Power Outage: Safety Tips
By Hope Bidegainberry on October 9, 2019
Here are some safety tips during a power outage:
- Use flash lights in the dark, not candles.
- Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. (Traffic lights will be out and roads will be congested).
- If you are using a generator be sure you understand how to use it properly.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. (An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours if doors remain closed.)
- First use perishable food from the refrigerator. Then use food from the freezer.
- If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items.
- Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times.
- Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics.
- Turn off or disconnect any appliances (like stoves), equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out. When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment.
- Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when the power comes on.
Staying safe after a power outage:
- If electrical power lines are down, don’t touch them. Keep your family and pets away. Report downed lines to your utility company.
- Throw away any food (particularly meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) that has been exposed to temperatures higher than 40 degrees F for 2 hours or more. When in doubt, throw it out!
- Never taste food or rely on appearance or odor to determine its safety.
- If you are not sure food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer.
- If food in the freezer is colder than 40 degrees F and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it.
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