Power line or equipment contact

Know what to do if you’ve hit or made contact with electrical equipment in Collingwood, Stayner, Creemore and parts of Blue Mountains. Learn how to respond and stay safe.

Vehicle contact with green electrical box

On this page

What to do if there is contact
If your vehicle hits a power pole or power line
If equipment touches underground power lines
- Helping someone who may be injured
Related safety information

In Ontario, accidental power line or electrical equipment contact happens when something touches electrical infrastructure, like a power line, power pole, or green electrical box. Some common ways contact can happen:

A power line falls onto a vehicle during a storm or crash
A vehicle hits a power pole or green electrical box, often in icy conditions
Driving over a downed power line, even if it looks inactive
Equipment like a digger, tractor, or shovel touches overhead or underground lines

What to do if there is contact

If there is contact with a power line or electrical equipment in Collingwood, Stayner, Creemore and parts of Blue Mountains:

Call 911.
Call EPCOR’s 24/7 emergency line at 705-445-1800.
Do not attempt to touch or move a power line or anything touching it.
Stay at least 10 metres (about the length of a school bus) away from the area.

Wait for emergency responders and trained crews to make the area safe.

If your vehicle hits a power pole or power line

What you should do depends on whether you can safely stay inside the vehicle or can move away.

If you can, safely stay inside your vehicle:

Stay inside the vehicle
Call 911, then call EPCOR
Tell others to stay back at least 10 metres (about the length of a school bus)

Only leave your vehicle only if there is immediate danger from fire, heavy smoke, or another serious risk.

How to safely exit your vehicle if an immediate threat

If you must leave your vehicle, follow the steps below to exit safely:

Open your door carefully.
Jump away from the vehicle, landing with both feet together.
Do not touch both the vehicle and ground at the same time. Your vehicle could be carrying electricity, touching it and the ground at the same time could cause serious injury.
Shuffle away with both feet together and on the ground at all times.
Move at least 10 metres away from the vehicle.
Call 911 once you are safely away.
Do not return to the vehicle, and keep others away.

Keeping your feet together when you shuffle away helps protect you from "step potential", dangerous voltage differences in the ground.

Safely move your vehicle away if not tangled or stuck

Is your vehicle tangled in wires or can you clearly drive away?

If your vehicle it is not tangled and you can clearly drive away:

Slowly drive at least 10 metres away (about the length of a school bus).
Stop and call 911 to report the incident.
Keep yourself and others at least 10 metres away.

If your vehicle is stuck, tangled in wires, or you are unsure:

Stay inside the vehicle.
Call 911 and share your location.
Emergency responders will secure the area until EPCOR arrives.
An EPCOR crew member will open your door, tell you how to exit your vehicle safely, and what to do next.

Keep everyone at least 10 metres away.

If equipment touches underground power lines

Some power lines are buried underground. They can still be dangerous if they are hit or damaged, even if nothing looks wrong.

If you hit, or think you hit, an underground power line while digging or working:

Stop digging immediately. 
Stay on equipment, if it is safe.
If not on equipment, move at least 10 metres away from the area.
Keep others back 10 metres
Call 911, then call EPCOR.
Do not touch exposed wires, soil or equipment near the area.

Helping someone who may be injured

Your safety comes first.

Do not approach or touch the person until it's confirmed the source of electricity has been removed.
Call 911 right away.
Give first aid only if emergency responders say it is safe. Electrical injuries often require immediate professional medical care.

warning

How we respond to power outages

Accidental contact can damage power lines and electrical equipment. When it does, our crews secure the area, fix the problem and get the power back on.

How we restore power to your neighbourhood

bolt

Downed power lines

Know what to do and how to stay safe if you see a downed or low‑hanging power line.

If you see a downed power line

construction

How to dig around underground utilities

Hitting underground power lines is dangerous. If you need to dig near underground lines, know where you can dig and how to do it safely.

Dig holes safely

Disclaimer

This webpage provides information only. Any reliance placed on this information is strictly at your own risk. EPCOR does not assume any responsibility or liability for any action, loss or damage that arises out of, or is in connection with the information contained in this webpage.