FirstEnergy offers electrical safety tips
for decorating and celebrating responsibly
AKRON,
Ohio, Oct. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As Halloween
nears, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) reminds the public to keep
safety top of mind as they decorate their homes and partake in
seasonal festivities. Celebrating responsibly will help keep people
of all ages safe and the electricity flowing reliably this
season.
Candace Webb, manager of
FirstEnergy Public Safety: "Halloween is a peak time of year
for spooky celebrations and activities, but it also has the
potential to present some truly scary electrical hazards if simple
precautions aren't taken. As children and adults celebrate the
holiday, we want them to know where potential electrical or fire
risks exist so they can take the steps needed to minimize
them."
Keep Your Home Spooky and Safe
If your home will be
decked out with eerie lights and jack-o'-lanterns, take the time to
ensure all decorations are installed safely and functioning
properly. Consider these safety measures while decorating this
Halloween:
- Never put any decorations on or near utility equipment, like
poles and transformers.
- Inspect each electrical cord of lights and decorations before
use. Look for damage such as cracked, frayed or bare wires, damaged
sockets or loose connections that can lead to shocks. If a cord is
hot, don't use it.
- Use the proper clips for securing lights and decorations.
Staples and nails can damage electrical cords.
- Decorative lights should be approved by Underwriter's
Laboratory and carry a UL seal on the tag. Red UL marks indicate
the lights are approved for indoor or outdoor use, while green UL
tags indicate approval for indoor use only.
- Outdoor lights and decorations should be plugged into outlets
that feature Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs).
- Indoor lights should not touch window treatments, carpet or
furniture.
- Replace traditional candles with flame-free options like
flashlights, battery-operated candles or glow sticks to light up
your jack-o'-lanterns or seasonal decor.
- Keep flammable decorations, like cornstalks and bales of hay,
far away from any open flames or heat sources, such as candles,
heaters and light bulbs.
Stay Safe While Trick-or-Treating
While collecting
treats this season, the following tips can help keep your family
and friends safe during popular events, including trunk-or-treat or
trick-or-treat:
- Keep a clear, well-lit path at your home for trick-or-treaters.
Prevent falls by keeping walkways, steps and porches free of
electrical cords or any other items that may pose a hazard for
trick-or-treaters.
- Carry a flashlight or add reflective tape, LED shoelaces or
glow sticks to your costume to make yourself more visible to others
in dark or dimly lit areas.
- Limit travel to well-lit, familiar areas. Always walk in groups
and use sidewalks or crosswalks whenever possible.
- Motorists should use extra caution and keep an eye out for
children crossing the street. Know the trick-or-treat hours in your
neighborhood and anticipate heavy foot traffic.
Customers are reminded to report any issues with their
streetlights so they can be addressed as quickly as possible. Here
are the best ways to report a streetlight outage:
- Call FirstEnergy at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) and say
"streetlight" after the greeting
- Report the lighting problem online
- When reporting a streetlight outage, please provide the
following information:
- Your name and phone number (in case we need more
information).
- Address where the streetlight is located (nearest house or
business address and the nearest cross street).
- Number on the utility pole.
- What is wrong with the streetlight (damaged pole; broken light
fixture; light is off at night, on during the day, or
flickers).
Visit www.firstenergycorp.com/publicsafety to learn about
FirstEnergy's "Stop. Look. Live." safety campaign that
educates the public about staying safe around electricity and near
power lines and equipment.
Follow FirstEnergy and its electric companies on Twitter
and Facebook all year long for tips and resources to stay safe when
using electricity in and around your home.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.