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Re: [TowerTalk] Tower Incidents

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower Incidents
From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2016 07:42:12 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I know of an incident in St. Thomas where a fall protection system actually failed. My son a Comtrain certified instructor where preparing for a 225 foot climb and the owner of the tower, the biggest owner of towers across the country, required that any climber must use the fall protection system installed on it. His co-worker was up first at 100 feet and took a short rest with his weight, about 200 lbs, on the cable. Than bang the cable broke at the fitting at the top and down he came. Fortunately a microwave dish at 40 feet broke his fall but he was still badly injured with many broken bones when he finally hit the ground. What added insult to injury was the cable came down on top of him as well. My son called for help while removing the tangle mess and stabilizing the victim. The co--worker survived after several months in the hospital. Ironically while my son was visiting in the hospital there were five lawyers waiting outside to handle the case. The settlement was close to a million dollars. The tower had also been inspected by a mainland company only a month before the incident. Everybody lawyer-ed up and was litigating against each other before it was all over. But here is a case were the very component designed to save a life nearly cy caused the loss of one.

The problem was eventually traced to internal cable corrosion where the cable connected at the top of the tower. Apart from replacing everything every 5 years the internal rot on stainless fittings is nearly impossible to detect. The hook and unhook with two fall arrest cords IMHO the best way to climb. It takes more time but it is safer.


On 6/21/2016 6:05 AM, Bill wrote:
Boxbe <https://www.boxbe.com/overview> This message is eligible for Automatic Cleanup! (bmarx@bellsouth.net) Add cleanup rule <https://www.boxbe.com/popup?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boxbe.com%2Fcleanup%3Fkey%3DvGLdIN4IMUgmivIOPt%252FiQqrTj5geLV%252BVoc995mty6j0%253D%26token%3D4wM%252BCinRxktJdECrwQPSVaBUzhaHgkPHp3uQNe5XR%252B0QXXuJnerJ53ffw5KZ%252BjKwk99GtWLfeh6nBQCzFaMDFF5VdRL7pjjteCnWCBgYXUkCxFXMzbwtiUAoUx4DBhxBnkYmQx9m2dg%253D&tc_serial=25838970529&tc_rand=1660923350&utm_source=stf&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ANNO_CLEANUP_ADD&utm_content=001> | More info <http://blog.boxbe.com/general/boxbe-automatic-cleanup?tc_serial=25838970529&tc_rand=1660923350&utm_source=stf&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ANNO_CLEANUP_ADD&utm_content=001>
All of them?


On 6/21/2016 12:06 AM, Wilson wrote:
I asked the other day, during the fall related messages, if anyone had, or knew of anyone who had, been saved by a fall protection system.
I didn’t see any answers, so maybe I didn’t send as I thought.
SO does anyone know of actual fall incidents where the climber was caught by a harness or belt, with safety cable or conventional hookup.
73,
Wilson
W4BOH
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