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ElectricityPole-Top Rescue: What OSHA Requires
Twenty flashcards on the federal rules for pole-top rescue: training, the rescuer's first steps, fall protection and proficiency.
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20 cards
- Which OSHA standard covers line crews on power generation, transmission and distribution lines?
- 29 CFR 1910.269, which covers the operation and maintenance of those lines and their equipment.
- Does 1910.269 name pole-top rescue in its training rules?
- Yes. Each worker must be trained in emergency procedures tied to the job, such as pole-top and manhole rescue.
- According to OSHA's eTool, who must be trained in pole-top rescue?
- Workers on overhead lines; those who work underground must be trained in manhole rescue.
- Is there one official OSHA method for pole-top rescue?
- No. Rescue conditions vary so much that no standard procedure exists; each company develops its own techniques.
- What is the rescuer's first decision in any rescue?
- How to protect themselves as well as the injured coworker, thinking clearly about what needs to be done.
- Why can't a rescuer simply grab a worker hurt by electrical contact?
- The victim may still be in contact with a live conductor, especially at lower voltages.
- What is the goal once the rescuer reaches the injured worker?
- To place the worker in a position where CPR and first aid can begin as soon as possible.
- How soon must CPR reach a worker injured by electric shock to be effective?
- Within 4 minutes; after 4 minutes CPR has limited usefulness.
- For poles at non-fixed sites, what does OSHA check besides trained people?
- Equipment and procedures to reach the worker on the pole and, if needed, move them to a safe spot for first aid and CPR.
- What must assigned rescuers have demonstrated?
- Proficiency in using the rescue equipment and procedures to climb the pole and carry out the rescue.
- Can a pole-top rescue require entering the minimum approach distance?
- Yes. Trained rescuers must be able to make the rescue even if it means going inside it near an exposed energized line.
- What sets how much training a line worker needs?
- The risk to the worker from the hazard involved.
- How often must the employer inspect that each worker follows the required safe work practices?
- At least once a year, along with regular supervision.
- When does OSHA consider retraining necessary before a task?
- When the task is performed less often than once per year.
- What two types of training does 1910.269 accept?
- Classroom training or on-the-job training.
- When is a worker considered to have completed the required training?
- Only after demonstrating proficiency in the work practices involved.
- Above what height must workers on poles use fall protection?
- More than 1.2 meters (4 feet) above the ground: a fall arrest system, work-positioning equipment or fall restraint.
- Since April 1, 2015, must qualified workers use fall protection while climbing poles?
- Yes, unless the employer shows that it is infeasible or creates a greater hazard.
- For live-line barehand work, what must bucket trucks have so an injured worker can be lowered?
- A lower set of controls for lowering workers who may be injured.
- What rescue equipment does the eTool name for manholes and some vaults?
- A tripod with a retrieval line, available before entering the enclosed space.
Official sources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), via GovInfo (GPO)
29 CFR 1910.269: Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution (CFR 2025 edition)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Electric Power eTool: Pole Top and Manhole Rescue Requirements
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Standard interpretation, June 4, 1996: first aid, CPR and pole-top rescue under 1910.269
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