[TowerTalk] Tower accident

[Wes]

I see: "Sorry, but you do not have permission to view this content."


On 8/29/2020 9:12 AM, Ken K6MR wrote:
> Both links work fine here.  Jim’s presentation is definitely worth watching.  If you free climb or don’t have the proper climbing gear it should convince you to change your ways.
>
> We’ve lost enough guys in just the past few years to hopefully wake up everyone.
>
> Ken K6MR
>
> From: Wes<mailto:wes_n7ws at triconet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2020 08:05
> To: towertalk at contesting.com<mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower accident
>
> Your link is useless.
>
>
> On 8/28/2020 9:20 PM, Jim Idelson wrote:
>> This tragic incident is one of two very serious amateur radio tower mishaps
>> that occurred in the last few weeks.
>>
>> Those of you who have seen our research into the history of serious tower
>> incidents over the past 20 years (recently presented
>> <https://youtu.be/uJO-L3td_p8> to the Western Washington DX Club) will
>> recognize that the cause of this incident seems to fit the category of
>> improper Personal Protection Equipment and/or climbing technique - one of
>> the two primary root causes we've identified.
>>
>> A work positioning lanyard that runs from one belt-level D-ring around the
>> tower and back to a second belt D-ring is NOT a safety device, as a climber
>> who loses his footing can fall a long way before coming to a stop. And,
>> coming to a stop when attached at waist-level can cause serious injury.
>>
>> If you climb with a setup like this (just the belt and positioning
>> lanyard), every time you unclip the positioning lanyard to change position
>> ( a state called 'in transition' in the tower maintenance industry), you
>> are exposing yourself to risk of a potentially long fall. The early
>> descriptions of the AA9TJ incident suggest that the fall might have occured
>> while the climber was in transition or shortly after a transition.
>>
>> There is gear available to greatly reduce this particular category of risk.
>> In today's world, a common safety setup will include a full body harness, a
>> dual fall-arrest lanyard attached to the rear of the harness at neck level,
>> in addition to a work positioning lanyard. The key point to note is that
>> the equipment doesn't save any lives unless it is used correctly. The
>> technique is critical. Both legs of the dual fall-arrest must be securely
>> attached above the climber before any changes are made in the location of
>> the work positioning lanyard. When climbing, at least one leg of the dual
>> fall-arrest lanyard must always be attached securely to the tower. This is
>> not the only system that works, but it is pretty common and flexible for
>> work on towers that are 12" to 18" on a side.
>>
>> Take the safety pledge at zerofalls.org. After you sign up, go look at
>> the climbing
>> gear <https://zerofalls.org/members-area/member-resources/climbing-gear/> page.
>> You'll find two OSHA-safe climbing setups. Contact me directly for more
>> info.
>>
>> 73 Jim K1IR
>>
>> Note: I am not a professional tower climber. The information here is only
>> presented as background, not as professional advice. Every situation has
>> different circumstances. You should seek professional assistance as you
>> decide what to do in your particular situation.
>> _______________________________________________