Summer is in full swing, and for many of us, that means spending a fair amount of our evenings and weekends keeping up with the lawn and the landscaping. As you work to maintain your yard and landscaping this summer, use the following safety tips to avoid hazards and injuries.

• Wear safety glasses or goggles, ear protection, work gloves, nonslip shoes, long pants and boots to protect legs and feet as you work or mow.
• Avoid loose clothing that could catch in equipment.
• Keep children and pets away from mowing areas, as debris can be thrown from the mower.
• Carry aluminum ladders horizontally, not upright; you could electrocute yourself if your ladder touches an overhead power line.
• Don’t overreach when you’re working on a ladder. You could fall.
• Never use electric equipment in the rain, on wet grass/shrubs or near water.
• Keep both hands on your hedge trimmer and keep your fingers, other parts of your body and the extension cord – if there is one – away from the blades when trimming.
• Pay attention to holes or small openings in decks, trees, pipes, grills, mailboxes and other places where bees and stinging insects might build nests. Try to avoid them whenever possible.
• Use sunscreen to protect your skin and minimize the risk of getting a sunburn or developing skin cancer.
• Pressure washers make quick work of outdoor cleaning projects. But the same power that cleans dirt can injure you. Don’t spray yourself or others, or you risk skin burns or cuts.