If I may add my two cents. First, besides being a
chemical process engineer, I have 15 + years experience
in Industrial Health & Safety and OSHA compliance.
I personally use a MSA full body harness, that features
a back D Ring, between the shoulder blades, and two side
hip D Rings. It also has thigh and butt straps. There
is no belt (later on that). I, like others, don't like
falling, and make it a habit to be always clipped on,
even when climbing. I use two connection devices.
First I use what is called a Rebar Chain Positioning
assembly, which consists of two locking snaphooks on
each end of a thirteen link chain. These attach to the
hip D rings. Floating on the chain is a gorilla hook,
with safety latch mechanism. I clip the gorilla hook to
a tower member and can then lean back freeing both
hands. I can also slide a little side to side also.
The gorilla hook allows quick connection and
disconnection. Secondly, I have a six foot shock
absorbing lanyard attached to the back D ring. On the
other end, I've attached another gorilla hook. As I
climb I, religiously hook and rehook the lanyard. Once
at the working spot, I hook the lanyard somewhere above
my head. I'll admit, I'll go between the lanyard's and
the positioning chain's gorilla hooks as I move around
the tower, but one of the two is always attached.
Carbiners are designed for attachment and not for
repeated connection & disconnection. I'll use a
carbiner to secure the rotator to the tower prior to
installation after it has been hoisted to the top, but
never to connect me. Two hands are required, by design,
to twist the safety lock and move the lever.
An important note to make is that all of you should have
a shock absorbing lanyard. The reason is, to sum it up
greatly, is that when your body falls, and then is
abrupty stopped by a line, the forces that are exterted
on the body are on the order of about 5000 lbs for a
typical 300 lb body. That's enough force to really mess
you up. The shock absorbing lanyards are designed to
cushion the fall shock to on the order of around 500
lbs. The full body harness is designed to transmit the
fall shock to the strongest part of the body, the hips.
The lack of a belt is on purpose, the belly is a soft
spot.
With steel shank shoes and good gloves ( I like brown
cotton jersey gloves that have rubber dots on them.),
and a good harness, I am very comfortable up the tower.
Not to take business from Steve & Champion or ONV, who
all market excellent products, there are other
manufacturers and suppliers of this gear. Miller, MSA,
and DBI Sala are some manufacturers that come to mind.
Suppliers include Grainger, Lab Safety, Airgas Safety,
and other industrial safety supply houses. Look on the
internet.
Keep safe, Phil KB9CRY
________________________________________________________________________
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same place that pays for the hosting of this list: The eHam Store.
Order online at http://store.eham.net.
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