Safety
Electrical safety is mainly an exercise in common sense, but it helps to know some fundamentals of how electricity works. Use our guidelines to keep your family and business safe.
Electrical safety is mainly an exercise in common sense, but it helps to know some fundamentals of how electricity works. Use our guidelines to keep your family and business safe.
Stay safe in a storm
Call PGE immediately at  503-464-7777  in Portland, or  800-544-1795 to report any downed utility line. Here are some safety tips:
If you see a downed or sagging line, stay at least 50 feet away!
A downed line doesn’t have to spark to be dangerous.
Don’t touch anything near a downed power line.
If a person or animal is in contact with electricity, stay back.
If a line falls on your car, stay in your vehicle.
Never use gasoline, propane or charcoal burning devices inside your home or garage.
Safety basics
Electricity is always seeking a path to the ground through water, trees, metal, wood, concrete, as well as people and animals.
These things don’t have to touch a wire to electrocute you, so always keep yourself and your equipment at least 20 feet away from power lines. It’s not only safe, it’s also the law.
Plan for medical needs
Use medical life-support equipment? Have a plan in place and consider a backup generator in case of an extended power outage.
Generator safety
A home generator can be a convenient backup solution during a power outage, if you use it safely. Before turning on a generator, always follow manufacturer instructions!
Home safety
Learn how to use electricity safely in your home.Â
Outdoor lighting
See options for installing streetlights and outdoor area lighting.
Kids’ safety education
Show your kids how to use electricity safely and check out our free electricity education resources for families and teachers.
Contractors & landscapers
Keep your crew safe, whether they’re digging, building, landscaping or performing routine maintenance outdoors.
Business safety
See workplace electrical safety tips.
Wildfire safety
Even in historically wet, mild Oregon, summers are getting hotter and dryer with longer wildfire seasons, and the overall risk of wildfires is increasing. Because the electrical grid has the potential to cause wildfires, we’re doing more now to reduce the risk later, and keep you – and Oregon – safe.
Tree maintenance
Get tips on how to maintain your trees and shrubbery safely around power lines.Â
Free wood chips
Interested in free wood chips? Find out how to request them.