Safety and Health Alert: High Voltage Hazards

Underscoring the dangers of working on telephone polls that also carry electrical power lines, in just the past years two CWA members at SBC in Northern California died from electric shock and two others suffered "near-miss" injuries from coming in contact with power lines.

And now, the dangers of working on the joint-use telephone and power polls may be compounded as wireless companies seek to put cellular antenna equipment at the top of the polls just a few feet above the power lines, according to David LeGrande, CWA's director of occupational safety and health.

CWA District 9 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are participating in a California Public Utility Commission rulemaking process on joint-use utility polls, and the unions are urging commissioners to require that the wireless antennas be placed well below power lines, no higher than the height of telephone lines that generally are 24 to 26 feet above the ground.

California's PUC is the first to take up the issue of the positioning of wireless antennas on joint phone/power poles. Wireless companies would prefer to put the antennas on top of the poles, in a potentially more dangerous position for the technicians, to get maximum cell phone coverage, according to LeGrande.

Federal OSHA rules require that electric lines be strung between one foot and 4-1/2 feet above telephone lines, with the greater separation required for high-voltage wires to keep phone workers from coming in contact with them.

Meanwhile, District 9 has participated with SBC in a study of the four electric shock incidents and is calling on the company to discuss worker training and other safety issues surrounding work on joint phone/power poles.

"Safety is a major concern for CWA," noted District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler. "However, our employers aren't putting enough emphasis on worker safety and health issues and we must pressure them to make workplace safety a top priority."

The two fatalities in California stemmed from power lines breaking loose from their fittings — in one case, after a heavy wet snow — and falling on the workers. In one of the near-misses, the electric line was placed too close to the telephone line.

Responsibility for proper positioning of the lines on joint-use poles lies with both the owner of the poles — usually either the electrical utility or a municipality — and users of the poles.

Telecom companies also have a responsibility to provide proper training and protective equipment to insure safety of workers on joint-use poles.

LeGrande says CWA is concerned that job cutbacks and increased workloads may lead to cutting corners on training and safe practices. He said CWA is now doing a national survey to gather data on safety procedures around power lines.

Line workers should take the time for visual inspection of joint-use poles to make sure that phone and power lines are properly positioned and attached, LeGrande cautions, noting: "If there is any question or doubt, workers should call for a supervisor to inspect the pole before proceeding with the job."

For questions about electrical safety or other issues, call CWA Safety and Health Director Dave LeGrande at (202) 434-1160 or e-mail him at dlegrande@cwa-union.org.