Companies offer safety tips during the Carnival season
New Orleans – Almost anyone who has
spent time in the New Orleans metro area during Mardi Gras recognizes this scene
– beads hanging casually on utility lines.
And while you might be tempted to
reach up and try to get the best looking ones, Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and
Entergy Louisiana, LLC want to remind you about the importance of keeping your
distance from power lines… and anything touching them.
Overhead power lines can carry
thousands of volts of electricity. The electricity wants to take the easiest
path to the ground and will look for shortcuts wherever it can. Touching a power
line with any part of your body, grabbing beads hanging from a power line or
touching a power line with an object like a ladder or a net at the end of a pole
can provide an instant path for electricity. If that happens, you can be
seriously hurt or even killed.
Safety is Entergy’s top priority.
Each year, Entergy crews ride the parade routes in advance of the Carnival
season to correct any potential clearance issues so that floats don’t come into
contact with power lines. Entergy also has trucks ride in front of parades as an
additional precaution.
“While Mardi Gras is a time for
celebration and enjoyment, we at Entergy want to remind locals and visitors
alike that safety should be your number one priority,” said Melonie Hall,
director of customer service for Entergy New Orleans, Inc. “When you are out on
the parade route and see beads hanging from power lines, it is best to just
leave them alone.”
Other safety tips to remember during
Mardi Gras include:
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Float riders are encouraged to
avoid throwing beads on to power lines.
-
Don’t climb utility poles looking
for a better view.
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If you use long-handled nets to
try to catch throws, be careful that you avoid reaching the net into
overhead power lines.
-
Also be careful when climbing
ladders on the parade route.
Even the smallest amount of
electricity can cause injury or death. The amount of electricity used by a 7.5
watt bulb (like the ones used in outdoor holiday lighting) can be fatal if it
passes through your chest. Even if the shock doesn’t kill you, the electrical
current can cause burns, cuts or internal bleeding.
“Electricity brings a lot of value
and benefits to our lives but it is important to remember that it can be
dangerous, as well,” Hall said. “Staying away from power lines and recognizing
hazards can help keep us all safe.”
Entergy’s Louisiana utility companies
serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy
Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in
southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy
Corporation’s electric system serving 2.7 million customers in Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
Entergy New Orleans, Inc. is an
electric and gas utility serving Orleans Parish and is a subsidiary of Entergy
Corporation. The company provides electricity to more than 160,000 customers and
natural gas to more than 100,000 customers in Orleans Parish.
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entergy-louisiana.com
entergy-neworleans.com
Twitter: EntergyMediaLA
Twitter: EntergyNOLA
