Handholes, Vaults and Pedestals

Purpose

Set enclosures that last, protect the ducts, and give splicers and technicians safe access for decades. A handhole with the lid below grade fills with water; one above grade becomes a trip hazard and gets hit by mowers. A lid rated too light for a driveway cracks under the first truck.

When to Do It

• Trigger: conduit is placed into the enclosure locations (UG-07 or UG-08).
• Prerequisites: approved enclosure locations (UG-02), valid locate ticket, enclosures and lids with the load rating the location needs.
• Previous step: UG-08 Other Placement Methods.
• Next step: UG-10 Duct Proving and Pull Tape.

Roles

• Foreman: confirms the load rating for each location against the owner spec, and checks level, grade, ducts and tracer connections.
• Equipment operator: excavates and sets heavy enclosures.
• Laborers: place base material, backfill and compact.
• Attendant and entrant: follow the confined space procedure for any vault or manhole entry.
• Spotter: watches the boom, load lines and load near overhead power lines during lifts, where the rule or the employer requires one.

Equipment and Materials

• Handholes, vaults, pedestals and flowerpots per design.
• Lids with the required load rating and the owner’s marking.
• Base material per spec.
• Level and grade rod.
• Compaction equipment.
• Duct plugs and sealant.
• Tracer wire test point or terminal.
• Atmospheric monitor and ventilation blower for vaults and manholes.
• Bonding and grounding hardware per spec.

Safety

Procedure

Hold Points

Records to Keep

• Enclosure location (GPS), type and load rating.
• Photos of the base, the duct entries and the tracer connection before backfill.
• Lid marking photo.
• Confined space entry records for any vault or manhole entry.

Common Mistakes

• Lid below the specified grade. Water and silt collect, and the lid gets hit.
• Lid above the specified grade. It becomes a trip hazard and a mower strike.
• Wrong load rating. A light-duty lid in a driveway will crack.
• Unsealed ducts. Silt fills the duct, and proving (UG-10) fails.
• Tracer wire not accessible. No one can test or locate the route later.

Standards and References

• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA: confined spaces in construction (1926.1201 to 1926.1213), the rule for construction work.
• 29 CFR 1910.268: telecommunications, including guarding manhole and vault openings and testing the air in manholes and unvented vaults in paragraph (o). Paragraph (a) excludes construction work.
• 29 CFR 1910.146: permit-required confined spaces in general industry, which covers telecom maintenance and service work. Paragraph (a) excludes construction.
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction: power line clearance and spotters during lifts.
• 29 CFR 1926.600(a)(6), Equipment (Subpart O): power line clearance and an observer when an excavator, backhoe or loader sets the enclosure. These machines are excluded from Subpart CC by 1926.1400(c)(2), even when rigged to lift a suspended load.
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P: excavations for enclosures.
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M: fall protection in construction, including covers and guardrails at holes such as open enclosures (1926.501(b)(4)).
• ANSI/SCTE 77: underground enclosure integrity and load tiers for areas without deliberate vehicle traffic.
• Owner construction standards for enclosures, lids and grounding.

On the Map

• Handhole: below-grade enclosure with a load-rated lid for access, slack and splicing.
• Handhole Lid Marking: the lid’s marking and load rating.
• Vault or Manhole: an enclosure large enough to enter; confined space rules apply.
• Pedestal: above-grade enclosure for buried splices or terminals.
• Flowerpot: small grade-level enclosure for drop terminals.
• Tracer Wire and Test Point: the locatable wire brought into each enclosure.
• Riser: the conduit down a pole whose sweep feeds the duct into a nearby handhole; bring it in through a designed entry like any other duct.

Related Tools

Not applicable: no FAHMY tool covers enclosure setting.