PG&E Provides A Back-To-School Safety Lesson

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As children in the affected region go back to school in the aftermath of the Napa County earthquake, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) would like to take this opportunity to remind Northern and Central California families and educators to discuss with their students how to stay safe around electricity and natural gas inside and outside the home.  

Every year, thousands of Americans—including hundreds of children—suffer serious injuries from accidental contact with electricity and natural gas. The risk of injury increases during natural disasters. PG&E's Safe Kids program aims to reduce these numbers by providing safety educational materials to more than 20,000 educators throughout its service area. The materials, including interactive individual and group learning activities, facilitated discussions, experiments, quizzes, and online games which all adhere to national and state teaching standards, give teachers the tools to address electrical and natural gas safety as part of the overall curriculum.

"There's not enough time to teach everything that we need to teach, so the materials allow me to cover reading standards and science simultaneously.  My son also brings your safety booklets home. As a teacher and parent, I appreciate PG&E's commitment to safety education," said Lara Futch, a third-grade teacher at Yulupa Elementary School in Santa Rosa.

Many of the electrical outlet tampering accidents and carbon monoxide injuries caused by leaking natural gas appliances are preventable by taking simple steps to protect and educate kids and families about electric and natural gas safety.

Safety is PG&E's top priority. Through education and outreach—like the Safe Kids program—PG&E, together with parents, educators and community leaders, can reduce these tragic accidents and protect everyone, especially children. Teachers can order free Safe Kids materials for their classrooms by visiting PG&E's website at www.pge.com/safekids.

In order to help prevent injuries, PG&E offers these important electric and gas service safety tips for kids to ensure a safe school year:

• Never go near downed power lines. They can be live and dangerous. If you see a downed line, stay far away and call 911 immediately.
• Never put anything into electrical outlets. Only adults should put safety caps and plugs into electrical outlets.
• Make sure your hands are dry before you touch anything electrical, even if you think it is turned off. Keep electrical cords and appliances away from water.
• Do not play near natural gas appliances or equipment like ovens, water heaters, or furnaces.
• Check with your parents to make sure a carbon monoxide detector is installed with fresh batteries, preferably near a sleeping area.
• Remind adults never to use generators, barbeques or charcoal indoors.
• Remember the three important messages about natural gas: Smell, Leave and Tell!
• If you smell natural gas in your house, tell an adult. If no adult is home, get everyone out of the house. Do not turn on lights or use the phone. Ask a neighbor for help.
• Be sure that if an adult is planning a digging job at home, large or small, they call 811 at least two working days beforehand.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)