October 19, 2022 10:20 a.m.

With the leaves turning and fall weather arriving in the Pacific Northwest, homeowners will be pruning trees, taming overgrown gardens and cleaning the gutters at their residence.

A release from Pacific Power said many outdoor projects like this can be hazardous if residents don’t put safety first.

Pacific Power’s health and safety manager Joe Cissna said storms bringing down branches is a big cause of power outages. Cissna said people should check around their property to see if any trees or branches could harm power lines if they fell. He said some preventative work now could save more headaches and power outages later.

When pruning trees, property owners should not use pruning tools or ladders near power lines. People and the items they are handling should remain at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.

Other tips include:

*Treat all electrical lines with caution

*Use only wooden and fiberglass ladder. Metal ladders conduct electricity

*Never use electrical equipment or tools near a pool or other wet areas

*Steer clear of overhead electrical lines when installing, removing, cleaning or repairing gutters

*Have help when installing or adjusting a satellite dish or antenna

*Plant trees and shrubs away from meters, switching cabinets and boxed transformers

*Underground power lines are just as dangerous as overhead ones. If a project involves digging, make sure the locations of underground power lines are marked. Call 811 to have underground utilities located and marked for free

For more safety tips, go to: https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety/electrical-safety.html