The Safe Pole Project - Communications Workers
Hazard-of-the-Month - Pictures by East Bay Union Techs
FEBRUARY HAZARD-OF-THE-MONTH
1939 Berryman, Berkeley
A new BUGS unit was placed in Berkeley one foot below the pole mounted terminal @ 1939 Berryman!! Then it was moved to another location leaving the hazardous condition and violating safe construction specs and our right to work safe.
On January 16, 2008 – many years after we brought this problem to light and ‘designed safe new specifications’ – a contractor has done it again! They’ve made our work more hazardous! A Comcast contractor has violated our right to work safe by placing this Big Ugly Green Safety Hazard (BUGS) in our workspace.
This is shocking. It appeared that they moved the existing BUGS unit since 3 holes were vacant beneath the new placement. That makes 5 holes in the pole – all the way through, not plugged! And the unit was moved again! Not to the very next pole with no telco equipment! Instead it was moved down a little and to the side, becoming the pole step on the right side of the pole, leaving no other place to put our feet. Do Not Climb.
Contractors with this type of wanton disregard for our safety are precisely why we demand that this work be done by union workers. Standards need to be clear and enforced!
