[TowerTalk] Pucker Power

[Ethan]

Michael J. Castellano wrote:
> Dunno, maybe I survived 30+ years as a tower jock by being TOO cautious.
>
> I see some  problems with the antenna work in the pix.  Short pants, no hardhat, standing on a bar. One slip off that bar... The belt will probably hold, but the shock will cause a bit of pain. It will also bend the boom, causing a slide, causing even more bending. Looks like a slam into the tower... no hard hat, remember? short pants equals gouged legs... 
>
> The crane would cost around $500 or so... cheap insurance.
>
> just an opinion, mind you...
>
> Lets be real careful up there.
>
> KM1R
>   

I do commercial tower work, and I would 
definitely recommend a hard hat
and long pants.  But one thing I will 
not do is ride a crane!  I can
control what I do on a tower, but I have 
absolutely no control over a
crane.  Yes, sometimes you have to do 
what you have to do, and I have
often had to stand on pipes and bars 
mounted off a tower, even further
out (and perhaps higher up - I don't see 
any lights on that tower) than
that guy is.  I just make sure I'm tied 
to something solid, preferably a
tower leg, and I'm very careful!  This 
means I'm careful about where I
put my feet, I always use a hard hat 
(you never know if someone might
have left a loose bolt or worse sitting 
on a brace above you somewhere)
and long pants (I don't like gouged legs 
either!) and I don't accept
rides from friendly crane operators!

Ethan KC8HES