WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 24, 2016) - As part of National Safety Month and its ongoing efforts to promote electrical safety, Pepco is reminding customers about the dangers of working near overhead power lines.

Outdoor home improvement projects involving ladders or trees, and summer activities including outdoor sports or flying kites, may bring customers closer to overhead power lines.

"Customer contact with electrical equipment can be a dangerous situation, so we remind our customers to be aware of overhead lines when working or engaging in outdoor activities" said Donna Cooper, Pepco Region President. "We place a strong emphasis on reliability, but the safety of our valued customers remains our most important focus."

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there are nearly 400 people electrocuted in the United States each year.

• 8 percent of consumer product-related electrocutions each year are attributed to electrical accidents with power drills, saws, sanders, hedge trimmers and other electric power tools.
• 9 percent of consumer product-related electrocutions each year are caused by accidents involving the use of lawn and garden equipment and ladders, which come into contact with overhead power lines.

Pepco reminds customers that safety is paramount and when working on home improvement projects, consider the following safety tips:

• Before digging for any project, dial 811 to arrange for any utility lines to be marked.
• Keep ladders and other tools at least 10 feet from overhead power lines.
• Do not climb or trim trees near power lines.
• Keep electric tools and appliances away from wet surfaces including pools and patios.

Customers are asked to please report any outages and to stay away from any downed wires. To report outages and/or downed wires, please call 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662), follow the prompts, and please ask for a call back to confirm that power has been restored. Outages also may be reported through pepco.com or through the company's mobile app.

Find additional information on electrical safety by visiting www.pepco.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pepcoconnect and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pepcoconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.pepco.com/mobileapp.