How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify? Here's your chance to moonlight as an electrical inspector and second-guess someone else's work from the safety of your living room or office. It's your turn to identify the violation.
Hint: That’s a wrap.
Find the Answer
This is one way to try to cover up a handhole. Unfortunately, it’s not the right way.
Section 410.30(B)(1) requires a pole supporting a luminaire to have “a handhole not less than 2 in. × 4 in. with a cover suitable for use in wet locations to provide access to the supply terminations within the pole or pole base.” I really don’t think that a block of wood with several wraps of tape around the pole create a cover “suitable for the use.” I suppose we can give this installer an “A” for effort when it comes to trying to keep people from coming in contact with any energized wires inside the pole, but when it comes to being Code compliant, I think his grade should be much lower. Eventually the tape will become dry and brittle from being exposed to a combination of heat, sun, rain, snow, and brutally cold weather. This will cause the tape to fail and the wood block to slip off, exposing the energized wire connections inside the pole.
A properly installed cover needs to be installed on this pole in order to make it a safe and Code-compliant installation.