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Busck Prestressed Concrete Ltd

Guideline for

Safe Handling of Steel Poles

Document number: BSP-001 Revision 0

Written by: Name: Carel van der Nest

Position: Sales Engineer - Electrical

Date: 1/09/2018

Signature: Carel van der Nest

Reviewed by: Name: Ross McLennan

Position: General Manager - Utilities

Date: 1/09/2018

Signature: Ross McLennan

Approved by: Name: John Marshall

Position: National Technical & Design Manager

Date: 1/09/2018

Signature: John Marshall

Revision

Revision Reason for revision Issued

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End

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Contents

1. Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Policy ............................................................................................................................................... 3

3. Scope ............................................................................................................................................... 3

4. Definitions ....................................................................................................................................... 3

5. Safety and PPE ................................................................................................................................ 4

6. Hazard Potential .............................................................................................................................. 4

7. Site preparation .............................................................................................................................. 4

8. Opening the container .................................................................................................................... 5

9 Devanning the container................................................................................................................. 6

10 Responsibility of the truck driver .............................................................................................. 12

11 Storing poles and painted product ........................................................................................... 12

12 De-nesting of Pole Sections ...................................................................................................... 13

13 Procedures for Horizontal Manual Winch Pole ........................................................................ 13

End of Document .................................................................................................................................. 18

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1. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide Busck Prestressed Concrete

Limited’s staff, transportation companies, shipping agents and customers a safe handling guideline for steel poles and ancillary equipment.

The following shall be used as a manufacturers/suppliers guide only. It is not intended to remove the need for staff to comply with relevant Acts, Regulations, Standards, Code of Practice or your own Company’s Safety Rules

or Guidelines.

2. Policy

All Busck products shall be handled in such a manner to ensure that product is not damaged, to the point where the product may fail to meet its designed strength or intended lifespan. If a product is handled or mistreated with the

use of equipment not suitable and/or rated for the handling of steel poles, capacity and life of the poles and ancillary equipment will be compromised.

3. Scope

This guideline only applies to steel poles and products supplied by Busck and it may not be suitable for the handling of other Busck products or other

manufacturer’s products.

4. Definitions

Busck Shall mean Busck Prestressed Concrete Ltd or any person directly employed or contracted to Busck

Prestressed Concrete Ltd.

Devanning Devanning is defined as the process in which a landed container is unsealed and all its contents

are taken out. Also called stripping or unstuffing of the container.

Dunnage Timber which is placed in between layers of steel or concrete products.

Container/Intermodal container

Large standardised shipping container, designed and built for intermodal freight transport. Durable closed steel boxes, mostly of either twenty or forty

feet (6.1 or 12.2 m) standard length.

Forklift Operator A person who holds a current high risk work

license/certificate of competency to operate

a mechanical lifting device.

Spotter A person acknowledged by the plant or equipment or vehicle operator to provide assistance for

manoeuvring and in particular reversing the equipment or vehicle.

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5. Safety and PPE

At all times safety must come first, and if for any reason anyone feels that

there is a safety issue, the work should be stopped while the issue is reassessed and corrected if needed. While lifting poles and ancillary

equipment, all personnel shall wear suitable Personal Protective Equipment as required by their employer, or as required by the work site owner, whichever is the greater will apply.

6. Hazard Potential

Traffic Management: Traffic management risks exist when forklifts, cranes,

pallet movers, prime movers and other vehicles are operating where pedestrians are present. No persons should be inside a shipping container or enclosed trailer with a forklift operating inside the container.

Crush Injuries: Heavy awkward items and equipment pose a serious risk if they topple or fall during transit, packing or unpacking. Persons opening doors

are particularly at risk of being hit by unrestrained items.

Persons under suspended loads: There is a risk of loads dropping or falling. Loads must never be suspended above people.

7. Site preparation

To ensure the safe unloading of a container, the following procedure should

be followed:

7.1 Prepare for container arrival, review the packing lists, plan put-away path

and dunnage, ensure materials handling equipment is appropriate

considering weight and dimensions, roster for two operators to be available

for unloading activities.

7.2 Instruct truck-driver to park in the designated loading / unloading zone.

7.3 Create an exclusion zone.

7.4 Truck driver moves the container to the ground (side-lift container).

7.5 When placing the container, keep in mind that sufficient space needs to be allowed for forklifts, trucks and other equipment to manoeuvre freely around

the container. (Consult table below for container dimensions)

Container Dimensions (External)

length width

Imperial Metric Imperial Metric

20′ container 19′ 10.5″ 6.058 m 8′ 0″ 2.438 m

40′ container 40′ 0″ 12.192 m 8′ 0″ 2.438 m

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NOTE: Additional space needs to be allowed for on the “unloading” side of

the container. The poles inside the container could potentially be the same

length as the container, thus there should be sufficient space for the forklift

(or any other equipment) to manoeuvre the poles out of the container. Keep

the area around the container and pallets clear of obstructions.

8. Opening the container

When opening the container, take care as some retaining straps might have

broken or items might have moved during transit. Chain or strap doors

before opening if not sure of contents layout. Doors should be opened at

arm’s length. The unloaders should then take a few steps back in case any of

the items near the door shift or slip. Prior to entering the container, check

that all items are safely secured to the floor and/or sides of the container.

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NOTE: During devanning, consult the packing list to check for any

discrepancies. Visually check each item for damage PRIOR to moving it out

of the container. Make a note of any discrepancies and/or damage to goods.

If possible, take photos of the damage for record and claims purposes.

9 Devanning the container

9.1 Unload all loose items first in order for the forklift to have unrestricted

access to the poles. Be aware of pinch points and crush hazards during

the loading and unloading process.

Unload all loose items first

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WARNING: Keep hands away from cargo and truck trailer during loading

and unloading and do not touch the load with your hands while it is moving.

Utilising hands free tools and tag lines for assisting load movement is

appropriate.

NOTE: Ensure that all handling equipment (forklifts, cranes etc.) is in

serviceable condition and sufficiently rated to handle the weight of the poles. The combined weight of the shipment will be indicated on the shipping documents. Weights of individual components (e.g. poles/pole sections) will

be indicated on the factory drawing. This weight will be communicated to the logistics (devanning) company prior to devanning to ensure that the handling

equipment is sufficiently rated for the items to be devanned.

All lifting equipment must be kept in good condition and all test certificates

shall be current. Where any lifting equipment is showing signs of damage, it should not be used.

9.2 Secure the stack of poles to avoid injury or damage

The poles will be secured to the floor and side of the container with straps.

Carefully undo the straps ON ONE STACK ONLY. Leave the stack that is not

being moved secured to the floor and side of the container.

NOTE: Do not remove the straps completely, use these heavy duty straps to

secure the poles in the stack together. DO NOT rely on the white

polyethylene straps to keep the poles secured.

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For the first stack of pole sections to have the holding straps released from

the side of the container, release the first strap from the side of the

container and then wrap and secure it around the bundle. Now release the

second strap from the side of the container and also wrap and secure it

around the bundle. Release and secure any other straps holding the first

stack against the side of the container. Once the first stack is securely

bundled then begin releasing straps on the second pole stack on the other

side of the container and follow the releasing and securing process as was

done with the first stack. As a minimum, two of these heavy duty straps

must be secured around a pole stack before extracting from the container.

9.3 Install a ramp to allow the forklift to access the poles. If a short mast

forklift is used for devanning the container, an access ramp should be

moved to the end of the container to allow safe access for the forklift.

Carefully drive the forklift into the container making sure that the fork

fit into the poles (or underneath).

NOTE: There MUST be at least two (2) people present when product is

removed from a container. One person acts as a SPOTTER and the other

person drives the forklift (or any other mechanical lifting device). The forklift

driver or crane operator is in charge.

WARNING: No person is to be inside a container when product is moved.

APPROACH WITH CAUTION AS THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF DAMAGING

THE POLES DURING THIS MANEUVER.

9.4 Lift the pole stack just enough so that it clears the container floor.

Remove all dunnage from the container floor. Load is unloaded via

fork-lift or crane (e.g. crane jib) as slow as possible with spotter

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standing in the safe zone. Stop and put down the product immediately

if there is deviation from planned exit path (e.g. trolley slips).

9.5 Slowly back out of the container. Continuously check that the wheels

at the back of the pole stack are rolling freely on the container floor.

Check that the poles are not de-nested (inside section being pulled out

of the pole).

NOTE: Do not turn while reversing out of the container. Check that the ramp

is tight up against the container; if there is a gap between the ramp and the

container, the wheels will get stuck or the pole stack could become unstable

due to the movement. Take additional care when going down the ramp to

ensure that the pole stack remains stable.

9.6 Once the pole stack is out (clear of the container), carefully lower the

front of the pole stack on to dunnage.

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9.7 Lift the pole stack at the back and remove the wheel set and place it

on dunnage.

9.8 Secure a wedge on the dunnage to prevent the pole from rolling off.

9.9 Using a weight rated crane or forklift(s), carefully lift the poles on to

the back of the truck.

9.10 Secure a wedge on the dunnage to prevent the pole from rolling off

the truck.

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9.11 Secure the load on the back of the truck using correctly rated chains

and straps.

9.12 Repeat the devanning process with the remaining pole stacks.

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9.13 Check the inside of the container for damage (scrape marks etc.) as

this will indicate the poles touched the floor or sides while being

removed.

9.14 Check the poles for any damage that might have occurred during the

devanning and loading process. Record the damage for insurance

purposes.

10 Responsibility of the truck driver

10.1 Truck drivers are not to walk into the work area during cargo handling operations unless authorised by the person in charge of the loading

operation.

10.2 Truck drivers must stay in the safe zone, for example next to the cab, until the load has been loaded or unloaded and/or the truck driver has

been authorised to leave the safe zone by the person in charge.

10.3 Truck drivers to remain with their vehicles unless there is an operational

requirement to do otherwise.

10.4 The trucking company is responsible for determining the load placement location on the truck as well as appropriate restraint method, in line with

the company’s Load Restraint Guide

10.5 Where it is believed that an unsafe situation has not been addressed

adequately you are required to notify your Supervisor immediately or elevate your concerns to a Management representative.

10.6 If trucks are required to reverse, a spotter is required at all times during

the reversing operation. It is the responsibility of the truck driver to

arrange the spotter.

10.7 Reversing alarms must be installed and in good working order on

all trucks.

11 Storing poles and painted product

11.1 If painted product is to be stored for several months before delivery to

the client or directly after delivery to the client, the following steps

must be taken:

11.2 Painted products MUST be unwrapped immediately and visually

inspected for any deformity or damage that may have occurred in

transit.

11.3 Painted products must be stored with protection from direct contact

with treated wooden products to ensure no transfer of chemicals

exists, potentially resulting in damage to the product; i.e. Plastic

sleeves or barriers to be inserted between timber dunnage and

product.

11.4 Products must be stored on chocks or similar product, above the

ground, allowing a free flow of air around the products. This will

prevent any build-up of moisture between the painted surface and the

storing surface and, in turn, reduce the risk of the painted surface’s

quality and integrity being compromised.

11.5 Material should be packaged and preserved for outdoor storage.

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12 De-nesting of Pole Sections

The aim of de-nesting is to safely separate pole sections nested inside one

another without damage to the sections.

It is recommended to de-nest sections at the ground level rather than from

on the back of a low loader or truck as a precaution to minimise the falling

hazard potential.

De-nesting

12.1 If the nested section is on the back of a truck, bring it to the ground

level, placing it on timber gluts.

12.2 Place a timber glut an appropriate distance (dependent on the section

length) from the nested section so that when the inner section is slid

out, it can be slid on the timber glut and be kept off the ground rather

than being dragged along the ground.

12.3 A forklift or mobile crane together with an appropriate capacity sling

and shackle can be used to remove the inner pole section as described

above.

12.4 If more than one section is nested, de-nest the innermost section by

attaching an appropriate sized shackle to either one or two of the

galvanising holes near the end of the pole section or to other holes

present in the section being removed.

12.5 Poles should be inspected on removal for any damage and repaired if

necessary. Normally there should not be any damage to the

galvanising on removal. Removed sections should be stored on timber

gluts as per the Long Term Storage document.

13 Procedures for Horizontal Manual Winch Pole

This briefly summarises the key points of the assembly and erection

procedures for horizontal manual winch pole assembly, base plate mounted

Standard type power poles with D shaped jacking lugs.

For relatively small poles, large structures, or structures assembled under an existing or energised power line, horizontal slip joint assembly followed by

erecting the fully assembled pole, is usually preferable.

The key points for horizontal manual winch pole assembly and erection are

noted below:

13.1 Refer to pole approval drawings for design slips. The constructed minimum slip distance should be 1.5 x ID of the female section as

required by the latest code ASCE 48-11. The design slip distance should be greater than 1.5 x to ensure that a constructed overlap of 1.5 x ID

of the female section is always met.

13.2 Refer to pole approval drawings for minimum and maximum assembly

forces to be applied to the slip joint. For smaller poles, 8 – 9 tonne total compression applied through two 3-ton lift/ 5 ton pull tirfors at the slip joint, is satisfactory.

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13.3 The method described below utilises two 3-ton lift/ 5 ton pull tirfors to assemble the pole horizontally on the ground.

13.4 The joint assembly can be carried out either using the “D” shaped jacking lugs (See Fig 13.1) or by placing SHS beams at the ends of

the two pole sections to be joined.

13.5 In addition to the two tirfors (wire rope comes with the tirfors), the only other equipment required will be appropriate WLL shackles. For SHS end

beams in addition to above, appropriately rated webbed slings may be required. The SHS beams may also have lugs welded on, allowing tirfors

to be attached directly to the beams. Fig 13.2. shows the end beam arrangement, and oversize sheave blocks. For smaller poles these will not be required. Only when joint compression is required to be > 10 ton

and < than 20 ton will these be required, and only when the manual winch method is used. Ensure that all equipment is serviceable and

check that all equipment is of adequate load capacity for the loads to be applied.

13.6 Alternatively, hydraulic jacking equipment may also be used in place of

the manual winches. The hydraulic joint assembly equipment required for “D” type jacking lugs are: 10 ton hydraulic cylinders (2 off), 16mm

rated chain (2 off), 16mm chain shortening hook with jacking bracket (2 off) and a suitable electric pump unit equipped with hoses to suit

cylinder capacity. Ensure all equipment is of adequate load capacity for the loads to be applied.

13.7 Prior to assembly, select a level assembly site. At the assembly site,

arrange the base section on timber gluts/ packing so that it is in the vicinity of the already prepared foundation hole. Check that the base

section is secure and the slip joint end is clear of the ground and supporting timber gluts.

13.8 Only one slip joint at a time should be assembled, starting from the base

of the pole.

13.9 After reviewing the drawings and the pole sections, orientate and sling

the next pole section on to the base section as far as practical, maintaining true alignment of sections when viewed from the end and the side of the loosely assembled sections. The fold lines of the 12-sided

pole sections should align closely when correctly aligned.

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Fig13.1: Pole sections loosely assembled with forklift ready for joint assembly

13.10 Assemble the joining equipment either between the D shaped jacking lugs at the slip joint or between the SHS beams at either end of the pole sections to be joined as shown in Fig 13.2 below.

Fig 13.2: Joint assembly equipment utilising SHS end beams

13.11 The SHS beams should be positioned in the centreline of the pole and the beam at either end should be parallel with each other. (See Fig 13.3).

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Fig 13.3: The two SHS end beams to be parallel with each other.

13.12 The hand winches should be operated in unison to apply equal force to each side of the joint. Continue to manually winch until no further

movement in the joint can be achieved.

Fig 13.4: Operating the tirfor hand winches in unison.

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13.13 Check that the minimum required slip joint length achieved. If it is past the marked minimum design slip and the mating sections appear

relatively tight fitting, then assembly is complete. Contact BUSCK if the minimum slip distance is not achieved.

13.14 Assemble the next pole section, following the steps as described above until the pole has been fully assembled.

13.15 Attach accessories, brackets, cross arms etc to the pole as deemed

satisfactory according to the safe work method statement prepared for the pole erection at site.

13.16 A lifting sling may be choked around the pole below a suitable fitting assembled on the pole (for example a bolted on cross arm), or the two tirfor wire ropes may be shackled to the lifting sling to prevent the lifting

sling sliding up the tapered pole. The choked sling should be positioned at least two thirds of the distance up from the butt of the pole.

13.17 In preparation for erection, remove the top two nuts and one washer off each foundation anchor bolt. Raise four of the remaining foundation bolt nuts 10mm above the rest and at 90 degrees to each other and level

them. The pole base plate will rest on these.

13.18 Safety considerations should be reviewed prior to any pole lift. Each

installation site should determine, document and train it’s personnel in Safe Work Methods relevant to the site and to the pole assembly and

installation.

13.19 As a preventative safety measure, prior to lifting the pole, attach two tirfors with wire ropes or chains (via suitably rated chain hoists or

tirfors) between the uppermost and lowermost sets of “D” shaped jacking lugs located on both sides of the pole. The wire ropes (or chains)

attached to these should be taut so that pole sections are unable to separate in the unlikely event that pole sections have not been joined with satisfactory jacking force.

13.20 Note: A correctly jacked section will not separate on lifting.

13.21 All lifting tackle must be checked to ensure it is serviceable and

adequately rated for the weight of the pole being lifted.

13.22 Carefully raise the pole to its full height and manoeuvre it onto the foundation bolts. Put on the 4 washers first, then screw on the 4 top

nuts corresponding to the 4 raised nuts. Snug tighten down the 4 top nuts in a diametrically opposite sequence. Snug tighten the 4 underside

nuts also and then check the pole alignment. If plumb, continue to put the rest of the washers and top nuts on the anchor bolts. Bring the remaining nuts on the underside of the baseplate up tight against the

baseplate. Snug tighten down all top nuts in a diametrically opposite sequence. Then snug tighten all underside nuts in a similar sequence.

Recheck the top nuts. Now apply the lock nuts to all foundation bolts snug tightening in a diametrically opposite sequence.

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13.23 Approximate bolt torque values for the snug tight condition:

M16 = 73Nm or 54lbft.

M20 = 143Nm or 106lbft.

M24 = 248Nm or 183lbft.

M30 = 491Nm or 362lbft.

M36 = 864Nm or 637lbft.

M39 = 1115Nm or 820lbft.

M42 = 1378Nm or 1020lbft.

M45 = 1700Nm or 1254lbft.

M48 = 2064Nm or 1520lbft.

M56 = 2950Nm or 2176lbft.

M64 = 3984Nm or 2938lbft.

13.24 Remove the lifting sling from the pole.

Pole erection is complete.

End of Document