NS146

NS146: Inspection Procedure for Working on Poles

This Network Standard applies to all staff, contractors, Accredited Service Providers (ASPs), Telecommunication workers and any other personnel who have authority to work on Ausgrid power poles. It also applies when Ausgrid's staff or Ausgrid's contractors work on privately owned power poles, or poles belonging to other Authorities when working on behalf of Ausgrid. 

Scope

Ausgrid has a comprehensive inspection and maintenance program in place to maintain poles in a serviceable condition. This program however should not be relied upon to guarantee a pole’s suitability to be worked on without a more immediate inspection because some pole failure mechanisms (such as termite attack and vehicle impacts etc.) can affect a pole between scheduled inspections. 

Accordingly, before working on any pole, personnel must satisfy themselves that it is safe to work on and in no danger of collapsing during the course of work. Where work carried out on one or more poles will change the loading on poles nearby during the course of the work, these other poles must also be inspected in accordance with this procedure to make sure they are not in danger of collapse. For example, when all conductors are removed from one or both sides of a pole, the pole or poles that will carry the conductor load during the course of the work must also be inspected. 

Work on a pole includes linework either by climbing or elevating work platform (EWP), as well as substation, telecommunications, service and operating work which may be carried out from a pole platform, pole steps, ladder, EWP, etc. 

Full pole assessment procedures involve the internal inspection of poles, the measurement of any internal defect, and calculation of residual strength. You must not carry out any procedure requiring boring of poles unless you are a trained and currently accredited Pole Inspector.