Job Hazard Analysis · Electrical

Job Hazard Analysis: Pulling wire

Pulling copper conductors (typically #12 AWG to 500 kcmil) through installed EMT or PVC conduit in a building under construction or renovation. Covers fishing with steel or fiberglass fish tape, setting up wire reels and reel stands, lubricating and hand-pulling or using a portable power cable puller (tugger), working from 6-ft to 10-ft fiberglass stepladders, and cleanup. Pulls may end in panels, junction boxes, or switchgear that could have nearby energized circuits.

Published 2026-10-23

A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts.

Steps, hazards and controls

Step	Hazard	Risk	Controls
1. Plan the pull and check both ends for energized equipment.	Contact with energized bus or conductors in the panel or box where the pull ends.	High	De-energize the panel or circuit and apply your own lock and tag before opening covers or pulling into it. Test for absence of voltage with a meter checked on a known live source before and after testing. If any part stays energized, install insulating barriers over live parts and keep the pull out of that section; the foreman decides if the pull can proceed. Wear voltage-rated gloves and arc-rated clothing when working near any energized part.
	Workers at each end can't see or hear each other during the pull.	Medium	Assign one person to call the pull and agree on radio or phone signals for start, slow, and STOP before starting. Anyone can call STOP at any time, and the puller stops immediately.
2. Set up wire reels, reel stand, and cart at the feed end.	Heavy wire reels rolling, tipping, or falling while moving or loading them onto the stand.	Medium	Move reels with a reel cart, pallet jack, or forklift instead of rolling or lifting by hand. Chock reels on the floor and set the reel stand on flat, solid ground with the axle bar locked. Use two people for any reel over 50 lb you must lift by hand, and wear steel-toe boots.
2. Set up wire reels, reel stand, and cart at the feed end.	Pinch points between the reel flange, axle, and stand.	Low	Keep hands off the flanges while the reel turns; slow it with a brake or a board, not your hand. Wear work gloves when handling reels and conductors.
3. Set ladders and fish the conduit with fish tape or vacuum a pull string.	Falls from a stepladder while reaching into ceiling boxes or pull points.	High	Use a scissor lift or rolling platform for long runs of overhead work when available. Use a fiberglass stepladder fully opened and locked, on level floor; never stand on the top cap or the step below it. Keep your belt buckle between the rails, and move the ladder instead of overreaching. Don't pull wire while standing on a ladder; feed or guide only.
	Steel fish tape contacting energized parts or snapping back and cutting hands or eyes.	High	Use non-conductive fiberglass fish tape whenever the run enters a box or panel that may be live. Keep the fish tape in its case and feed it slowly; keep your face away from the conduit end. Wear safety glasses and cut-resistant gloves while fishing.
4. Attach conductors to the pull rope and apply wire-pulling lubricant.	Cuts from utility knives and cable strippers while making up the pulling head.	Medium	Use cable strippers or a cable-cutting tool instead of an open utility knife when possible. Cut away from your body and use a self-retracting blade knife. Wear cut-resistant gloves.
	Slips on spilled pulling lubricant and skin or eye irritation from the lubricant.	Low	Read the SDS and use the lubricant in a squeeze bottle or pump, not poured from the bucket. Wipe up spills right away and put cardboard under the feed point. Wear safety glasses and nitrile or work gloves.
5. Pull the wire by hand or with a power cable puller (tugger).	Pull rope breaking or the pulling head letting go and whipping back under tension.	High	Use only pull rope rated above the puller's maximum force, and inspect it for cuts, fraying, and glazing before each pull. Anchor the tugger exactly as the manufacturer says, and never anchor to conduit, pipe, or ceiling grid. Stay out of the line of the rope and away from the pulling sheave while under tension.
	Hands, gloves, or clothing caught in the tugger capstan or rope.	High	Use a tugger with a working foot switch or dead-man control, and test it before the pull. Keep hands at least 12 in. from the capstan; never wrap the rope around your hand or body. No loose sleeves, jewelry, or hoodie strings near the puller.
	Back and shoulder strain from hand pulling.	Medium	Use the tugger for long runs, large conductors, or multiple bends instead of hand pulling. Use enough lubricant and a feeder at the reel end to reduce pulling force. Pull with your legs, feet staggered, and rotate pullers on long jobs.
	Electric shock from the tugger's cord or extension cord.	Medium	Plug the tugger into a GFCI-protected outlet or cord. Inspect cords for damage before use and keep them out of the pulling path and wet areas.
6. Cut, coil, and secure conductor ends; clean up the work area.	Trips over wire scraps, rope, empty reels, and cords.	Medium	Coil rope and cords and put scraps in the copper scrap bin as you go. Stack empty reels out of walkways and chock them so they can't roll.
	Someone re-energizing the circuit before work is complete.	High	Leave locks and tags on until all conductors are terminated or capped and everyone is clear. Only the person who placed a lock removes it. Tape and label loose conductor ends in boxes and panels.

Required PPE

Safety glasses — ANSI Z87.1, worn at all times, especially when fishing and pulling.
Hard hat — Class E (electrical) hard hat when working under overhead work or near electrical equipment.
Work gloves — Cut-resistant gloves for handling wire, fish tape, and knives; snug fit near the tugger.
Steel-toe or composite-toe boots — Electrical hazard (EH) rated, worn at all times for reel handling.
Voltage-rated gloves and arc-rated clothing — Only when working near parts that cannot be de-energized; rating must match the equipment.

Training

Lockout/tagout procedures and how to test for absence of voltage.
Hands-on training in safe setup and use of the specific cable puller (tugger) and its manufacturer's instructions.
Ladder safety training by a competent person.
Hazard communication training on the pulling lubricant and how to read its SDS.
Only qualified electricians may work near exposed energized parts.

Emergency

If someone is shocked: do not touch them. Shut off power at the disconnect or move them away with a dry non-conductive object. Call 911 and give the site address. Start CPR if they are not breathing and use the AED if available. For a rope whip or fall injury, stop the puller, keep the person still, and call 911.

Official sources

29 CFR 1926.21 — Safety training and education
29 CFR 1926.25 — Housekeeping
29 CFR 1926.250 — Materials storage
29 CFR 1926.300 — Hand and power tools — general requirements
29 CFR 1926.416 — Electrical — general requirements
29 CFR 1926.417 — Lockout and tagging of circuits
29 CFR 1926.1053 — Ladders
29 CFR 1926.102 — Eye and face protection

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General information, not legal advice. Templates and examples should be reviewed by a competent person before use. HardHat Binder is not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA.