June is National Safety Month
Each June, National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads and in our homes and communities. American Transmission Co. recognizes safety as one of its company values and strives to provide awareness to employees and their families.
The National Safety Council provides a theme for each week of National Safety Month. For example, the week of June 5 is “Stand Ready to Respond,” and features a poster, tip sheets and other articles related to the weekly theme.
More information on National Safety Month and weekly themes can be found here.
Lightning myths and facts to keep you safe
The weather has finally started to heat up and hot and humid summer days can often produce violent thunderstorms.
New transmission lines are built with grounded shield wires along the top of the poles, above the conductors, to protect the line from lightning. Like trees and other tall objects, transmission poles are likely to intercept lightning strikes, but they do not attract lightning.
Here are some myths and facts about lightning courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association:
- Myth: If it’s not raining or there aren’t clouds overhead, you’re safe from lightning.
- Fact: Lightning often strikes more than three miles from the center of the thunderstorm, far outside the rain or thunderstorm cloud.
- Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
- Fact: Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially if it’s a tall, pointy, isolated object. The Empire State Building is hit nearly 100 times a year.
- Myth: If you are in a house, you are 100 percent safe from lightning.
- Fact: A house is a safe place to be during a thunderstorm as long as you avoid anything that conducts electricity. This means staying off corded phones, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, computers, plumbing, metal doors and windows. Windows are hazardous for two reasons: wind generated during a thunderstorm can blow objects into the window, breaking it and causing glass to shatter and, in older homes, in rare instances, lightning can come in cracks in the sides of windows.