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[TowerTalk] Belts and Harnesses

Subject: [TowerTalk] Belts and Harnesses
From: Jim OConnell <w9wu@arrl.net>
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 18:50:42 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I'm tempted to offer a special price for your Last Will & Testament for hams too cheap to protect themselves and their family when climbing. I'd guess that the attorney fee would be just about what you'd pay for proper gear. Of course, if your brother-in-law can get you a deal on a prepaid funeral, nevermind the climbing and safety gear. Your significant other can donate all your radios to the local club vultures.

K7LXC, our moderator here at TowerTalk has a full line of harnesses, belts and arrest lanyards. A quick look at his web page seems to show that $200 or so will buy you the full set of protection you need to climb and work on your tower.
http://www.championradio.com/safety.html


73, Jim O'Connell, W9WU ARRL Volunteer Counsel

towertalk-request@contesting.com wrote:

Subject:
Re: [TowerTalk] Belts/Harness legality
From:
kb9cry@comcast.net
Date:
Thu, 27 May 2004 19:20:39 +0000
To:
john.brewer@us.schneider-electric.com

To:
john.brewer@us.schneider-electric.com
CC:
, towertalk@contesting.com


You are correct. Spending a couple of hundred dollars on the "proper" safety equipment when you only climb once a year may not make sense. Most funerals do cost less than most tower installations, so why add to the cost! To me, the second sentence pointedly indicates why you do need to spend the money, you only climb the tower once a year and therefore are not as much of an expert as one who does it for a living. As one poster mentioned, you should see the effects to the human body when only a belt is worn and it arrests a fall. Up to 5,000 pounds of force is applied to the body (300 lb. person) when the fall is abruptly stopped. Shock absorbing lanyards (the prescursors to bungee jumping) reduce that force to around 500 pounds and a properly fitted full body harness distributes that force to the strongest bones in the body, i.e. the hips. Hang on and good luck. My full body harness with side mounted D-rings only cost me around $75 which is cheap insurance in my bo
ok.
Be safe, Phil KB9CRY



I don't think there's any law whatsoever (even here in the east!) that mandates what
kind of belt to use, or to use one at all on your own property. It may be an Federal OSHA
rule
for commercial outfits, but certainly not for homeowner/hams repairing their own towers.
Give the government enough time and they'll find a way to tax and regulate it however! :-)


While I agree that a properly outfitted harness/fall arrest system is the way to go, I'd
suspect
that the vast majority of hams use a belt sytem only. This may or may not make sense if
you're climbing a tower once in a blue moon.... the risk/reward depends on the individual
situation.


As in many situations, how safe you are can depend a lot on how much you can afford
to spend (all other things being equal).


John


_______________________________________________


See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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