Signs, balloons and other materials on utilities poles are more than just an unpleasant neighborhood eyesore, they can be dangerous - even life threatening - to the professionals who maintain our vital lines of electricity, communication and other services. Safe Electricity urges everyone to help keep utility poles free of such materials.

“Help protect those who work hard to give us essential electric service, instant communication and other modern amenities through the nation’s 120 million utility poles,” Molly Hall, director of Safe Electricity, said. “Remember that anything left on a pole can cause power line workers, telecommunications utility personnel and other workers harm.”

The clamped safety boots used by line workers to climb poles are vulnerable to becoming snagged on staples and nails embedded in posts. Foreign objects can also tear utility workers’ protective clothing, which is the first line of protection from an electric shock. They can also injure workers despite the safety gear they wear to avoid contact with rough surfaces.

Such practices also present a public safety hazard as well. The materials posted on the poles not only distract people as they drive, but they also degrade the quality, effectiveness and stability of the wood. This poses a safety hazard for pedestrians as they walk by and increases the risk failure if the pole is struck by a vehicle. Posting items to utility poles is usually a violation of local ordinances as well.

It is also just as important to avoid tampering with or disrupting the guy wires that surround utility poles as well. Please inform children not to play or swing on them, and maintain your distance when performing yard work. If you see the poles or guy wires are disrupted in some way, please call your local utility company immediately.