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Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Sad day - W9ZUC tower accident

To: n4zkf <towertalk@n4zkf.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Sad day - W9ZUC tower accident
From: Big Don <bigdon39@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 06:15:48 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
FWIW, there are some interesting shots of the lightning protection, and
safety gear in use, on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de
Janiero @  *https://www.youtube.com/embed/2BbsZXgXgZE
<https://www.youtube.com/embed/2BbsZXgXgZE>  *(need to freeze the video at
the appropriate points to get a good look) As he walks out the outstretched
arm of the statue to repair the hand, it appears the worker's harness is
connected only via a cable back thru the access hatch to something solid
inside(?).  Although it isn't quite straight down, it is about 2400 ft
above the city-scape down below - perhaps a pucker-factor notch or two
above working on the tall building antennas in Chicago.........
Don N7EF

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 4:41 AM, n4zkf <towertalk@n4zkf.com> wrote:

> Thus my mentioned of inspections.
>
> 73 Dave n4zkf
>
> On 9/21/14 11:54 AM, "Herbert Schoenbohm" <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >The "Fall Arrest" cable in this incident was high quality stainless
> >steel that sometimes defies visual inspection especially in fittings.
> >In this case the cable had rotted internally near the top fitting which
> >was invisible to the close in naked eye.   The only real answer is to
> >replace every 5 years and also put it frequently under a load test.
> >Some actually prefer galvanized steel cable where at least you can see
> >the deterioration as it occurs and take corrective action.
> >
> >Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
> >
> >
> >On 9/21/2014 11:44 AM, n4zkf wrote:
> >> I'm an sorry to hear that. We inspect our safety climbs and I will only
> >> use stainless steel.
> >>
> >>
> >> 73 Dave n4zkf
> >>
> >>
> >> On 9/20/14 7:30 PM, "Herbert Schoenbohm" <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> My son is a Comtrain certified tower climb and was working on Bordeaux
> >>> Peak in St. John on a 300 foot PyRod tower.  The tower owners insisted
> >>> that every climber was required to use the "fall Arrest" stainless
> >>>steel
> >>> cable without exception question and as part of his wireless companies
> >>> contract for liabilities. His co worker went up first and stopped at
> >>> 100' to clamp off but before his co-worker could get the clamp on the
> >>> fall arrest snapped right at the top of the tower. He fell to the
> >>>ground
> >>> but a microwave dish at 50 feet broke his fall and he survived but was
> >>> additioally injured by the 300 feet of steel cable landing on his
> >>>broken
> >>> body on the ground.  My son did CPR and called 911. While at the
> >>> hospital, in severe pain from broken bones and just being wheeled out
> >>>of
> >>> the X-Ray and MRI chamber on a gurney, there were five lawyers
> >>> following  the victim to his room.   I think he settled for about
> >>> $900,000 but to me that would not be enough considering he was forced
> >>>by
> >>> the tower owner to use an unsafe system.  Ironically another mainland
> >>> company had done a complete tower inspection only a few months before.
> >>> Lesson: Always pack your own parachute(s) and don't trust your life to
> >>> the lowest tower inspection bidder, ever.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
>
>
>
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