Electrical Safety School!
With 35 years as a CL&P lineworker under his tool belt, who better than Eric Farnsworth to present an electrical safety program to kids at nearly 30 elementary schools in eastern Connecticut? With a safety video and full lineworker gear tucked into his briefcase,Eric takes his electrifying show on the road, teaching fourth and fifth graders about the potential dangers of electricity.
Eric’s presentation begins with a 20-minute video that contains a series of vignettes portraying children in everyday situations that go seriously awry. In one, a girl attempts to pry a slice of toast from a toaster using a fork. In another, a boy grabs a live wire while trying to retrieve a toy airplane from a tree. In a third, a group of kids contemplate retrieving a ball that has been tossed over a substation fence. Each situation highlights an electrical hazard, and drives home the salient point: Do Not Touch!
After playing the video, Eric selects a volunteer from his audience and outfits him or her in full lineworker gear: a bright orange jacket, rubber sleeves, rubber gloves, hard hat and safety glasses. The overall effect is funny and effective at the same time, demonstrating the precautions even experienced lineworkers take every day on the job.
With so many years of experience, Eric certainly has his share of stories to tell. “I love being with the kids and telling them stories,” says Eric. “You should see them—their eyes get all wide—they’re just amazed.”
In his most captivating story, Eric tells of a serious accident involving two co-workers that occurred while switching out transformers at a substation. The mishap resulted in a fiery explosion, but fortunately Eric was there to remind his fellow lineworkers—who had both caught on fire—to drop and roll, and to call for the immediate help they needed. For his clear-headed handling of the situation, Eric received the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ Lifesaving Award.
The electrical safety program ends with a question and answer period during which Eric typically explains the basic electrical concept of grounding while answering the commonly-asked question of how birds are able sit on power lines without being electrocuted. “I really try to cover everything,” says Eric.
And in his 30 years of presenting the electrical safety program to area schools, he surely has.
If you are interested in a safety presentation at your school during the 2008-2009 school year, please visit www.clpsafety.com.
For general electrical safety information, please visit www.donttouchthis.org
