Joe Blogss has been asked to install CCTV pole for which a CCTV camera will be mounted. This will be placed near the area of the site where there are security issues. 

The pole is to be placed near a road way and will be placed so that a main entrance gate can be recorded.The gate/road way is also near a public footpath and many people use this. A manager has asked that pole be intsalled. This job has not been properly thought out and management are under the impression person X will get a spade and dig a hole fill it with cement and place pole on which camera is mounted job done. 

In my head I have thought about what risks may be associated with this. Such as 1.) Area is near buildings/eletrcial substation and road way so cables or underground services hazard. 2.) Pole (May be wooden I suppose ) Cemented into ground, no idea of what depth it should be. The hazard is this pole falls onto a memeber of the public. 3.) Kids decide they want to climb pole and pole falls over and injury to children 4.) A thief sees the nice remote CCTV camera that is worth arounf £300 and decides he wants to steal it, Pole not installed correctly falls over. 

Basically I am not happy with the haphazard decision of Joe Bloggs being asked to install a CCTV pole ( Not within his job description and by no means a DIY expert to say the least ) Would I be unreasonable to suggest that the pole be a purpose built CCTV pole mounted say on a concrete slab? and a pole with a anti climb fence fitted etc. I am just thinking of public liablility where this ill thought out pole falls over or people climb it and steal camera etc. and get injured and then............comp claim / courts blah blah........

Gasman - to a large extent you have answered your own question.

Point Joe Bloggs or their boss to the CDM Regulations as well as other areas of criminal and civil law.

Really doesn't matter much what the pole is made of, even if it's so light that it would not in itself injure someone. Just the act of its falling down might cause a nearby driver to take evasive action and bump into a vehicle, pedestrian etc.

As you point out there are likely to be underground services, may be some contamination too. Need to know what structural engineering requirements are needed for the stability of the pole and its foundation etc etc.