August 2021 | Volume 83 | Issue 8
School Safety Demonstrations Back in Full Swing
Platte-Clay Electric prides itself on working safely. With our safety motto being “Zero Harm” Think Safe, Work Safe, go home safe. Our commitment to safety isn’t limited to just our employees. We have the same concern for the safety of those whose work or daily activities bring them close to our powerlines.
While the pandemic canceled in-school safety demonstrations last year. Platte-Clay is beginning to see schools and other organizations reaching out for us to speak to their groups. Platte-Clay recently had the opportunity to visit Kearney Elementary. Nearly 50 students in the Kids Club program experienced an exciting live safety demonstration. The demonstration is an eye-opening experience complete with sparks, sounds, and small power arcs.
“Electrical safety is very important at any age and this demonstration brings it home to the kids in a dramatic way that will stick with them,” said Amanda McQuerrey, Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator. We love opportunities like this to get out in the communities we serve to teach about electrical safety. Our hope is that they will take home what they’ve learned and share it with their friends and parents.
After the safety demonstration and impressive questions from the students, Lineman Seth Henry gathered the kids around in groups to let them see up close some of his equipment and discussed different aspects of his position.
You can easily request a presentation for your school or civic group by visiting pcec.coop/education/sign-school-demo/. If your organization is not allowing in-person presentations, a virtual option is available.
Impact Of Covid-19 Continues To Be Felt At The Cooperative
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
The quick development of an effective vaccine for COVID-19 has allowed businesses to return to some version of normal for the first time since early 2020. Strict requirements on screenings, mask rules and quarantines have been relaxed by local health departments in our service area. Although COVID-19 may seem like it’s in the rearview mirror, the truth is the impact of the pandemic will be felt for many years to come in our community and our co-op.
The Delta variant of COVID-19 has hit Missouri particularly hard compared to other states. As this new, more transmissible version of the virus spreads across the midwest, we are likely to see more positive cases in the Northland. Quarantine procedures, which have been in place since last year, will continue to be followed at Platte-Clay for any positive cases among employees.
PCEC’s Member Services team will continue to work directly with consumer-members who face difficult financial circumstances due to COVID-19. Our team is experienced with helping members apply for payment plans and connecting them with community organizations that can offer bill payment assistance.
Another long-term impact of COVID-19 we’re starting to see come to life is an increase in the price of various materials. Demand for electrical equipment is high and supplier pricing has followed that trend in recent months as many parts remain on backorder. Some vehicles and other equipment can now take more than a year to get from ordering to product delivery.
PCEC is fortunate to have an on-site warehouse with direct access to much of what’s needed to maintain our electrical grid, but pricing challenges may be here to stay for the near future. For example, something as simple as a 10-foot stick of 3-inch PVC pipe that was $13.60 a year ago is now $37.58 for the same piece. A 10-foot stick of 2-inch PVC pipe that was $6.00 a year ago is now $19.60. These materials are used in every new service installation. All of these individual costs add up and impact the cost of doing business.
Every department in our co-op is working to keep costs down so that the organization can remain in a strong financial position. As COVID-19 continues to impact all aspects of the energy industry, we expect to see the cost of doing business increase for Platte-Clay.
Vaccines have given our cooperative more flexibility to return to normal business, but some impacts of the pandemic will continue beyond its end. Platte-Clay members have higher expectations than ever before for self-service options and digital tools – we’re working hard everyday to meet and surpass those expectations.
Tremendous progress has been made in the fight against COVID-19, but we are not out of the woods just yet. With more cases likely to appear in the Northland in the coming months, Platte-Clay Electric employees are focused on continuing to achieve our mission of empowering communities and energizing life with safe and reliable energy.
Tips For A Safe Harvest Season
Agriculture is the backbone of our country, and our livelihood greatly depends on the crops provided by American farmers. In addition to being one of the most labor-intensive professions, farming is also considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S.
The hard work and exhaustive labor are tough but rushing the job to save time can be extremely dangerous––even deadly––when farming near electrical equipment.
Every year, there are collisions where tractors and other farming equipment accidentally collide with utility poles and power lines, causing injuries and power outages. These dangerous accidents can be avoided by looking up and around your surroundings when operating large farm machinery. If you’re preparing for harvest season, please keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Maintain a 10-foot clearance around all utility equipment in all directions.
- Use a spotter and deployed flags to maintain safe distances from power lines and other electrical equipment when working in the field.
- If your equipment makes contact with an energized or downed power line, contact 9-1-1 immediately and remain inside the vehicle until the power line is de-energized. In case of smoke or fire, exit the cab by making a solid jump out of the cab (without touching it), and hop away to safety.
- Consider equipment and cargo extensions of your vehicle. Lumber, hay, tree limbs, irrigation pipes and even bulk materials can conduct electricity, so keep them out of contact with electrical equipment.
Platte-Clay Electric hopes you never find yourself in a situation where farming equipment contacts power lines or poles, but if you do, we hope you’ll remember these safety tips.
Platte-Clay Moments
PCEC employees are given a tour of a transmission substation by the Substation Supervisor for Northwest Power Electric Cooperatrive (N.W.) in Fairport, Missouri.
Left: Kearney Elementary students learn about electrical safety by participating in a PCEC safety demonstration. Right: Day or night, PCEC crews have been quick to respond to outages caused by summer storms this year.
Platte-Clay Electric Seeking Members to Join Focus Group
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative is seeking consumer-members to join its 2021 Focus Group. Focus Group members are compensated for their time and get the opportunity to help shape the future of the cooperative by providing feedback about PCEC’s plans for the future. To apply to join the focus group, fill out the form on: www.PCEC.coop/focusgroup.
The Northland Connection is published monthly by Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., 1000 W. 92 Highway, Kearney, MO 64060. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Northland Connection, PO Box 100, Kearney, MO 64060 or mail@pcec.coop.
Platte-Clay is an equal opportunity employer.