The Guide to Work on Poles and Pole Structures provides guidance on the requirements for work on poles and pole structures, in particular pre-climb assessment and climbing attachment requirements.

2025

Note: File may be downloaded after completion of your purchase

This Work on Poles and Pole Structures Guide (this Guide) provides guidance on the requirements for work on poles and pole structures, in particular pre-climb assessment and climbing attachment requirements.  The Guide also includes a sample guide for pole top rescue.

A basic principle in this Guide is that work on any poles or pole structures can be carried out only where an assessment has determined that the pole or structure is actually safe to work on, including that it has satisfactory setting.  For wood poles and wood structures in particular the principle in this Guide is that such poles are to be considered and treated as structurally unsound until an assessment adequate for the purpose determines otherwise.

The contents of this Guide are based on the requirements of ISSC 29 Guideline for Pre-climbing and Climbing Assessment of Poles, August 2005 (Amended 2013), and ISSC 34 Guide for Height Safety within the NSW Electricity Supply Industry, June 2009 (Amended 2013).

This Guide is an ‘industry procedure’ as defined in the Safety Manual – Electricity Industry (SM-EI) and provides a recommended method of achieving SM-EI requirements for work on poles and pole structures.  Specific and general requirements of SM-EI must also be followed for work on poles and pole structures, and work in association with such work, and are not repeated in this Guide.

Changes from 2016 Version to 2025 Version

The 2025 version of the Guide to Work on Poles and Pole Structures incorporates several minor updates from the 2016 edition.  These changes relate to the updates made to ASNZS1891.4.2025 around attachment to structures when in work positioning and the updated name of the associated EEA guide to “Reference guide for the use of Personal Fall Arrest Systems”

The EEA welcomes comment towards subsequent reviews of this Guide. Please direct any enquiries regarding this Guide to the EEA – admin@eea.co.nz