[TowerTalk] Tower accident,

[David Calder]

Then he is an idiot. I also teach. I was climbing my tower when I was 14
working on my antennas,
my grandparents TV antennas. Painting towers. In the Midwest where I grew
up, everyone had a
tower for television. I made my extra money climbing young.

I then graduated to climbing broadcast towers (1500'+) working on high
intensity lighting, slot
covers in antennas, ect. We had a belt but like him, we free climbed till we
got tired. Took the
lanyard that was over our shoulder, clipped it off to the ladder rung and
took a rest. When we
were ready to go again, unclipped and took off up. All this over 1000+
usually with 75 lbs of
parts hanging off you butt below. We only had a lineman's belt then. I look
back on these days and I had an Angel over my shoulder or God himself
protecting me.

I was a total idiot for not staying 100% tied off. I tell my guys and the
GC's that work for carriers
on my sites now. If I find you not 100% tied off 6' off the ground your out
of here. It's a job where I am and it's
not work your life. It's a hobby here and it REALLY not worth your life.

I scraped a 23 year old off the ground 3 years ago when he fell 160' off the
top of a monopole.
He had an 8 month old daughter that will never know her dad. Little alone a
young widow over
something that could have been prevented. I'm sorry for the long post but
being in the business,
this is one of my pet peeves. If your not 100% tied off, your lazy.

Dave n4zkf
 

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rick Karlquist
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 7:35 PM
To: bill rubin
Cc: Wayne Kline; towertalk at contesting.com; hector at xe2k.net; Mike Fatchett
W0MU
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower accident,

bill rubin wrote:
> I know that ARRL has a tower safety book, but I would like to see them 
> put out a Video (DVD) that is professionally done.  I think it would 
> help many of us.
>
> Bill N1HWC

Instead of a video that parrots that book, maybe they need a video showing
pictures of dead climbers after they've been smashed on the ground, kind of
like those drivers ed movies that scare you about drunk driving.  Or the
climber who fell, but lived ... for the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
I recently talked to a climber who teaches classes in tower safety, but
doesn't apply any of those rules to himself when he climbs.

Rick N6RK

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