In 40 years of climbing, I have almost always climbed alone. When I was a
teenager I not only climbed alone but had no safety equipment, no climbing
belt, no hardhat, always worked on the tower, and did some major stuff, with
one arm crooked through a tower leg. I am sure I am lucky to be here today.
Basically, I "didn't know any better," though even someone who doesn't know any
better has a basic idea that, "I don't think this is very safe." Even if
you're a kid with no money, you're better off working at McDonald's long enough
to buy a climbing belt. Your work on the tower will go faster and safer and
you will quickly have made up the time you "lost" by working to put together
some bucks first. Wow, the "freedom" when I finally had both hands and arms
free while working up on the tower. And, it took some getting used to. And,
I'm going to start heeding the advice to have a helper on site when working up
the tower too, and other "improvements" to my "act," such as climbing hooks --
whatever they're called -- and fall arrest device, those sorts of things that
I've never used up until now.
I agree, helpers should stay away from the "drop zone" unless they have to
quickly go in to pick up something. And then the guy up the tower should hold
still to limit the chance of dropping something, and the helpers should be
wearing hard hats. Still, the hard hat doesn't protect your shoulder bones,
the pointy ones that stick up, or kneecaps, etc. Get one of those hit with a
wrench and you'll know it. I've suggested before hard plastic padded football
shoulder pads. They would help. They would afford protection to the shoulders
much like the hard hat gives to the head.
We should all remember N8SM, which is in our recent memory, and others we know
who have fallen but survived, though some with serious injuries, but they
recovered, etc. "There but for the grace of God go I."
73 - Rich, KE3Q
----- Original Message -----
From: Tony King - W4ZT
To: (Reflector) TowerTalk
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] tower climbers xmas gift
At 11:08 AM 11/25/2003, Jerry Keller wrote:
>Many of the posts for this subject indicate there's a lot of "solo" tower
>climbing going on. I don't climb, but if I did I would never do so without
>a helper on the ground to watch my back and send up stuff. Let's see....
>where did I get that good safety idea? I believe it was here on
>TowerTalk... :-) 73, Jerry K3BZ
<snip>
This is a very good point. Climbing alone is a very risky thing to do yet
folks are doing it every day. Even if you climb with a buddy on the ground,
if you don't haul the end of a string or 1/4 inch line with you, he can't
help you retrieve something you drop or something you forgot to take with you.
Recently we had a friend sustain a very deep gash in the top of his head
which required ten staples (that's more than 20 stitches) as a result of a
falling tower part. Since that accident, me and the other few climbers in
our group have agreed that we will NEVER climb with folks below that are
NOT wearing hard hats. They're cheap, available at Home Depot, Lowes and
many other places (another GREAT tower climber's gift! Give one to each of
your ground crew).
Fortunately we didn't lose our friend but we could have very easily and
that lesson will not be forgotten.
Climb safe. Have a wonderful holiday season!
73,
Tony W4ZT
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
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