The Hazards of Attaching Signs to Power Poles
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (May 24, 2004) – Attaching signs and other objects to power poles without the consent of the electric utility is illegal and can be very dangerous.
Signs can impair the visibility of traffic and put the lives of line workers at risk. Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation asks that the public refrain from placing signs and other objects on utility poles because of the hazard that it imposes on line workers and their ability to climb and make repairs.
If a nail is only partially driven into a pole, it poses a serious threat to a line worker. These holes allow moisture to enter the wooden poles, allowing a source for premature decay and the expense of early replacement.
Most illegal postings on utility poles are for politicians, religious entities, yard sales and other various announcements. Deer stands, clotheslines, basketball goals, birdhouses and bird feeders have also been attached to these poles.
Along with being dangerous, it is expensive and impractical for a cooperative to send linemen to remove these attachments.
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative serving some 66,000 members in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Watauga and Wilkes counties.
