Abstract: A telephone company employee with 17 years of experience climbing poles was installing a second phone line at a worksite. He was wearing pole climbers, heavy boots, a body belt with positioning strap, and leather gloves. He started climbing a hardwood utility pole. When he got about 6.1 meters up the pole, he stopped to see how far he had to go. When he shifted his weight to his left foot and started up again, his gaff cut out. He slid down the pole all the way to the ground, holding on with his hands and forearms. The employee suffered a compression fracture of the L1 vertebrae and a stress fracture of the bone above the ankle on his right leg. He was hospitalized for his injuries.