Local electrical utilities are warning residents about a potentially deadly hazard.

Now that consistent spring weather has come to the Windsor area, many home owners are starting their annual home maintenance tasks such as cleaning out eaves troughs. That overhead work could put people at risk of coming into contact with live electrical wires.

In the last 10 years, 23 non-occupational electrical fatalities have occurred in Ontario. Many more incidents involved injury.

Residents are reminded to respect power and be aware of the power lines around them by observing these safety tips:

·       Locate wires before starting any outdoor job

·       Stay a distance of three metres back from all power lines when using ladders or pruners

·       Plant trees away from overhead power lines

·       Never attach anything to a power line.