[TowerTalk] March QST cover

[Herbert Schoenbohm]

Wearing some sore of head protection is critically important working on 
a tower.  The new helmets designed for that work are required for most 
tower climbers.  Bumping in hard to a steel extension above can knock 
someone who is unprotected unconscious. Also a falling bolt or hardware 
from above can have the same effect.  This can always happen when you 
least expect it.   Two of my sons are Comtrain certified tower climbing 
instructors.  One of the working on a 300 foot tower in St. John had a 
co worker starting his climb with my son below preparing to go up next.  
The site owner require them to use the safety cable that runs to the 
top.  At 100 feet my son's co worker took a short rest and then bang the 
cable snapped (at the top connection) just as he was trying to hook on.  
The co-worker fell over 100' and only survived by a microwave dish at 
50' breaking his fall.  The entire length of steel cable fell on both of 
them on the ground. The co-worker had many broken ribs and other 
bones....but the safety helmets spared both of them.  The news got 
around fast and while in the hospital a few hours after surgery  there 
were no less than four attorney's wanting to take the case.  I think the 
settlement was for $650,000 from the tower company since they only 
allowed you on the tower via that safety cable.  (Ironically this very 
tower had been totally inspected by a stateside company)


Herb, KV4FZ


On 2/28/2017 9:28 AM, Jim Thomson wrote:
> I never used a hard hat on a tower.