Consumer Education Prevents Accidents, Pays Dividends

Like other electric utilities, Colorado Springs Department of Utilities (CSDU) has experienced liability problems resulting from electric shock accidents. As a result of these accidents, CSDU has increased its emphasis on consumer education. An informal program that had been in existence within CSDU...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTransmission & distribution world Vol. 41; no. 6; p. 58
Main Authors Swan, Mark, Sanchez, Kathy
Format Magazine Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Overland Park Endeavor Business Media 01.06.1989
Subjects
Accident prevention
Case studies
Consumer education
Electric utilities
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Summary:Like other electric utilities, Colorado Springs Department of Utilities (CSDU) has experienced liability problems resulting from electric shock accidents. As a result of these accidents, CSDU has increased its emphasis on consumer education. An informal program that had been in existence within CSDU for about 10 years was available as a starting point. The program utilized a miniature power line energized to 15,000 volts via a neon-sign transformer. A task force was established to bring structure to the program. Demonstration units were manufactured in quantity. Formal training was implemented for the presenters. The CSDU began promoting its Community Awareness Program in 1982 to school districts, children's clubs, volunteer fire departments, and contractors. The utility also acquired "Louie the Lightning Bug Program," which provided a readily identifiable character promoting electrical awareness. A 3-minute graphic video displaying actual electric shock injuries was created. As the number of presentations increased, the number of accidents decreased by 63%. This drop resulted in an annual average savings of $101,500.
ISSN:1087-0849