Kites and balloons left more than 700,000 EDP customers without electricity
Guarulhos, Itaquaquecetuba, Mogi das Cruzes, São José dos Campos and Suzano were the most affected cities; the concession holder warns of the risks, and provides safety tips
Sun, school holidays and daylight savings. They make the perfect combination for children having fun, and using that the time to play with kites, and in some cities, to release festive balloons.
EDP, the electricity distributor in Alto Tietê, Vale do Paraíba and the North Coast, warns about the risks and prohibitions that should be taken into account when playing, since, in addition to provoking disconnections, serious accidents may occur. Additionally, releasing balloons is an environmental crime.
"The fun becomes even more enjoyable when you do not neglect must avoid flying kites near power grids. Instead, they must choose open fields and parks, "says Marcos Scarpa, the spokesperson of the concession holder.
In order to understand the dimensions of the problems that kites and balloons may cause, according to an EDP survey, between January and December of last year more than 7,500 incidents were registered in the 28 municipalities of their concession. As a consequence, 710,000 customers suffered interruptions to their power supply.
Guarulhos (2,311), Itaquaquecetuba (1,004), Mogi das Cruzes (525), São José dos Campos (416) and Suzano (747) lead the ranking of cities with number of incidents of this nature. In these cases, the distributor teams mobilized to clean the wiring and to restore the energy supply interrupted by damage to the power grid.
In order to keep customers from suffering interruptions to the service, the EDP warns of the dangers of flying kites and releasing balloons close to the electrical network:
The practice of releasing balloons is a crime provided for in the Penal Code and the Law on Environmental Crimes. Manufacturing, selling, transporting or releasing balloons is punishable with imprisonment of one to three years, a fine, or both penalties;
If the balloon falls on a substation, the damages may be of considerable in terms of the interruption of the energy supply of a large number of customers;
Some materials used in the manufacture of kites are conductors of electricity and increase the danger when in contact with the power grid. Tails made from VHS tape or cassettes are some examples;
The use of glass powder mixed with glue is prohibited and may lead to the person responsible being obliged to pay a fine. This glue is a risk for motorcyclists and pedestrians, and also is dangerous if it comes into contact with the power grid;
Throwing objects into the power grid to rescue the kite can cause serious accidents. The "cat spear" (a stone attached to a wire) or any other electrical conductor should not be released;
Flying kites in places where there are slabs and walls should be avoided. The proximity of the power grid increases the risk of accidents;
It is expressly prohibited to invade EDP substations to retrieve kites and balloons. These places are energized and only authorized persons may enter the stations;
An accident caused by electric shock may lead to consequences such as burns and even cause death.
It is important to remember that in case of any abnormality in the distribution network, consumers should contact the Customer Service Center by calling the toll free line 0800 721 0123, available 24 hours.
Awareness of safe play
During 2015, EDP, through the EDP Institute and in partnership with Evoluir, carried out the Brincando com Pipas (Playing With Kites) Project, an initiative to make people aware of the importance of safe play.
The training of managers and educators, as well as talks, artistic presentations and cooperative games formed part of the project in Suzano, city that hosted the activities in the region, involving four thousand students from the municipal public network.
