Consequences of pole damage can be severe

Spring clean up can lead to serious damage and accidents

There are two potential pole problems we would all like to avoid during the spring clean up season. The first has to do with what goes on around the poles and the second with what is actually put on them.

The poles themselves can be harmed two ways by spring burning along ditches and fence lines. A pole that has been burned may be weakened to the point of being hazardous to you and the public as well as our linemen. Even if a fire doesn’t burn the pole, the intense heat of a fire can pull the preservative out of the pole which also shortens its life.

Tacking, taping, stapling and nailing notices to poles create other obvious safety hazards. The garage sale signs that sprout on poles every spring may seem innocent enough, but may cause serious injuries to climbing linemen. Piles of objects or machinery around the poles also make work difficult and hazardous for cooperative personnel.

A few minutes spent clearing notices off poles, and cleaning around them may be all it takes to avoid serious injury, the inconvenience of being without electric service, or the expense of an early pole replacement.