Kansas City Power and Light held a safety demonstration Thursday morning to educate participants about precautions to take around electricity.

“People deal with electricity every day,” said Shawn Spiwak, KCP&L field trainer. “Most people just don’t understand how electricity works. It just looks like magic, you see the lines out there but it’s not doing anything until somebody gets into it and can get seriously injured.”

Spiwak has experience with electricity hazards himself, after losing his right leg, right arm and left ring finger during an accident dealing with power lines.

During a safety demonstration given to members of the local fire departments, police departments and other agencies Spiwak talked about ways to remain safe around electricity.

Using a mobile distribution system that includes poles, conductors, transformers and meter cans participants were able to watch the dangers posed by electrical contact.

“Show high voltage and low voltage arcs and some fires to show realistically how electricity works,” said Spiwak.

The lines were energized at 7200 volts and secondary lines at 120/240 to show the potential dangers of electrical contact.

Spiwak said if a power line is laying on the ground to avoid contact with it and call 911.

“Have the police or fire come out there that way they can rope off the area and keep the general public out and definitely get a hold of the light company to de-energize it,” he said.