[TowerTalk] Roswell Tower Accident

[David Calder]

If he had two lanyards or one with two hooks and hooked the other up below
the guys BEFORE he unclipped the one above,
he would be in this thread with us. USE more than one.

May he rest in peace.

Dave n4zkf
 

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ethan
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 12:20 PM
To: 'TowerTalk'
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Roswell Tower Accident

Doug Renwick wrote:
> If this description of the fatal event is correct then one possibility 
> is that being belted-in in his decent may have contributed to his fall.
> If he used both hands to unhook his positioning lanyard (reason 
> unknown) to get around the guy station, and lost his balance then that 
> could explain what happened.  Yes if he had used a fall-arrest lanyard 
> it could have changed the outcome.
> IMO if the use of 'safety' equipment increases your risk then it is 
> not doing the job.  If the 'safety' equipment complicates, interferes, 
> tangles, etc. then it will increase the risk and be a hazard.
> Don't waste your time emailing me about risk.  Everyone takes a risk 
> when they put their first foot on the tower rung.  Don't climb when 
> you are tired, out of physical condition, don't rush, focus on what 
> you are doing, if what you are about to do doesn't feel right - don't do
it.
>
> Doug
>   
Improper equipment or improper use can contribute to increased accident
risk, to be sure!  But you sound to me just like the person who refuses to
wear a seatbelt while driving, saying it might trap him in the car, while
totally ignoring what could happen if he has an accident without the
seatbelt.  If you don't have proper safety equipment or don't know how to
use your equipment properly, don't climb!  The safety record of the tower
maintenance industry is dismal, and it's getting the attention of people who
would just love to add tower climbing to the list of regulated activities.
If, one day, we hear that hams no longer can do our own tower work due to
regulations, we will have people like you to blame for it!  Get off the
tower!

--
Ethan KC8HES