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What Voltages Are on Telephone Poles?

Telephone line workers face dangerous occupational hazards, including electric shock from direct or stray electricity emitted by power and telephone poles. Workers who are electrocuted can suffer rapid, ineffective heartbeat, which can produce death without the prompt use of a defibrillator.

  1. Exclusive vs. Mixed Poles

    • Telephone poles may either be exclusive-use telephone poles or one of several different types of mixed utility poles. Exclusive-use telephone poles usually produce the lowest voltage levels.

    Types of Mixed Poles

    • There are five major types of mixed-poles -- also referred to as "joint poles" -- based on whether the poles carry power, telephone, CATV, streetlight, traffic signals, alarm signals and/or transformers. Depending on the type of pole, voltage levels for exclusively telephone and mixed poles can range from 69 kilovolts to 200 kilovolts. For safety reasons, the lines at the top of utility poles carry the highest voltage, with voltage levels decreasing as the height of the line decreases.

    Communications Safe Space (0Kv)

    • Communication safe spaces are the areas of a telephone and/or utility pole that produce no voltage output (0Kv). These spaces are created intentionally to allow service personnel some degree of safety while working on power and telephone lines.

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