Pole Vandals Risk Electrocution

Tampering with the aluminum light poles along Highway 111 in Dartmouth isn't a very bright idea, said Paul O'Brien, area manager with the Department of Transportation and Public Works.

Vandals have been prying off the cover plates at the base of poles. Mr. O'Brien said he believes the thefts are occurring because the aluminum plates, which protect wiring, are worth money to people who sell them to scrap dealers and aluminum recyclers.

"This has become a real concern for us," he said. "These cover plates keep disappearing. Apart from the cost to taxpayers and the vandalism of public property, there is a serious risk of electrocution."

The overhead lights at the Victoria Road interchange on Highway 111 are powered by roughly 600 volts of electricity. Anyone who removes one of these electrical cover plates while electricity is flowing risks serious injury or even death. Department employees are inspecting the light standards to ensure warnings are clearly marked.

"The people vandalizing these lights could easily be severely injured," said Dwight Banks, operations manager with Nova Scotia Power. "Coming into contact with less than 10 per cent of the amount of electricity needed to power a 100-watt light bulb can be fatal. These lights are obviously far more powerful than that, which is why anyone tampering with them is at such a serious risk of being badly hurt."

Transportation and Public Works has advised Halifax police and will be contacting dealers of scrap and recycled aluminum in the area to alert them to this problem and enlist their help.

"With the co-operation of local scrap dealers and recycling companies, we hope to be able to put a stop to this risky activity," said Mr. O'Brien. "We're hoping to persuade them not to accept these plates, and to report to the police anyone who attempts to sell our cover plates as scrap material."

Installing replacement plates can cost as much as $75 each. The plates are only worth between 40 and 50 cents per pound to scrap metal dealers.

The issue, said Mr. O'Brien, is safety: "Are the few cents you get for the selling the plates as scrap really worth risking your life?"