The safety of our employees, our customers and the public will always be our primary focus at Seward Electric, and it’s why we’ll work tirelessly to maintain a strong safety culture. Whether you come across a downed power line or plan to use a generator when you experience a service outage, we want to help keep you safe.

 Power Lines

• If you see a downed power line, stay away and do not touch it. Always assume a fallen power line is live and dangerous.
• Avoid touching the downed line with your hand or any object.
• Avoid touching anything, such as a car, object or equipment, or anyone who is in contact with a fallen power line.
• Call 911 or Seward Electric immediately to report a fallen power line.

   

  If your vehicle comes in contact with a downed power line, follow these safety rules:

• Stay inside your car. The ground around the car may be energized.
• Sound the horn, roll down your window and call for help.
• Warn others to stay away. Anyone who touches the equipment or ground around your car can be injured.
• Use your cell phone to call 911 immediately.
• Do not exit the vehicle until the fire department, police or Seward Electric workers tell you it’s safe.

 Generators

• Read all owner manual instructions before operating.
• Do not connect your generator directly to your home's wiring or into a regular household outlet. Doing so could cause a “back feed” onto the power lines connected to your house and injure or kill a neighbor or one of our workers.
• Use heavy-duty extension cords to connect appliances to the outlets on the generator.
• Operate the generator outdoors in an area with plenty of ventilation. Generators give off deadly carbon monoxide.
• Turn the generator on before plugging appliances to it. Once the generator is running, turn appliances and lights on one at a time to avoid overloading the unit. Prioritize your needs.
• Do not operate the generator in wet conditions such as rain or snow.
• Use a generator only when necessary in wet or moist weather conditions and protect the generator from the elements by operating it in a covered but open location. Make sure it is sitting on a dry surface.
• Be sure the generator is turned off and cool before fueling it.

 Call Before You Dig

• Alaska Law requires you to have your utilities located before you dig. Call the Alaska Digline at 811 or 1-800-478-3121 for locates, at least three working days before digging. More information is available at 811ak.com.