JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consumers Energy has a friendly safety reminder for those looking to promote a new business or service - don't attach signs to utility poles. Nailing, stapling, tacking or pinning posters or fliers of any type on utility poles is not allowed and can be dangerous. "We've noticed an increase in sign attachments on utility poles, particularly in promoting new businesses. We ask people to refrain from doing this, both for their own safety, as well as the safety of our electric line workers," said James Feahr, Consumers Energy's land management field representative. Feahr noted a recent incident in Grand Rapids in which an individual suffered burns to his hand and face when he struck a power line carrying 7,200 volts of electricity while nailing a sign to a utility pole. That incident knocked out electric service to more than 6,500 homes and businesses for approximately three hours. "People often forget that utility poles contain electrical wires. We urge people to find a safe way to advertise their business or service, and not by attaching signs to utility poles," said Feahr. In addition, during an electric outage, a line worker may have to climb a utility pole in order to restore electric service. Nails and other pieces of hard metal interfere with the ability of climbing spikes to grip the poles. If a line worker loses footing, the resulting fall could cause serious injury or even be fatal. Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at http://www.consumersenergy.com/ DATASOURCE: Consumers Energy CONTACT: Jeff Holyfield, +1-517-788-2394, or Dan Bishop, +1-517-788-2395, or Timothy J. Pietryga, +1-616-530-4364, all for Consumers Energy Web site: http://www.consumersenergy.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/203850.html

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