Flagpole repair in Mexico: rope, pulley, paint and guarantee

Most faults on a flagpole are in its small parts: the rope, the pulley, the clips. Others affect the tube, such as corrosion on a steel pole, or the flag, torn by the wind. This guide reviews the most common repairs, who can carry them out and what guarantees they carry.

Rope and pulley

The rope is the part that wears most. A broken rope, or an end that escapes through the pulley at the top, leaves the flag up with no way of lowering it. A pulley that does not turn lets the flag wrap around the pole. In both cases, the repair means reaching the top of the pole.

On poles with internal hoisting, the rope runs inside the tube and is operated from a locked door or a crank, so faults in the mechanism are inside the pole.

Work at height

Climbing to the top of an 8, 15 or 25 metre pole is work at height. At workplaces, NOM-009-STPS-2011 applies to installation, maintenance or repair at more than 1.80 metres above the reference level, with personal fall-arrest systems, scaffolding, lifting platforms or ladders. Grupo Symac shows the use of a crane in assembling its monumental poles. The guide to flagpole safety covers these risks.

Corrosion and paint

On a steel pole, corrosion appears where the paint fails, often at the base or at the welded seams. According to Grupo Symac, steel poles have their seams covered with filler and exterior paint and need periodic maintenance; repairing the paint in time stops rust from spreading. Aluminium poles do not rust in the same way, and according to Astabanderas de México they need no paint.

A pole that has been struck, bent or damaged at the base is a different matter: it may have lost strength, and a specialist or the maker can assess its condition.

The flag

Outdoor flags wear and tear. According to Forbes México, the monumental flag at the San Jerónimo roundabout tore in its centre in the strong winds and rains of the season, and was sent to the Clothing and Equipment Factories Directorate of the Ministry of National Defence, in Iztapalapa, for a technical assessment; shortly afterwards it was flying again, repaired or replaced. That factory repairs or replaces monumental flags damaged by the weather.

Under article 17 of the Law on the National Arms, Flag and Anthem, the flags of public buildings are kept in a state appropriate to their use and dignity. When a flag can no longer be repaired, article 54 Bis provides for its incineration in a respectful and solemn ceremony.

Guarantee on repairs

The Federal Consumer Protection Law also protects the customer of a repair:

• Faulty repair: if a repaired or serviced product shows faults attributable to the repairer within ninety calendar days of delivery, the consumer is entitled to have it repaired again free of charge (article 81).
• Current guarantee: time spent on repairs under guarantee does not count towards its term; replaced parts carry a new guarantee and, if the product is replaced, the term starts again (article 83).
• Whom to claim from: the guarantee can be claimed from the producer, the importer or the distributor (article 79), and the Federal Consumer Protection Agency handles complaints.

The guide to flagpole maintenance covers prevention, and the guide to flagpole lifespan the lifespan of the pole and the flag.