[TowerTalk] Tower safety equipment

[K7LXC at aol.com]

From: "Alan NV8A (ex. AB2OS)" <nv8a at att.net>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Safety belts. Was: 60th Birthday
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Message-ID: <41D89642.1020603 at att.net>
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>>  What belts do people recommend? There seems to be a wide range of prices.

Safety "belt" is kind of a generic term plus it doesn't really describe what you need. These days just about everyone is using a fall arrest harness with a positioning lanyard (the one that hooks to the waist D-rings and holds you in work position) and a fall arrest lanyard that attaches to the D-ring between the shoulder blades. Using this ensemble let's you be attached to the tower 100% of the time for maximum protection. 

Fall arrest harnesses can run from about $90 (www.championradio.com) to a couple of hundred bucks for a Klein or similar professional grade. 

Like Bill, K4XS, I highly recommend an adjustable lanyard - one size DOESN'T fit all. But for low cost it's hard to beat a 4-foot rope one for $39.00. 

BTW OSHA rules only allow fall arrest harnesses anymore no safety belts. As a non-professional you can use whatever you want but the trend is towards more protection and if you're like me, you're more safety conscious now than when you were younger. 

Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
Champion Radio Products &
TOWER TECH -
Professional tower services for commercial and amateur
Cell: 206-890-4188