning," 29 percent of those killed were farmers. This compares to 19 percent being golfers, and nearly 15 percent were fisherman. Joggers were not mentioned in the study.

18. All overhead power lines are completely insulated.

False – Many overhead power lines are partially insulated, but are still dangerous to touch.

19. Water is the best conductor of electricity.

False - It is actually silver.

20. Electricity is always seeking ground.

True

Don't release kites near power lines.