Wire Pulling

The information on this page is drawn from material produced by the Travelers Insurance Company. The original pdf is available at the bottom of the page. 6/1/09

Wiring Pulling Risks

Wire pulling can be a strenuous task. Maneuvering spools of wire and manually pulling wire can strain the body resulting in back and shoulder injuries.

Related Injuries

• Low back strain
• Shoulder strain
• Neck strain
• Elbow strain

Handling Wiring Spools

To avoid injury, follow safe work practices:

• Use a forklift or hoist to move feeder wire (i.e., 350 or 500 MCM)
• Use two-person team to move spools of MC wire (i.e., 1000 feet of 12-3)
• Use proper lifting techniques when handling wire spools (i.e., THHN)

Pulling Wire By Hand

If pulling by wire, consider:

• Size of wire, number of wires
• Diameter of pipe, length of pipe
• Number of sweeps
• Lubricate the feeder end
• Don't cut and drag. Feed from a spool.
• Use a handle that grasps the fish-tape to improve grip during wire pulling

Pulling Wire By Wire Puller

• Use a mechanical puller whenever possible, i.e. chugger/tugger, pusher, winch, come-along
• Pre-plan and communicate safe work practices for handling wire or operating a wire puller
• Know when a wire puller is needed and use it

General safety

Use a wire puller whenever possible, and know when it is safe to pull wire by hand. Follow safe work practices when moving spools

References

Download the pdf file for this page here

External Links

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