Customer Care: (416) 542-8000   |   8:00am - 4:30pm    |    Monday - Friday










Home > For Home > Electrical Safety > What is Contact Voltage?
 

What Is Contact Voltage?

Contact voltage is electricity that may be present on the surface of outdoor structures like streetlighting equipment, street signs and other energized fixtures, posing a serious shock hazard.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Avoid contact with these pieces of streetlighting equipment as much as possible:

 
Handwell

These are usually located three to four feet from an
elecrical pole.

 

  


Streetlight

The wiring for streetlighting is fed underground to access points such as cable chambers and handwells.

 

  

 
Mobile Voltage Tracker

Three of these trucks sweep the city every night in search of contact voltage.  They're equipped with state-of-the-art technology to identify energized electricial equipment.  Toronto Hydro crews follow these trucks to immediately make the area safe, if electrified equipment is found.

 

 

  

Contact Voltage Resources