‘Stray voltage’ could pose danger to people, pets

WASHINGTON — Some say there is a hidden danger on the sidewalk that many
miss by just inches.

Manhole covers, fire hydrants and lampposts can come into contact with frayed
wiring and deliver an electric shock. Even buildings and roadways can become
electrified as well.

NBC’s TODAY sent an engineering crew to Washington, D.C., where it found 40
instances of so-called “stray voltage.” In one case, the energy on the side
of a lamppost was enough to illuminate a light bulb. It was also enough to
send sparks flying from a grounded screwdriver.

“People should not be alarmed,” Betty Ann Kane, Chairman of the Public Service
Commission of the District of Columbia, tells WTOP. “It’s an often recurring
problem in any city and in any utility situation.”

But she says any possible problems should be reported immediately.
Additionally, she says, “We have a very robust inspection program of Pepco’s
lines,” to look for problem spots.

She says in her four decades in the District there have been no incidents of
stray voltage causing serious harm.

Dave Kalokitis, chief engineer for Power Survey Company, tells TODAY that
people are often protected from electrocution by their shoes, which act as
insulators. Pets, however, do not have that protection and can become victims.

He warns that under the right conditions, stray voltage can be deadly to
people and pets and unlike water or gas leaks there is no obvious evidence of
a problem.

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