Have you ever nailed or stapled a lost pet or yard sale sign to a utility pole? Most people would probably nod their head and say, “Yeah, sure.” After all, who would think that a sign could pose such great safety concerns? Who would think something so simple could cause injury or, worst case scenario, loss of life? Unfortunately, it can!
Screws or nails used to attach something to a pole could puncture underground utility lines running down the pole if attached to conduits or moldings holding underground cables. These nails or screws could also puncture line workers’ rubber gloves, an essential part of their protective gear.
When climbing poles with lots of sign screws & nails, the sharp climbing gaffs used to climb poles could be damaged. Climbing with damaged or dull gaffs could cause workers to fall and be subject to injury from all of the nails & screws as well.
According to national lineman surveys and utility company data, approximately 2,400 for every 100,000 line workers suffer serious non-fatal injuries each year. One of the two most common serious injuries is broken bones due to falls. The other is electrical burns.
In addition to the dangers mentioned above, depending on the size of the sign attached to a pole, it could also impede the sight of vehicles. This not only creates a dangerous situation for line workers, but also drivers.
We want to send our employees home, safe and sound, to their families every night.
We hope that, by sharing these safety concerns for line workers, it will come to mind next time you or someone you know think of attaching a sign to a utility pole.
By simply choosing another place for the advertisement or sign, you could remove one of our safety concerns, and possibly prevent a line worker from getting injured on the job.
Thank you for helping to keep our team safe! We look forward to serving you for many years to come.