Anyone who has spent time working a gutter vacuum knows the moment. The pole is fully extended, you are concentrating on the gutter line, and somewhere overhead there is a cable you might not have noticed when you set up. It only takes a lapse in attention for the pole to get closer than it should.

For years, carbon fibre has been the go-to material for gutter vacuum poles. It is light, it is stiff, and it makes working at height far less tiring. But carbon fibre has one serious drawback: it is electrically conductive. That fact is what led us to rethink the poles we manufacture and supply, and to change the construction of the sections closest to the operator.

Why We Changed: Working with John Knight and Look Up Look Out

This change did not start in a marketing meeting. It started with a conversation.

John Knight started the Look Up Look Out campaign after his son, Jason, was severely injured while using a carbon fibre pole. Since then, John has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the dangers of working near overhead power lines. To be fair to John, it was his input that originally prompted us to rethink how we approach manufacturing and supplying carbon poles.

We took that seriously. Our aim was simple: to produce the safest possible poles for our customers to use on site. Working alongside John, we set out to develop a pole that kept the lightweight handling operators expect, while removing carbon-fibre reinforcement from the sections the operator normally holds.

How the Poles Are Built

It is worth being clear about how these poles are put together, because "Kevlar pole" can mean different things to different people.

Our gutter vacuum pole kits combine two Kevlar and glass-fibre composite sections at the bottom with carbon-fibre sections above.

An Insulating Composite, Not Simply a Surface Coating

This is an important distinction in the construction of the pole. Some products rely on an electrically insulating surface layer applied over another material. If such a coating becomes damaged or excessively worn, its electrical properties may be compromised.

Our bottom two pole sections are manufactured from a Kevlar and glass-fibre reinforced composite, designed to provide electrically insulating properties through the structure of the section rather than relying solely on an insulating surface coating. Unlike carbon fibre, which is electrically conductive, the reinforcing fibres used in these lower sections are electrically insulating.

The Kevlar and glass-fibre lower sections provide:

• Electrically insulating lower sections: the two sections closest to the operator are manufactured without carbon-fibre reinforcement and are designed to provide electrical insulation as part of the pole construction.
• Strength and rigidity: the composite construction is designed to provide the structural strength and rigidity required at the base of the pole.
• Low weight: carbon-fibre sections are retained further up the pole to reduce weight while maintaining rigidity when the pole is extended.

Why the Bottom Two Sections?

We changed the bottom two sections from carbon-fibre construction to an electrically insulating Kevlar and glass-fibre composite. These are the sections normally held by the operator during use.

The upper sections remain carbon fibre to provide the low weight and stiffness required when working at height.

What the Laboratory Testing Showed

Test samples were put through power frequency withstand voltage testing at an authorised test facility. The tested configuration was two Kevlar and glass-fibre sections at the bottom with one carbon section above. Rather than a single test, the samples were taken through a stepped progression, each stage held for one minute, with the applied voltage increased each time.

Stage 1: 5,000 Volts

Power frequency withstand voltage of 5,000 volts, held for one minute. During the test, the sample did not flash over or break down. After the test, there were no discharge or burn marks and no obvious heating.

Stage 2: 10,000 Volts

Held for one minute. Same result: no flashover, no breakdown, no discharge or burn marks, and no obvious heating.

Stage 3: 11,000 Volts

Held for one minute. Once again, no flashover, no breakdown, no burn marks and no heating.

Stage 4: 35,000 Volts

The final stage. Power frequency withstand voltage of 35,000 volts, held for one minute. During the test, the sample did not flash over or break down. After the test, there were no discharge or burn marks and no obvious heating.

What This Means for Gutter Vacuum Operators

Replacing carbon fibre with an electrically insulating composite in the sections the operator holds is a meaningful design change, and one we believe the industry should take seriously. It is an additional layer of risk reduction built into the pole itself.

But it is exactly that: an additional layer. It does not replace safe working practices, and it does not change the rules on working near overhead lines.

Safe Working Near Overhead Lines

The HSE warns that people can be killed without actually touching an overhead line, because electricity can flash over across a gap. It also warns that electricity can pass across materials normally regarded as insulating when they are damp or dirty. No pole, whatever it is made of, makes it safe to work close to overhead power lines.

• Always look up before extending your pole, and check the whole working area for overhead lines.
• Plan the job around safe clearances from overhead lines, whatever pole you are using.
• Assemble poles along the ground, away from cables, before lifting.
• If in doubt, don't raise the pole. Contact the Distribution Network Operator for advice before working near overhead lines.
• Keep your poles clean, dry and undamaged. Moisture, dirt and damage can all affect the electrical behaviour of any pole.

This is exactly the message the Look Up Look Out campaign exists to spread, and we fully support it. The best protection is always awareness and distance.

Safety First, Built In

We made the switch to a Kevlar and glass-fibre composite on the bottom two sections for one reason: safety. From the start, our aim has been to produce the safest possible poles for our customers to use on site. It came from listening to someone who knows the dangers first hand, and from being willing to change how we do things when there is a clear case for it.

If you run a gutter vacuum and want a pole with electrically insulating composite sections where your hands are, alongside safe working practices, our Kevlar pole kits are designed for you.