Working the Chance Pole Tong like giant pliers, one worker can guide a pole into place during installation. Before this practical tool was developed, it took two workers with peavey sticks to do the job. Apply pressure to keep the jaws closed, the worker controls the forward, backward, side-to-side, and rotary movements of the pole as it is lowered by a winch line or the winch on a hydraulic boom. It is not necessary to re-grip the pole, once the jaws are firmly hooked slightly above the intended ground level.