(NC) As the warm weather arrives, homeowners flock to their yards to clean up for the outdoor season. But did you know of all the hidden dangers that could lurk in your backyard when working with ladders and long-handled tools? The best way to protect yourself is to follow these tips recommended by Hydro One:

1. Don't come close to or touch power lines yourself or with equipment. Touching or even going near a hydro wire with equipment could cause serious injury or death. Hydro One will disconnect the power supply to your property once a year at no charge, so that any maintenance along or near your power line can be performed safely.

2. Always carry ladders horizontally.

3. When installing an antenna, cleaning your eaves troughs or doing other work at heights, get someone to help you by watching out for safety hazards.

4. When planting trees or shrubs, make sure they won't grow into power lines. If you do have a tree growing into a power line, do not attempt to prune or chop down a tree near lines yourself.

5. When trimming trees on your property, ensure branches won't fall onto a lower power line. Tree contact with power lines accounts for 30 per cent of power outages in Ontario.

6. When installing a swimming pool, hot tub or splash pad, look up. If electrical wires are located near the pool, there must be five metres of overhead clearance between the wires and the highest object like a slide, diving board or other pool equipment.

7. Remember, many power lines are underground. Cutting through one is extremely dangerous and could affect the power supply in your area. If you're gardening, landscaping, fencing or doing major excavations, contact Ontario One Call before you dig, so a service representative can mark underground cables on your property.

Attention editors: This article is for distribution in Ontario only.

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