Sign & Billboard Installers
Sign installers raise heavy, wind-catching panels and lighted signs on storefronts, poles and billboards. They work from bucket trucks, lifts, cranes and ladders, near roads and power lines, and handle electrical connections. Falls, electrocution, struck-by and crane accidents are the main killers.
- Sign Installers
- Billboard Crews
- Electricians
- Crane & Truck Operators
Main hazards
- Falls from billboards, poles, roofs, lifts and ladders. See Fall Protection Basics.
- Electrocution: overhead power lines near signs and poles, and wiring on lighted signs. See Overhead Power Lines and Lockout/Tagout.
- Wind: large panels act as sails and can pull workers off or swing loads. See Lift Wind Limits.
- Crane, bucket truck and lift hazards. See Bucket Trucks and Aerial Lifts.
- Dropped tools and panels hitting people and traffic below.
- Traffic when working beside roads. See Work Zones.
- Drilling and digging for footings and posts, with buried utilities. See Utility Strikes.
- Heat, cold and lightning at height. See Thunderstorms & Lightning.
Safe practices
- Use fall protection every time you are above 6 feet in construction (or the required height in your setting): guardrails, personal fall arrest systems tied to rated anchors, and 100 percent tie-off while climbing. Billboard structures have climbing systems; inspect and use them. See Personal Fall Arrest Systems.
- Do a job hazard analysis: check overhead lines, ground conditions for the truck or crane, wind forecast, traffic and the weight of the sign. Stay at least 10 feet from lines (more for high voltage) and use a spotter.
- Use cranes and lifts within capacity with qualified operators, riggers and signal persons, tag lines on signs, and never ride the load. Stop work in high winds. See Rigging Basics.
- Treat sign electrical circuits as live. Lock out and test the circuit before work, and use qualified electricians. Use GFCI on tools. Neon and high-voltage transformers can reach thousands of volts.
- Use tool lanyards and barricade drop zones below. Keep the public out.
- Get 811 locates before digging footings.
- Wear a hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, high-visibility clothing and boots. See High-Visibility Clothing.
- Have a rescue plan for a worker hanging in a harness. See Fall Rescue.
Sign installer checklist
- Fall protection and anchors are inspected and used 100 percent of the time
- Overhead lines are located and clearance maintained with a spotter
- Wind and weather are within limits for the lift
- Sign circuits are locked out and tested before work
- Drop zones are barricaded and a rescue plan exists
Standards & references
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