As we move into high season for dog-shocking,
Toronto Hydro says it's about a third of the way through replacing the equipment that's responsible for what they call contact voltage.
The random currents, which are created when wires shift and come into contact with metal
handwells, visible in sidewalks as small round plates, tend to occur most during periods of freezing and thawing.
Dogs are most affected, and can be jolted or killed when they step on the handwells with unprotected paws. Though there are thousands of handwells and seemingly hundreds of thousands of dogs, the incidence of dog-shocking has been extremely low.
According to Toronto Hydro spokeswoman Denise Atallah, there are more than 10,000 handwells in the city, and each takes about half a day for a crew to replace with new equipment, made of non-conducting polymer.
Toronto Hydro launched their second annual public safety campaign in mid-December, reminding people to be aware of the danger. It will run until the end of February.
In addition to replacing the handwells, a project that began in 2009, Toronto Hydro performs regular scans to detect wayward voltage.
"Although scanning and handwell replacement play a large part in reducing the incidents, it is a persistent problem," Atallah says, "which is why we remain in touch with the population to remain aware and stay away from equipment."
If you detect any stray voltage yourself, Atallah suggests you call the hotline at 416-222-3773.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Denise Atallah
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