Last August, Chris Swift was putting in a “for sale” yard sign as part of his sign installation business. It was something he’d done many times before, but this time something wasn’t right. He smelled gas, and quickly realized that the post had punctured a gas line.
“It was an imminent danger, and there could have been an explosion that caused death or injury,” says Chris.
He was fortunate that nobody was hurt, but he still had to pay a $1,500 fine from the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) and $3,500 for repairs and other costs. Others who have punctured gas lines haven’t been so lucky.
In one case, a home near Winnipeg exploded as a result of a natural gas leak. Earlier that day, the homeowner had been driving spikes into his lawn. When the line ruptured, the basement filled with gas, leading to the explosion. The resulting fire also destroyed the home next door.
And it’s not just gas lines under the ground. A yard could contain oil pipelines, phone and cable lines, electric lines, and sewer and water pipes. All of this infrastructure could be damaged by sign installation, and that’s a big safety risk.
In the rush to get a property up for sale, registrants may not want to wait to find out where it’s safe to install a yard sign. But under the law, you have to. RECO does not enforce these rules, but the Technical Standards & Safety Authority, Electrical Safety Authority and Ontario One Call all have requirements for obtaining a “locate” that will let you know about any underground infrastructure.
read full story http://www.reco.on.ca/professionals-news/need-know-put-sale-sign/