[TowerTalk] Old safety belt

[Pat Barthelow]

 An additional thing to be aware of as a follow on, to using a good fall arrest harness, isto consider it to still be a medical emergency if you fall, and are saved from ground impact by  a fall arrest harness, and are hanging away from structures you can use to unload your weight in the harness.  It  may or may  not be a common situation, but if you are suspended by your harness above the ground and unable to climb back to the tower or other object, numerous references and case histories on the web documenting loss of consciousness while suspended in fall arrest harnesses with possible fatal results, exist.
One such reference:
http://www.cdc.gov/eLCOSH/docs/d0500/d000551/d000551.html
 The problem centers around instances where harness design, or adjustment, suspension angle, and body  size/shape/weight combine in such a way that cuts off or inhibits blood circulation 
in the legs. In some instances this situation has caused loss of consciousness of a 
suspended subject in less than  a couple of minutes 
Best, Pat, AA6EG> From: w0mu at w0mu.com> To: K7LXC at aol.com; towertalk at contesting.com; W4ABW at aol.com> Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2009 14:15:00 -0700> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Old safety belt> > I agree with Steve.> > Get yourself a harness with a fall arrest cable. You won't fall out of a> harness if something bad should happen. > > -----Original Message-----> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of K7LXC at aol.com> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 11:56 AM> To: towertalk at contesting.com; W4ABW at aol.com> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Old safety belt