Imagine walking up the steps to your home and feeling a sharp pain in your foot or in your hand as you grasp the handrail. Looking down, you find a nail sticking out of the step and a sharp tack has punctured your hand. Never happened to you? It has happened to linemen climbing utility poles where signs and fliers have been posted with staples, nails and tacks.
“We’ve all seen them, utility poles masquerading as billboards,” explained Rick Coons, CEO of Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “Lawn Care, We Buy Houses, Yard Sale, Lost Dog — you name it, we’ve found it on our poles.”
Utility poles offer a convenient place to tack a sign or flier. But doing so creates hazards for linemen and utility workers. Linemen risk injury to themselves and damage to their equipment, rubber gloves, boots, and protective clothing when items are posted on poles. Likewise, nails and tacks can get in the way of the climbing hooks that linemen wear on their boots when climbing a pole.
While a tear in your clothing or glove may seem insignificant, the stakes are much higher when that equipment is all that stands between you and a power line.
“Our linemen have enough occupational hazards associated with their jobs, without needing to maneuver this one, particularly during harsh weather,” Coons said. “The next time you consider posting a sign, imagine a lineman attempting to climb the pole on a dark night in the midst of a rain or snow storm.”
Other items like birdhouses and balloons also present hazards. “It takes time to remove these items from poles before a project can begin,” Coons commented. “And that time adds to our expenses.”
An additional problem involves damage to the pole itself. Over time, water seeps into holes surrounding nails. Eventually, the pole will deteriorate and need to be replaced, creating another expense for the cooperative and its members.
Many cities and counties have ordinances prohibiting the placement of signs, fliers and other items on poles,” Coons added, “so there could be fines involved with this activity. And it’s difficult to deny involvement when your phone number or address is listed on a flier that’s been illegally posted.”
“We know no one wants to put our linemen in danger,” said Coons, “so we ask that everyone refrain from posting items on poles and see that your friends and neighbors do the same. Together, we can keep these dedicated workers safe and working efficiently.”
