The raining season has begun in Northeast and it is very important that people take preventive actions to keep their safety. Floods, lightning bolts, tree falls… these are some of the common occurrences during storms that may interfere in the electric grid. Precautions are even more important as long as people stay at home due to the social isolation resulting from the pandemic.

Neoenergia warns on the importance of being attentive to the effects of lightning bolts. The atmospheric discharge may cause disruptions to the electric grid, in addition to jeopardizing household installations. “We recommend the practice of disconnecting all electric devices from the switches during a storm with lightning bolts. When doing this, the individual shall be wearing shoes with an insulating sole, such as rubber and the hands must not be wet", says Hugo Vidal, Health and Safety manager at Coelba, a Neoenergia concessionaire.

A SAFE HOME

Neoenergia recommends to be even more attentive as to the presence of humidity in walls with electric circuits and/or switches. When any such sign is found, the safe practice is not to touch it, nor connecting electronics to switches installed in this place, thus avoiding the risk of electric shock.

Vidal reiterates the importance of keeping yourself safe inside home in raining periods. “Don't perform any maintenance in TV antenna when raining and avoid open places, such as roofs and pools, as they are more dangerous, and never seek shelter under trees", says the professional.

PRECAUTIONS DURING FLOODS

Same places are impacted with floods, and such situations may cause harm to the electric grid and put people safety at risk. The Health and Safety Manager advises that the first action required is disconnecting the circuit breaker. “This must be done promptly when the individual is aware of the first signs of flooding in the house. Then, disconnect all electronic equipment and appliances from the switch and keep them at a safe distance from the water", says Vidal.

The main problem occurs when the circuit breaker is placed in a flooded area. In this event, the distributor must be promptly called through the Customer Relation Center, phone number 116. When the service is restored, a qualified professional shall assess the electric network at the house before reconnecting the circuit breaker.

ELECTRIC SHOCK

Even taking all precautions, accidents happen. So, what should we do in this case? The first action is to disconnect the energy source causing the electric shock. Then, put the victim away from the shock source, but never touch them. The recommended practice is to displace them using materials such as plastic, a thick fabric or wood. Then, call an official first responder service and keep calm until the arrival of such professionals.

This initiative is part of Iberdrola group's response to Coronavirus .