[TowerTalk] Risks on short towers

[Barry]

W0UN -- John Brosnahan wrote:
> At 21:10 25-10-07, jacobsen_5 at msn.com wrote:
>
>   
>> "Tony, sorry to say this, but if you think free climbing a 42 foot tower
>> is any safer than a taller one, we'll probably be reading more about you
>> before you get old.
>>     
>
> For the past 30 years or so, whenever I heard about a tower accident, I tried
> to find out as many details as possible in order to be better educated and to
> possibly avoid making the same mistakes.
>
> And this is what I have learned although I have NO statistical data 
> to back this up,
> only my impressions of what I have seen, heard, or read.
>
> To me it seems that the shorter towers are the most dangerous!  This may
> be explained in any number of ways, although I don't know for a fact that it
> is true.  Possibly the shorter ones are more dangerous because the 
> belief is that
> it is just a little tower, no big deal, and the climber is more lax 
> about safety.
> Possibly they are more dangerous because taller towers tend to be climbed
> by professionals whereas the little ones are often climbed by 
> non-professionals.
>
> I do know for a fact that in the past, if I was making a quick run up 
> a short tower,
> I would just grab my old pole-climbing belt, or in later years I would use my
> tree-trimmers belt.  I wouldn't bother with more serious rigging for 
> a few minutes
> on a short tower.
>
> Now that I am older and have seen more info on the dangers of NOT wearing an
> arrest harness, I have a much less cavalier attitude about the risks 
> of climbing
> with inadequate equipment.
>
> --John  W0UN
>
>
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>   
A few days ago, I was installing one of my seasonal Beverages.  It 
connects to a junction box, containing the transformer and some relays, 
on the tower at 10 ft.  Even at that level, I use my belt.  Besides the 
safety issues, it's just so much easier to be able to work with 2 hands 
free, not worrying about holding on.
Barry W2UP