Electrical Safety Electricity is always seeking to go into the ground, literally. The basic principle is that electricity is always seeking the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance is the path from a higher to a lower voltage level. Since the earth is at zero volts, electricity will always seek to go to ground. This is where a knowledge about conductors and insulators is important.
Some materials are resistant to the flow of electricity.
It is important to remember that the mere presence of insulators is not a guarantee of safety. A variety of circumstances can compromise the integrity of insulators. For example, if the rubber covering of a wire is split or broken, it would not protect a person from the electricity in the wire. Transmission and distribution power lines are obviously conductors, but there is insulation material where the lines are attached to the towers and poles supporting them. This keeps electricity from leaving the line and traveling down the support structures.