Despite BC Hydro’s warnings to keep a minimum three metres from power lines when trimming trees or doing other yard work, a surprising number of British Columbians are unprepared or unaware of vital safety rules.
According to a new report by BC Hydro, incidents involving ‘weekend loggers’ – people who do yard work or gardening near power lines or poles – are up 60 per cent from 2013.
That’s almost 400 accidents, occurring mostly in the spring and summer months, that have been reported to BC Hydro and attended by a BC Hydro crew in the past five years.
A lot of these incidents have to do with misinformation and false perceptions around working near power poles, a new survey suggests.
BC Hydro said that when asked in a province-wide survey, 7,500 B.C. residents reported close calls with electricity while pruning trees, as well as work on a roof such as cleaning gutters or replacing shingles.
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