My favourite tower tip comes from a near-disaster while working atop a tower
in a semi-professional basis:
If the tower's owner is not experienced, explain EVERYTHING. Including the
right and wrong ways to assist with hoisting. We were installing the top
section of a 72-foot freestander when the knot (improperly tied section) got
caught in the gin pole pulley. The owner, a farmer, saw this and immediately
came running to our ground guy's aid. One mighty yank and he narrowly missed
getting up close and personal with the local coroner. It was graceful,
really, the way the top section started to tip over, slowly at first, like
in slow motion, and then accelerating through its arc before coming to rest
at the end of my tower-top companion's arm. Instinctively, he grabbed the
bottom brace as it started to tip. He's lucky he didn't dislocate his
shoulder or worse.
Which is the other tip: hardware can be replaced, limbs can't. If
something's falling, just get out of its way.
73, kelly
ve4xt
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