Pole climbing

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Division 2 Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division - (1) General. A positioning system or a personal fall arrest system shall be provided and the employer shall ensure their use when work is performed at positions more than 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground, on poles, and on towers, except as provided in paragraphs (n)(7) and (8) of this section. These systems shall meet the applicable requirements in subpart I of this part. The employer shall ensure that all climbing equipment is inspected before each day's use to determine that it is in safe working condition. - (2) Pole climbers. - (i) Pole climbers may not be used if the gaffs are less than 1-1/4 inches in length as measured on the underside of the gaff. The gaffs of pole climbers shall be covered with safety caps when not being used for their intended use. - (ii) The employer shall ensure that pole climbers are inspected by a competent person for the following conditions: Fractured or cracked gaffs or leg irons, loose or dull gaffs, broken straps or buckles. If any of these conditions exist, the defect shall be corrected before the climbers are used. - (iii) Pole climbers shall be inspected as required in this paragraph (g)(3) before each day's use and a gaff cut-out test performed at least weekly when in use. - (iv) Pole climbers may not be worn when: - (A) Working in trees (specifically designed tree climbers shall be used for tree climbing), - (B) Working on ladders, - (C) Working in an aerial lift, - (D) Driving a vehicle, nor - (E) Walking on rocky, hard, frozen, brushy or hilly terrain. - (h) Ladders. Ladders, step bolts, and manhole steps shall meet the applicable requirements in Subpart D of this part. - [redacted phone] (6) Equipment - (a) Ladder hooks. When ladder hooks are engaged the safety straps shall be lashed around the top rung and strand or otherwise secured to the strand. - 1910.268 (i) Other tools and personal protective equipment.

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Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division Oregon Administrative Rules AO 2-2017 Division 2 ## Appendix D to Subdivision RR - Methods of Inspecting and Testing Wood Poles ## I. Introduction When employees are to perform work on a wood pole, it is important to determine the condition of the pole before employees climb it. The weight of the employee, the weight of equipment to be installed, and other working stresses (such as the removal or retensioning of conductors) can lead to the failure of a defective pole or a pole that is not designed to handle the additional stresses. For these reasons, it is essential that, before an 1 employee climbs a wood pole, the employer ascertain that the pole is capable of sustaining the stresses of the work. The determination that the pole is capable of sustaining these stresses includes an inspection of the condition of the pole. If the employer finds the pole to be unsafe to climb or to work from, the employer must secure the pole so that it does not fail while an employee is on it. The employer can secure the pole by a line truck boom, by ropes or guys, or by lashing a new pole alongside it. If a new one is lashed alongside the defective pole, employees should work from the new one. ## II. Inspecting Wood Poles A qualified employee should inspect wood poles for the following conditions: 2 - A. General condition. Buckling at the ground line or an unusual angle with respect to the ground may indicate that the pole has rotted or is broken. - B. Cracks. Horizontal cracks perpendicular to the grain of the wood may weaken the pole. Vertical cracks, although not normally considered to be a sign of a defective pole, can pose a hazard to the climber, and the employee should keep his or her gaffs away from them while climbing. - C. Holes. Hollow spots and woodpecker holes can reduce the strength of a wood pole. - D. Shell rot and decay. Rotting and decay are cutout hazards and possible indications of the age and internal con…

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Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division Division 2 - (4) Unsafe poles or structures. Poles or structures determined to be unsafe by test or observation may not be climbed until made safe by guying, bracing or other adequate means. Poles determined to be unsafe to climb shall, until they are made safe, be tagged in a conspicuous place to alert and warn all employees of the unsafe condition. - (5) Test requirements for cable suspension strand. - (i) Before attaching a splicing platform to a cable suspension strand, the strand shall be tested and determined to have strength sufficient to support the weight of the platform and the employee. Where the strand crosses above power wires or railroad tracks it may not be tested but shall be inspected in accordance with paragraph (n)(6) of this section. - (ii) The following method or an equivalent method shall be used for testing the strength of the strand: A rope, at least three-eighths inch in diameter, shall be thrown over the strand. On joint lines, the rope shall be passed over the strand using tree pruner handles or a wire raising tool. If two employees are present, both shall grip the double rope and slowly transfer their entire weight to the rope and attempt to raise themselves off the ground. If only one employee is present, one end of the rope which has been passed over the strand shall be tied to the bumper of the truck, or other equally secure anchorage. The employee then shall grasp the other end of the rope and attempt to raise himself off the ground. - (6) Inspection of strand. Where strand passes over electric power wires or railroad tracks, it shall be inspected from an elevated working position at each pole supporting the span in question. The strand may not be used to support any splicing platform, scaffold or cable car, if any of the following conditions exist: - (i) Corrosion so that no galvanizing can be detected, - (ii) One or more wires of the strand are broken, - (iii) Worn spots, or - (iv) Bu…

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- (c) NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services , 2006 Edition, classified as general or light duty. ## Wood pole climbing 149 (1) An employer must ensure that a worker working on or from a wood pole uses fall restrict equipment that is approved to CSA Standard Z259.14-01, Fall Restrict Equipment for Wood Pole Climbing , in combination with - (a) a lineman's body belt that - (i) is approved to CSA Standard Z259.3-M1978 (R2003), Lineman's Body Belt and Lineman's Safety Strap , or - (ii) complies with section 142.1, or - (b) a full body harness that complies with section 142(1). 149 (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to fall restrict equipment or a lineman's body belt in use before April 30, 2004. ## Equipment compatibility 150 An employer must ensure that all components of a fall protection system are compatible with one another and with the environment in which they are used. ## Inspection and maintenance - 150.1 An employer must ensure that the equipment and personal protective equipment used as part of a fall protection system is - (a) inspected by the worker as required by the manufacturer before it is used on each work shift, - (b) kept free from substances and conditions that could contribute to deterioration of the equipment and personal protective equipment, and - (c) re-certified as specified by the manufacturer. ## Removal from service 150.2 (1) An employer must ensure that equipment and personal protective equipment used as part of a fall protection system is removed from service and either returned to the manufacturer or destroyed if - (a) it is defective, or - (b) it has come into contact with excessive heat, a chemical or any other substance that may corrode or otherwise damage the fall protection system. 150.2 (2) An employer must ensure that after a personal fall arrest system has stopped a fall, the system is removed from service.

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Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division Division 2 ## [redacted phone] (8) Handling poles near energized power conductors - (a) Insulating gloves shall be worn when handling the pole with either hands or tools, when there exists a possibility that the pole may contact a power conductor. Where the voltage to the ground of the power conductor exceeds 15kV to ground, Class II gloves (as defined in ASTM D1048-88a shall be used. For voltages not exceeding 15kV to ground, insulating gloves shall have a breakdown voltage of at least 17kV. - (b) The guard or insulating material used to protect the pole shall meet the appropriate 3 minute proof test voltage requirements contained in ASTM D 1048-88a. - 1910.268 (n)(11)(vi) after there exists a possibility of contact between the pole or the vehicle-mounted equipment used to handle the pole, and an energized power conductor, the following precautions shall be observed: - (A) When on the vehicle which carries the derrick, avoid all contact with the ground, with persons standing on the ground, and with all grounded objects such as guys, tree limbs, or metal sign posts. To the extent feasible, remain on the vehicle as long as the possibility of contact exists. - (B) When it is necessary to leave the vehicle, step onto an insulating blanket and break all contact with the vehicle before stepping off the blanket and onto the ground. As a last resort, if a blanket is not available, the employee may jump cleanly from the vehicle. - (C) When it is necessary to enter the vehicle, first step onto an insulating blanket and break all contact with the ground, grounded objects and other persons before touching the truck or derrick. - (12) Working position on poles. Climbing and working are prohibited above the level of the lowest electric power conductor on the pole (exclusive of vertical runs and street light wiring), except: - (i) Where communications facilities are attached above the electric power conductors, and a rigid fixed b…

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Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division Oregon Administrative Rules Division 2 - (K) Equipment, such as tools are secured by a tool lanyard or similar method to prevent it from falling where employees below are exposed to falling objects; - (L) A pre-work briefing is conducted with each employee involved in rope access to include, but is not limited to: - (i) The objective(s) of the work to be performed. - (ii) Site-specific hazards. - (iii) Environmental conditions that could affect the safety of the employee using the system. - (iv) Emergency procedures to be followed (e.g., employee rescue). Stat. Auth.: ORS 654.025(2) and 656.726(4). Stats. Implemented: ORS 654.001 through 654.295. Hist: OR-OSHA Admin. Order 2-2017, f. 5/16/17, ef. 11/1/17. ## 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection - (a) General. - (1) This section requires employers to provide protection for each employee exposed to fall and falling object hazards. Unless stated otherwise, the employer must ensure that all fall protection and falling object protection required by this section meet the criteria in § 1910.29, except that personal fall protection systems required by this section meet the criteria of § 1910.140. - (2) This section does not apply: - (i) To portable ladders; - (ii) When employers are inspecting, investigating, or assessing workplace conditions or work to be performed prior to the start of work or after all work has been completed. This exemption does not apply when fall protection systems or equipment meeting the requirements of § 1910.29 have been installed and are available for workers to use for pre-work and post-work inspections, investigations, or assessments; - (iii) To fall hazards presented by the exposed perimeters of entertainment stages and the exposed perimeters of rail-station platforms; - (iv) To powered platforms covered by § 1910.66(j); - (v) To aerial lifts covered by § 1910.67(c)(2)(v);