National Grid cautions public, workers of potential dangers from snow and ice build up

As snow piles quickly become snow mountains, and ice and snow continue to fall and accumulate,National Grid urges everyone to take precautions to avoid the potential hazards the wintry weather may present.

Electric lines and equipment may be covered by snow, but remain live and can be hazardous. Always stay at least 10 feet away from wires, poles or other company equipment. Don't climb snow piles below or near overhead lines, and keep pets and children clear of the area. When clearing or plowing snow, equipment operators should make every effort to avoid creating huge snow mounds under or near overhead electrical lines, and should pay particular attention around poles and towers to avoid damaging equipment or creating a climbing hazard.

Equipment operators also should be aware of the location of electrical equipment even when overhead lines are not evident. This includes ground-level transformers in areas where electrical services are otherwise underground.

National Grid cautions the public that snow plows, blowers, roof rakes, shovels and other equipment easily become conductors if they come into contact with energized equipment.

Consider any downed wire to be live and dangerous. If you see any fallen lines, broken poles or trees touching wires, keep people and animals away, and contact National Grid immediately. 

National Grid Customers wishing to report an incident or concern should contact the company's Customer Service Contact Center at 800-642-4272.

National Grid also provides real-time outage information 24 hours a day, including the option to report an outage in the Outage Central section of the company webpage at www.nationalgridus.com.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns more than 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to more than one million LIPA customers.