Safety Most Important Lesson for Students

September 15, 2008

The 2008-09 school year is underway, and along with the lessons about reading, writing and arithmetic, APS suggests offering our children education that will help them stay safe around electricity.

A single contact with electricity can result in severe injury or even death. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 400 people in the United States die each year as a result of contact with electricity. To help our children have a safe school year, APS asks its customers to review the following tips with our customers of the future:

• Give your children a proper understanding of the power of electricity. Start with a tour through your home to illustrate all the appliances and conveniences they enjoy which are powered by electricity.
  
  
• Start with electrical outlets and determine with your child what they are to be used for. Emphasize to your children that the only thing meant to go into an electrical socket is a proper plug. Play it safe by putting plug covers throughout your home to discourage curious fingers.
  
  
• Together with your child, examine cords to appliances with which the children may come in contact. Teach them to never tie cords in knots and never run cords under carpet. Never yank the cord form the wall. Rather, take hold of the plug and pull it from the socket. If the cord has a "break" or "tear," take the time to immediately replace.
  
  
• If an electrical socket looks like an octopus, you're in trouble. Too many cords make a socket work too hard, possibly causing it to blow a fuse or worse. Explain to your children that too many plugs in one socket are very dangerous.
  
  
• Water and electricity don't mix. This is a rule never to forget. If any electric item - hair dryer, toy, radio, etc. - does happen to fall into water, do not touch it, the water, or anything the water touches. Instruct your children to tell an adult immediately.

APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. In 2008, APS won its second Edison Award in recognition of innovative leadership and operational excellence in the electric industry.  Given annually by the Edison Electric Institute, the Edison Award is considered the industry's most prestigious honor. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW)

Damon Gross
(602) 250-2269