AE Aerial AE-05 Step 5 of 12
Framing Poles
Install through-bolts, strand clamps and arms at the engineered height, bond to the pole ground and keep the climbing space clear.
Crew
- Foreman
- Lineworker
- Bucket Truck Operator
- Ground Worker
Hazards
- Electrical Contact
- Falls
- Dropped Objects
- Struck by Vehicles
Purpose
Put the attachment hardware on each pole at the engineered height, on the correct side, bonded, and out of the climbing space. Framing locks in the height that the survey, the application and the make-ready were all built around. A bolt a little off height or on the wrong side can break a separation or force the strand to cross the pole.
When to Do It
- After make-ready is verified complete on every pole in the section (AE-03 Make-Ready Execution and Coordination).
- After the daily safety setup (AE-04 Site Safety and Traffic Control for Aerial Work).
- With written authorization for every pole in hand (AE-01).
- Next step: AE-06 Anchors.
Roles
- Foreman: confirms the design height and side for each pole and checks the finished framing.
- Lineworker: marks, drills and installs the hardware and the bond.
- Bucket truck operator: positions the bucket clear of power. Often the lineworker.
- Ground worker: hands up material, keeps the drop zone clear and watches clearances from below.
Equipment and Materials
- Bucket truck, or climbing gear where the owner allows climbing.
- Pole drill and bits sized for the bolt (per owner spec).
- Non-conductive (fiberglass) measuring tape or height stick.
- Through-bolts, washers and nuts of the size and length the owner specifies.
- Strand clamps rated for the strand.
- Extension arms or standoffs where the design calls for them.
- Bonding clamps and ground wire per owner spec.
Safety
Procedure
- Mark the engineered attachment height on each pole.
- Measure from the reference the owner uses (for example groundline or an existing attachment) and check it against the design sheet.
- Drill the pole and install the through-bolt with washers and nut.
- Mount the strand clamp on the side of the pole the design shows, so the strand pulls the way the design expects.
- Install extension arms or standoffs where the design calls for extra clearance.
- Keep the climbing space clear, per the NESC and owner spec (
NESC (IEEE C2)).- Do not block pole steps or other attachers’ hardware.
- Do not mount hardware in a spot that forces a climber to go around it.
- Bond the strand hardware to the pole’s vertical ground per the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and owner spec.
- Where the pole has no ground, follow the owner’s standard for adding one or for bonding elsewhere.
- At corners and dead-ends, install the hardware for guys and dead-ends per the design.
- Place the guy attachment so the guy can sit near the load it opposes (AE-07).
- Check the finished framing against the design before you leave the pole.
Hold Points
Records to Keep
- Photo of each framed pole showing the bolt, clamp, arm and bond.
- Actual attachment height on each pole if it differs from the design, with the reason.
- Poles where a ground was missing or added.
Common Mistakes
- Wrong height. Measure from the right reference and check it against the design every time.
- Clamp on the wrong side of the pole. The strand then rubs the pole or crosses other attachments.
- Missing bonds. An unbonded strand that contacts power can stay energized, because there is no low-resistance path to ground to trip the power owner’s protection. The next person who touches it becomes the path.
- Blocked climbing space or covered pole steps. The next climber, often a power lineworker, has to work around it.
Standards and References
NESC (IEEE C2)for separations from supply facilities, climbing space, and bonding and grounding.- Owner construction standards for hardware, heights, spacing and bonding details.
29 CFR 1910.268for work on poles.- OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 for construction work, which 29 CFR 1910.268 excludes (1910.268(a)(2)(i)). Your employer’s safety program says how to comply.
MUTCD Part 6for temporary traffic control and high-visibility safety apparel.
On the Map
- Through-Bolt: the bolt through the pole at the engineered height that carries the strand clamp.
- Strand Clamp: holds the messenger strand to the pole hardware.
- Extension Arm or Standoff: holds the strand away from the pole to gain clearance.
- Vertical Ground and Bonding: the pole ground the strand is bonded to.
- Communication space and communication worker safety zone: where the hardware goes, and the separation it must keep.
- Utility Pole: the structure being framed.
Related Tools
Not applicable: no FAHMY tool covers pole framing.
AE-05 · Field Checklist
Checklist
0/8items ticked
Tick each procedure step and hold point as the crew completes it. Ticks stay on this device only. They are a personal aid, not a hold-point release or a project record; follow the owner’s sign-off process.
OSP Map · Pole Detail
On the Map
- Through-BoltBolt through the pole at the engineered attachment height that carries the strand clamp.
- Strand ClampSuspension clamp on the through-bolt that holds the messenger strand to the pole.
- Extension Arm or StandoffBracket that holds the strand away from the pole face to gain clearance.
- Vertical Ground and BondingThe pole’s vertical ground wire; the strand is bonded to it per NESC and owner spec.
- Communication SpacePole section below the safety zone for telecom attachments, spaced per the owner’s standard.
- Communication Worker Safety ZoneRequired separation between supply facilities and communication attachments (NESC, owner spec).
- Utility PoleWood, steel or concrete pole that carries power at the top and communication attachments below it.