[TowerTalk] Climbing

[Doug Westacott]

Gentlemen

 

As per my previous response on this subject...fall arrest cables are specified to be installed at anchors rated at 5000 lbs force....

The rocket scientists/government regs, CSA, OSHA etc up here demand an 8.75 kilo newton anchor per climber...

 

My math works it out that 2 climbers can safely be on one cable...with ease...

 

Anyway...the way I see it...I have met alot of HAMS that all own climbing belts of various descriptions...however when I call on them to come up their tower to give me a hand...they all decline....maybe its a status symbol to own a belt ?????

 

As far as the USA and Canada are concerned... the Federal/State/Province regs, in reality, are pretty well the same... of course none of these apply to us HAM's and most times on the local jobs I do for the fellows I m glad they don't...

 

Doug

VE6PR







>------- Original Message Follows -------
>From: "Jim Thomson" <jim.thom at telus.net>
>To: <k1ttt at arrl.net>
>Cc: 
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Climbing
>Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:52:02 -0700
>
>
>
>
>From: David Robbins 
>Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 6:26 AM
>To: jim.thom at telus.net 
>Cc: towertalk at contesting.com 
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Climbing
>
>
>that would of course require either an installed line, which i would not trust due to weather and wear issues... or someone to climb up to attach it before it was used each time, kind of defeats the purpose.
>
>##  I can't see any wear issue on a 3/8" galvanized winch cable, esp with a 15,750 lb breaking strength rating....and zero weight load on it 99% of the time.   You would have the same WX and wear issues
>on the permanently installed  3/8"  safety cable....and how often do they ever get changed out ? 
>
>## here's another thought....for commercial applications.  The CSA  rules up here state  that only ONE individual can be  hooked to the safety cable at any one time.  If that's the case, and say the fellow
>passes out/ heart attack, etc.... then how is anybody supposed to go up there to help him...using the same safety cable ?   Even  in an emergency case like this, the 2nd climber hooked onto the
>same safety cable, the 1st climber could have tools falling onto the 2nd climber.  What's really required is a SECOND  safety cable, on a different face / leg of the tower.   Then if there was any maintenance
>issues with the top termination/cable, etc of either  safety cable,  you would always have  a redundant safety cable.   The cost of a 2nd safety cable would be peanuts compared to the cost of the tower.
>The average cost of a typ cell site here in town is $500K.   $501K is not abt to break the budget.  
>
>Jim  VE7RF 
>
>
>Sep 20, 2010 07:24:28 AM, jim.thom at telus.net wrote:
>
>  Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:57:49 -0400
>  From: "Wilson Lamb" 
>  Subject: [TowerTalk] Climbing
>
>  The video has certainly generated a lot of talk, some valuable.
>
>  Does anyone use a belay? A competent groundie could keep a line snug as you 
>  go up and down, saving you the trouble of all that hooking. Once at a 
>  worksite, you could hook on and relieve the groundie for other tasks.
>  Wlson
>  W4BOH 
>
>
>  ## I had the same thought a week ago. Some kind of power winch would be cool,
>  then just lift the climber up the side of the tower. He could still be hooked onto the
>  separate safety cable too, so if the winch cable broke, jammed, etc, the climber is
>  still restrained at all times. 0-300' in 60 secs. 
>
>  later.. Jim VE7RF
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