With the new school year now under way, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds educators and parents about the availability of popular safety lessons aiming to inform kids about gas and electric safety and emergency preparedness – free of charge. 

Easy-to-use, online safety lessons and standards-based materials for elementary and middle school teachers can be found on PG&E’s Safe Kids Web site at www.pge.com/safekids.
PG&E offers these safety tips for children and adults:

Electric safety tips
• Never go near downed power lines. Treat all downed lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. If you encounter a downed line, keep others away and call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 immediately.

• Remind children only safety caps and plugs should go into electrical outlets.
• Remind children to keep electrical cords and appliances away from water.

Gas safety tips
• If you smell or hear gas escaping inside your home, get everyone outside to a location upwind where you no longer can smell natural gas. Do not use electrical switches, appliances or telephones, because sparks can ignite gas from broken gas lines. Do not check for a gas leak with a match or an open flame. Once outside, use your phone from a safe distance to call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.

• Children should not play near natural gas appliances or equipment such as ovens, water heaters and furnaces. 

• Children should remember the three important messages about natural gas – smell, leave and tell.