[TowerTalk] Old Safety Belt

[Dennis Vernacchia]

Good Points made in discussion of safety belts and restraints.

So where does an Amateur Operator go to get proper Tower Climbing/Working
instructions
if there are no local ham Teacher/Elemers .....willing or able to give
lessons.

Has any Ham or Professional Climber ever "written the book" on
Safe Tower Climbing and Safe Tower Work procedures including Tool use  etc.

If so, I must have missed it being announced, if not, when are one of the
EXPERTS gonna write it or have the attorneys scared everyone off ?

We Have Contest University....How about Tower Work and Climbing University
at Conventions.

Again my thoughts are that no one dare address the issue due to the
liability of being sued when
a ham is accidentally hurt or killed working on a tower right after taking
the course.....

Or should we just carry on "the old way" and have everyone continue to learn
by chance and pray for good luck.
and that common sense will save us. ???

73, Dennis N6KI




On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 12:00 AM, Kenneth R. Goodwin, Jr. <
krgoodwin at comcast.net> wrote:

> In the climbing game, any harness older than 5 years old is
> automatically thrown away whether it has been used or not. This
> specifically applies to webbing but should convey the thought that
> there is a finite life to climbing belts especially those that use webbing.
>
> The W2ONV belts break one of the cardinal rules of climbing towers
> that one should ALWAYS be 'clipped in' (attached to the tower).  The
> ONV belt can only be used as a positioning/fall restraint lanyard but
> then only if it is attached to the tower at all times.  Being tied in
> at all times with these 'safety belts' rarely happens except at the
> final work location on the tower.  This 'safety belt' has no means to
> be used as a fall arrest device and doesn't provide full time
> protection.  With a 3 foot rope lanyard, you have to unclip sometime
> to move up or down the tower.
>
> Go purchase a full body harness along with some gorilla hooks on a
> shock absorbing lanyard and stay clipped in at all times.  I
> personally feel that the advertising and selling of these 'safety
> belts' should not be allowed since it conveys the thought to the
> amateur radio operator that this is all one needs to climb a
> tower.  I know that is what I believed when I purchased my ONV safety
> belt.  After all it was advertised in all of the radio magazines and
> they wouldn't lead me astray would they??
>
> 73,  Ken K5RG
>
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