As the leaves change color, fall weather arrives in the Pacific Northwest. The chill in the air and the falling foliage are reminders to take a moment for residents to check the condition of their yards and tend to maintenance issues around their home.
“Fall is a great time to check the condition of your trees and a good opportunity to prune them before they become an issue once storms start,” Jeremy Gee, Pacific Power’s vice president of health and safety, said in a press release. “Winter storms that bring down branches are a common source of power outages. Check around your property to see if any trees or branches could harm power lines if they fell. Some preventative work now could save you additional trouble and inconvenience related to power outages later.”
Use caution when pruning trees. Don’t use pruning tools or ladders near power lines. Always keep yourself and anything you’re handling at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines. Never try to remove a branch that is tangled or lying across a power line. Instead, residents should call their power company.
Some additional tips for fall safety from Pacific Power:
• Treat all electric lines with caution.
• Use only wooden and fiberglass ladders. Metal ladders conduct electricity.
• Be aware and steer clear of overhead electrical wires when installing, removing, cleaning or repairing gutters.
• Never use electrical equipment or tools near a pool or other wet areas such as puddles. Additionally, make sure outlets are equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter, designed to automatically disconnect if the tool comes into contact with water.
• Plant trees and shrubs away from meters, switching cabinets and boxed transformers. Vegetation that blocks electrical equipment makes repairs and maintenance challenging and sometimes dangerous for utility workers.
• Have help when installing or adjusting a satellite dish or antenna. Make sure to work at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.
• 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.
