First Responder Safety

These safety rules involving power lines and electrical equipment will help first responders stay safe on the scene of an incident.

• Respect the power of electricity.
  • Electricity will seek all paths to ground, including but not limited to your body, trees, water, metal objects and structures, and long or tall equipment.
  • Even low-voltage electric shock can be fatal.
  • Standard firefighting protective gear like turnouts and gloves do not protect you from electric shock.
• Hands off electrical systems.
  • Never attempt to disconnect electrical services.
    • Never cut service wires.
    • Never attempt to remove electrical meters. This is extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury or death. Instead, turn off power at the main circuit breaker.
  • Never touch or attempt to move power lines.
• Protect yourself and others from electric shock.
  • Upon arrival at an incident scene, always identify power lines and electrical equipment from a safe distance (at least 100 feet).
  • Assume all power lines and objects in contact with lines are energized and dangerous.
  • If power lines or electrical equipment are involved in an incident, have your dispatch contact Hawaiian Electric. Remember, only qualified utility personnel are permitted to touch, cut, or move downed lines or other company electric equipment.
  • Secure the area. Keep yourself and the public at least 30 feet away from fallen power lines. Fallen bare metal transmission lines from larger towers require 100 feet of clearance.

• Do not enter or contact vehicles, it may be energized.
  • Do not enter or contact vehicles that may be energized due to contact with power lines. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious injury or death. Stay in the safe zone (a minimum of 30 feet away from the vehicle) until Hawaiian Electric confirms it is safe to approach the scene.
  • If there is no imminent danger, from a safe distance, instruct occupants to stay in the vehicle until utility personnel give the all clear.
  • If occupants are in imminent danger from fire or other hazards, stay away and instruct them on how to exit safely following the jump and shuffle technique. From a safe distance, demonstrate and talk them through the steps.
    • Jump clear and land with feet together. Do not touch the car and ground at the same time.
    • Shuffle away with small steps, keeping your feet together and on the ground.
    • Continue shuffling until you are a safe distance away, at least 30 feet from a downed line.

• Do not try to extinguish fires. Burning electrical equipment is already ruined and will be replaced. The safest course of action is to leave it alone and maintain a safe distance until otherwise instructed by utility personnel.
• Contact Hawaiian Electric and wait for utility personnel to arrive. Never attempt to enter a substation without utility personnel present.
• Evacuate the area. Keep people at least 100 feet away.
• Stay upwind and uphill from fires and spills.
• Be alert for explosions and toxic smoke. Electrical equipment contains oil. 
• Monitor for oil runoff. Direct any oil away from catch basins and surface waters.
• Protect surrounding area exposures to prevent fire from spreading. Do not use water within 30 feet of the substation until it is confirmed that power has been de-energized.

• Do not open or enter switch cabinets or pad-mounted transformers.
  • Never cut locks or pry cabinets open. This equipment contains live electrical components.
• Contact Hawaiian Electric.
• Evacuate the public. Keep clear and barricade area.
• Be alert to explosion and toxic-smoke hazards. Establish a 100-foot minimum approach distance from hazard.
• Protect area exposures.
• Do not try to extinguish transformer fires until otherwise instructed by utility personnel.
• Contact utility personnel and follow HAZMAT protocols if transformer oil is leaking or spilled. Transformer oil may be classified as hazardous material.
• Maintain safe distance and do not attempt to operate or access unless cleared by utility personnel. Pad-mounted equipment may produce arc flashes or blasts if disturbed. 

• Underground manholes contain a variety of equipment including transformers.
• Manholes pose confined spaces with special entry requirements.
• Do not attempt to remove or replace manhole covers.
  • Fires and explosions may launch covers a great distance. Keep clear and barricade area.
  • Doing so may make an already flammable atmosphere become explosive by adding oxygen to it.
  • Do not apply water streams directly into manholes or vaults unless cleared by utility personnel.
• Establish a 100-foot minimum approach distance from hazard.
• Contact Hawaiian Electric.
• If rescue must be performed in a manhole or vault, do not enter until utility personnel confirms that all underground equipment is de-energized.
  • Conduct atmospheric monitoring for flammable gases and oxygen deficiency before confined space entry.
  • Wear full PPE and SCBA, and follow your department's safety procedures for confined space entry and rescue.
• Work with utility personnel and follow HAZMAT protocols if exposure is suspected. Legacy equipment may contain hazardous materials like PCBs or asbestos.