moanin', Voltalytes.
I used to free climb, using the arrestor cable was slow and tedious by comparison, but when I got to the work location I ALWAYS anchored the climbing belt with a lanyard. I climbed as part of my hobby, at the time, of ham radio and not for a living. If I did climb for a living I'd have the "real deal" safety gear like Tritium uses. The bounce at the end of even a 50 foot fall is way too much for the human body.
It is interesting to note that most of the deaths, according to the video, can be attributed to the climber taking "shortcuts". Free climbing a ladder is one thing, but free climbing around a tower while working with antennas or anything else is a completely different thing with too many variables that can result in a short trip to the ground. It was also interesting to note that in one case all the safety gear was still in the truck, not being worn and used by the climber that died. Too much user error in an effort to work faster...a guaranteed route to disaster when working at heights. One other accident happened because the crane operator was over tired, pushing beyond common sense to meet an expectation that really wasn't there at that moment.
Getting paid ten bucks an hour to lay your life on the line, even if observing all safety rules, seems a little on the low side. There are too many "layers" of companies involved, all trying to maximize their own profits which is cutting the pay to the guy that actually produces the work. Eliminate those layers, of one or two of them, and things will straighten out fairly quickly. I do hope that something changes, for the sake of those that do the real work.
I used to free climb, using the arrestor cable was slow and tedious by comparison, but when I got to the work location I ALWAYS anchored the climbing belt with a lanyard. I climbed as part of my hobby, at the time, of ham radio and not for a living. If I did climb for a living I'd have the "real deal" safety gear like Tritium uses. The bounce at the end of even a 50 foot fall is way too much for the human body.
It is interesting to note that most of the deaths, according to the video, can be attributed to the climber taking "shortcuts". Free climbing a ladder is one thing, but free climbing around a tower while working with antennas or anything else is a completely different thing with too many variables that can result in a short trip to the ground. It was also interesting to note that in one case all the safety gear was still in the truck, not being worn and used by the climber that died. Too much user error in an effort to work faster...a guaranteed route to disaster when working at heights. One other accident happened because the crane operator was over tired, pushing beyond common sense to meet an expectation that really wasn't there at that moment.
Getting paid ten bucks an hour to lay your life on the line, even if observing all safety rules, seems a little on the low side. There are too many "layers" of companies involved, all trying to maximize their own profits which is cutting the pay to the guy that actually produces the work. Eliminate those layers, of one or two of them, and things will straighten out fairly quickly. I do hope that something changes, for the sake of those that do the real work.
That's me on the left.
