Reminder: Keep space free around electrical transformers

An empowering thought: Electrical transformer boxes need their space, too.

Horry County Electric Cooperative Inc. of Conway has about 17,000 of these green metal boxes, including many in residents’ yards. That’s why, in keeping with universal electric utility industry standards, residents are reminded to keep a safe distance around the boxes free of landscaping and obstructions as a preventive measure.

That clearance zone is 10 feet in front, and 4 feet around the sides and back, for line crews’ enhanced safety and ease of access, especially in a power outage or other emergency.

Right-of-way maintenance starts this week and continues through Nov. 20 through the Socastee and Forestbrook areas, where Horry Electric has reminded customers of the need to remove shrubs, trees, fencing and other impediments around boxes – but not telephone, cable TV or other utility apparatus – by the end of August. Otherwise remaining in the way when work crews arrive this fall, will be removed, and plants growing into the established boundaries around boxes will be trimmed as part of the company’s practice to clear improperly planted landscaping as efficiently as possible.

Kevin Jordan, a supervisory engineer, and Penelope Hinson, Horry Electric’s manager of public relations, underscored the importance of this routine process to keep landscaping at bay around transformers, and how everyone is asked to help with this effort at all times, in all seasons, as a health and safety matter for customers and their whole neighborhoods.

With hurricane season’s primetime beginning in September steps to help reduce inconveniences from power outages benefit power companies and consumers.

Question | How often does Horry County make the rounds in its service territory to keep this clearance around the boxes. Also, how many boxes are in use, and how many reminder letters went out with customer billing statements?

Jordan | It’s typically twice a year: usually late winter/early spring and this time of year, in the fall. … We’re currently in a five-year cycle; we try to cut every area once every five years. … We stress that it is a safety concern for the guy in the field, when he’s working on anything in that box. … We hire a landscaping contractor to do this work us, and it’s weather-dependent.

Hinson | We mailed letters to 6,233 members this fall in the Socastee and Forestbrook areas. Systemwide, we have about 17,000 boxes that we try to trim at least once every 4-5 years. We notify by letter, talk about it in the South Carolina Living magazine ,and have done a display in the past at the annual meeting. We try to stress that it’s all about safety and giving the linemen room to safely work in and around the boxes.

Q. | Besides landscaping and overgrowth, what other obstructions have you found?

Jordan | You name it, we’ve seen it. Pampas grass has been one of the most annoying things to deal with, because it can be so thick. In an emergency, if they’re trying to trim it, it’s just one of those things that’s hard to move back. We have found a few rocks, decorative rocks to cover the transformer. That’s stuff we really don’t want to see; that just makes it harder to deal with at the transformer when we need to do work.

That transformer needs room to breathe, some room to cool off. It uses that outside temperature to help keep cool.

Hinson | Some people try everything to cover them up. We know a box is visible, but it’s a necessity. You will forget about it; after a while, you don’t even know it’s there. ...

We don’t want children playing around transformers, either. … Each box has a big “Danger” sign. That’s not a place to play King of the Hill, either; that’s just not safe.

Q. | What other reminders about safety do consumers need to hear?

Hinson | It’s not only with transformers; we have issues with people putting things around utility poles, including fences. … We try to stress that it’s all about safety and giving the linemen room to work safely in and around the boxes. … It’s also important for people to remember if they experience a power outage to call 843-369-2212, and that’s where we’re in tune, 24/7, 365 days a year. … To report a hazard or whatever, they should give us as many details as they can.

Jordan | We also are part of the 811 “Call before you dig” phone line; it’s a simple call for the general public to make, so all the utilities are notified.

Q. | Just how vast is the turf that Horry Electric serves?

Jordan | We cover Horry County in areas not served by Santee Cooper.

Hinson | It’s mostly west of the Intracoastal Waterway, and outside of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, and down S.C. 707.

This story was originally published August 30, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Reminder: Keep space free around electrical transformers."