During a time of social distancing, we are still celebrating birthdays, graduations and Mother’s Day.
The large, metallic, Mylar balloons have become a popular decoration, but if accidentally released outside, they could be hazardous.
Click below to hear CSU Energy Coordinator Pat McIntyre visiting with WTAW’s Chelsea Reber about the problems these balloons can cause.
Blog post by Pat McIntyre:
With social distancing in place because of the COVID-19 outbreak, people are finding new ways to celebrate events and milestones without the typical parties and get-togethers.
And what’s a birthday or graduation without balloons, especially those shiny, helium-filled foil balloons that are all the rage. They are called Mylar balloons and come in various shapes and sizes and can represent numbers and letters.
Unfortunately, they can also be hazardous.
When released, these festive balloons can get caught in high voltage power lines. The metallic coating conducts electricity and causes short circuits when entangled in power lines.
Stray Mylar balloons entangled in overhead lines in the last week caused two electric outages for hundreds of College Station residents. Such disruptions can cover a large area for two hours or more while we clear the balloons and repair damaged equipment.
Power outages not only inconvenience our customers, but they also jeopardize public safety and cause lost revenue for businesses. Two years ago, a stray balloon caused an outage and lengthy delay during a Major League Baseball game at Dodger Stadium.
College Station Utilities offers five tips to help prevent outages when celebrating birthdays, graduations and other events with Mylar balloons:
- Never allow Mylar balloons to be released outside. Keep the balloons indoors when possible.
- Make sure Mylar balloons are securely tied to a weight heavy enough to keep them from floating away. Never remove the weight.
- Don’t bundle Mylar balloons together.
- When your celebration is over, cut the balloons up and throw them away. Even a semi-inflated balloon can become airborne.
- Never try to retrieve anything that gets caught in a power line.
To report objects caught in power lines, call 911. To report outages, call 855-528-4278, and have your account number ready.