Safety During Line-Down Situations

After storms, vehicle accidents, high winds, or fires, power lines may be on the ground, hidden in debris, or entangled in trees and fences. Even if a line appears inactive, it could still be carrying electricity.

For Community Members

Stay at least 30 feet away from any downed power line.
Never touch a downed line or anything in contact with it, including trees, fences, vehicles, or standing water.
Call 911 and report the hazard to your local electric cooperative immediately.
Keep children, pets, and bystanders away from the area.
Do not attempt to move debris or branches that are touching power lines.

For Emergency Responders

Assume all lines are energized until utility personnel have verified otherwise.
Establish a safe perimeter and restrict public access.
Avoid contact with vehicles, structures, fences, or equipment that may be energized by a downed conductor.
Coordinate with the electric cooperative before beginning recovery operations near electrical facilities.
Use extreme caution around flooded areas where electrical equipment may be submerged.

If a Vehicle Contacts a Power Line

Remain inside the vehicle if it is safe to do so.
Call 911 and wait for utility crews to de-energize the line.
If fire or another immediate danger requires evacuation, jump clear with both feet together and shuffle away without lifting your feet from the ground.

Generator Safety

If you purchase a standby generator, please notify us so we can be aware of your location. We also highly encourage you to have your generator installed by a licensed electrician.

Connecting Your Standby Generator Safely

Figure 2: Double-Throw Switch Controlling Individual Circuits or Subpanel

Adding a standby generator to the electrical system of a home, farm, or business requires a suitable transfer switch to disconnect the electric loads from the power supplier’s utility grid. This is a requirement of the National Electrical Code (NEC Article 702-6) and all electric power suppliers, for 2 very good reasons:

It prevents the backflow of current into the utility’s lines during an outage, which could electrocute linemen working to restore power.
It prevents damage to the generator when regular electric service has been restored, which can destroy the generator.

Choosing the Right Transfer Switch

Single-Phase Power (120/240 Volt)

Figure 1: Typical Double-Pole, Double-Throw Transfer Switch Installation for 120/240 V, Single-Phase Service. Grounding electrode must be bonded according to National Electrical Code requirements and local regulations.

For single-phase, 120/240 volt power, the transfer switch should be a double-pole, double-throw type.

Double-pole means there are 2 pairs of wire lugs available for the connection of hot conductors (see Figure 1). This allows both hot wires of the 120/240 volt system to be switched at the same time, ensuring the load is fully disconnected from 1 power source before being connected to the other. The third wire (neutral wire) is continuous through the transfer enclosure and is typically not switched (NEC Article 230-83), since the neutral provides a shared return path that must remain unbroken. The ground wire also passes through the switch enclosure to provide a safe and continuous ground connection at all times.
Double-throw means the operator can place or “throw” the switch into 2 different positions, with a neutral “off” point in between. 1 position feeds power from the utility system to the load, which is the normal everyday setting. The other position feeds power from the standby generator to the load, used during an outage. Because the switch can only be in 1 position at a time, it is physically impossible to feed power from both sources at once — a critical safety feature that protects both your generator and any line workers on the utility grid.

Such a switch will prevent electricity generated by the standby unit from flowing simultaneously to both the member’s home or farmstead and to the utility’s system. This is essential to protect utility personnel and to prevent generator equipment damage.

Three-Phase Power

A three-phase generator would require a three-pole, double-throw switch. Some electric services use current transformer (CT) metering, which may require the use of a pole-top transfer switch. The operation of these switches is essentially the same, except that an extended manual switch lever is needed to allow the user to operate the switch from ground level.

Small Portable Generators

For small portable generators that serve a single freezer, well pump, or other appliance that plugs directly into the generator, a transfer switch is not necessary. But any time a generator serves loads through the permanent wiring system of the home, farm, or business, a suitable transfer switch must be used.

Where To Install the Transfer Switch

Typically, the transfer switch is located between the utility meter and the loads to be served. It should be within 25 feet or less of the generating unit for convenience and safety.

If the location of critical loads is scattered among several outbuildings, the central meter pole may be the best location for both the transfer switch and the generator.
If a critical load is located within a single building, the transfer switch (and generator) can be installed at the service entrance to that particular building.
If only 1 or 2 circuits need to be powered during an outage, it is possible to connect only those circuits within a building to the transfer switch, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Sizing the Transfer Switch

The size of the transfer switch is determined by the loads to be served.

Central meter pole location: The transfer switch rating must be equal to the size of the main service (typically 100, 200, or 400 amperes).
Individual building or single circuit: The transfer switch will be sized to the total ampere rating of the connected loads.
Engine-driven generator with automatic start-up: The transfer switch is normally built into the automatic controls of the system. In this case, the transfer switch must be large enough to handle all electrical loads. Size the switch to match the rating of conductors that supply regular power to the building(s) or farmstead.

Consult a qualified electrician for assistance, and be sure your new wiring is inspected.

Grounding & Maintenance

All standby generators should be grounded using #6 solid copper wire and an 8-foot ground rod, which must be properly bonded to the electrical grounding system with approved clamps and connections to assure good electrical contact.

Cover all generator openings with wire mesh to exclude rodent entry and potential damage.
Keep these openings free of debris that might restrict the cooling of the unit.

Other Safety Guidelines

Keep all guards and shields in place to protect the operator from moving parts.
Never run a generator in a basement or other enclosed area. Fumes that are not easily detected can be lethal to sleeping occupants and others.
Never shut off the generator under load.
Never store fuel near the generator unless a proper container or fuel tank is used.
Never refuel a generator when hot or while the engine is running.
Use extreme care under wet conditions; making your body a path to the ground can cause a fatal shock.
On tractor-driven units, always turn off the tractor and PTO control to service the generator. Set the tractor brake before starting the generator.