Ameren Corporation and their safety mascot, Louie the Lightning Bug, remind parents that electricity is a safe, reliable and economical source of energy when used properly. However, electricity can cause serious injuries or even death when safety rules are not followed.
Ameren and Louie ask parents and others responsible for children to make certain youngsters understand and follow these basic safety rules:
• Never climb trees that are near power lines.
• Never climb a utility pole.
• Never play on or around electrical equipment.
• Never enter an electrical substation for any reason, including retrieving a ball or rescuing a pet. Instead, call the electric utility company for help.
• Always fly kites and model airplanes in large open areas that are far away from overhead power lines and trees. Never attempt to retrieve a kite, model plane or other object that gets stuck in or near power lines. Instead, call the electric utility for help.
• Assume any downed line is an electric line and that it is energized. Stay far away from the line and warn others to stay away. Immediately call the electric utility or local law enforcement.
Louie the Lightning Bug offers additional safety information on the Ameren Web site (www.ameren.com) for children and their parents, teachers and others who care for children. Of special interest is Louie's Electric Universe, which features games and fantastic electric facts for children. There also is a place in Electric Universe for teachers.
With assets of more than $17 billion, Ameren serves approximately 2.3 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000 square mile area of Missouri and Illinois. Ameren owns a diverse mix of electric generating plants strategically located in its Midwest market with a generating capacity of more than 14,800 megawatts.
Visit the Ameren Web site (www.ameren.com) for more information about Ameren and its subsidiaries.