Professional tower climber here. Work positioning lanyard does not count as being tied off and connected. I've seen a coworker die because he was climbing with just that. Some sort of fall arrest must be used.
As has already been mentioned, this video has a number of critical misrepresentations about what is 100% tie-off. Use of a positioning lanyard, exclusively, is NOT 100% tie-off. As someone who has been climbing towers for 30 years and is still here to talk about it, my advice is to follow the rules: either be tied off 100% of the time with at least one leg of an ANSI/OSHA certified Y lanyard, or be tied off to the steel cable of a tower's integrated fall arrest system (if the tower has one), using an approved cam system. Even when using a positioning lanyard, the rules state that one should still be be tied of at shoulder level or higher with at least one leg of your fall arrest lanyard that is connected to your dorsal D ring. If you have a 12 foot type fall arrest lanyard, you are only then allowed to tie off at foot level. Quite frankly, this video is dangerous, as it promotes unsafe climbing practices. Again, use of a positioning lanyard alone is not considered being tied off. You can still slip and without a properly tied-off lanyard leg from your dorsal D ring connecting you to the tower, you could slide (fall really) all the way down the tower. That could very well kill you. My advice is to never take shortcuts with being tied off. If you follow the rules, you stand much less of a chance of getting hurt or getting killed in a fall.
I have a 45 foot tower in my yard and i've been free-climbing it since I was 11. You would be surprised how much free-climbing happens within the radio hobby. There might be some "technicalities" about what he's showing that aren't "by the book" or whatever the heck you're talking about, but just looking at this logically, if a person goes about climbing towers in the way this man has showed, you're not gonna fall.
I'd like some advice if you don't mind answering.. on a water tower, is a 5ft railing around the platform good enough to not need to be tied off? Feel like I know the right answer but I was on one recently that had decorative handrails and almost nowhere to hook to without having to unhook every 2ft, moving around it was nearly impossible especially with all the radio/cell equipment attached to said railing. Tied off with a 15ft lanyard and made it work the best I could while replacing an antenna. Wondering if there was a better solution.
If you pass out on the tower you can slide all the way down at basically free fall speed. Because there's nothing to arrest the fall, you're not hooked onto anything.
For a safety video, this clearly contradicts itself and teaches bad habits, as well as a disregard for the regulations. Work positions equipment such as the lanyard or seat are not fall arresters; and it’s mandatory to have a fall arrestor connected at all times. I love the approach to getting this information in bitsize videos; but you can’t promote convenience over safety and call it a safety video.
Different then what I use. We have to use hooks all the time, unless its less then 12ft then we have to free climb until that point. Alot of Wade/Delhi dmx towers, mostly 40-80ft. Sometimes 350ft+ cell towers.
I think is a nice method to use in conjuction with your hooks, definitely not on it's own. For when you are tired and need a bit of a rest before continuing climbing.
Any helpful suggestions for finding someone to take down an antenna like this? I have contacted 7 different people and no one has been able to take it down.
Question: Where can I buy the "seat hook" presented at 4:21 in this video? I couldn't find this as a product anywhere. A portion of the "seat hook" is clearly a spreader bar. The remaining portion appears to be a rebar hook on a loop or double loop of rope/lanyard. I haven't found any other videos/literature that tell how to connect or tie off the seat (very weird).
Only I dont really trust the small- almost wire tower parts your standing on, if a weld is damaged and lets go, your weight may bend the wire rod and feet could slide off. Then since your strap is around the outside of the tower, you could slide a long way down. when I got to where I was going to work I would put my strap through the tower before wrapping around .
that's a single piece of metal all the way up. It's just bent in a zigzag pattern. There are no welds to break, other than the zigzags disconnecting from the tower completely, which wouldn't make you fall.
Thanks for the series! Previous comments suggest you should be using fall arrest, but that is covered in the previous video in the series. I don't believe fall arrest is designed to work at the minimum height used for the positioning demonstration in this video. The full series should be viewed in its entirety.
I would like to see an example of installing or removing a tall commercial two-way repeater antenna on top of a Rohn tower with a standard tube top. The tapered top presents and extra challenge. BTW, I used to free climb my whole life and never knew any different. I now use his method and see the validity of it. At 68 years old, it's easy to make mistakes when climbing. I'm still waiting for someone to design a climb assist that goes in line with the rebar hook for the seat.
Hmm, all sorts of wrong with this presentation. Its not OSHA rules but good practice is to clip on the side rail instead on the single rung. if that rung fails for whatever reason you're done or severely banged up. If you clip on the side rail, the rung could fail and you can be caught by the lower rung. The presentation is dangerous practice.
Wrong, delete this. im not even in the field yet but the side rail isnt smart. it would put straight vertical weight at every weld. Full weight straight down at every weld in one direction. The inside rail is smaller allowing bend which inheirantly could act as a dampener. The inside rails are a continues wire bent at 90 degrees which offer fall arrest plus weld holding the weight. I cant explain it the best but the outer side rail is a terrible idea.
@@tapyinz I am actually in the field, and a current NWSA, NATE, and ANSI compliant certified Competent Climber/Rescuer Instructor. Tower legs are always the preferred point of attachment. You seem to possess an inherent misunderstanding of applied forces. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or wish to discuss proper practices. The techniques recommended in this video are entirely unacceptable in any professional capacity involving work at heights, and are infact blatant violations of current OSHA regulations. P.S., Those are 45 degree bends in the tower bracing, not 90.
This is what trying to sell a product looks like. I'm sorry but you are NOT tied off with that lanyard. Being tied off and being connected are two totally different things. You do realize you can still fall down the tower and be connected to it which is what that lanyard does. The lanyard allows for displacement along it's length, that means up and DOWN! Being tied down means your displacement is locked to a defined distance by the device. It tethers you to a max distance from that anchor whether you muscles are firing or not. This lanyard will get you killed if you believe this guy. Lets see what happens if you're 150 feet up just with this lanyard and some freak events happen like your legs cramp up all of a sudden. Without the legs to keep u up, that lanyards gonna keep you close to the tower all the eay down. You will likely get decapitated on your descent because you cannot create any distance between you and the tower. What about a freej storm? Lightning sends your body into limp mode. Say hello to the ground! This viedo is a joke. I cannot believe for the sake of trying to sell a product, he's going to make all these claims of how uterrly safe a lanyard is. This lanyard can be used but only in conjunction with fall restraint and fall arrest systems. It should NEVER be used as a standalone device unless you're working only 3 feet off the ground like this guy.
dangerous do not follow the recommendations. proper fall arrest should be used at all times. positioning lanyard does not replace fall arrest. This video should be taken offline.
If you fell, climbing like this, OSHA's investigation would cite the numerous ANSI violations you are recommending, and you would be subject to criminal charges. Please, remove this video and receive some proper training.
Shame on you Tim. If you’ve been a rigger anytime in the last 15 years, this is all wrong. Terrible video to have up if you have green beans on here watching videos to try to learn a thing or two. Someone could lose their life with your advice
Technically you’re definitely not climbing with 100% tie off. Osha would have a heart attack with this video.
Professional tower climber here. Work positioning lanyard does not count as being tied off and connected. I've seen a coworker die because he was climbing with just that. Some sort of fall arrest must be used.
I agree
Safety never gets old, always take the time to plan your project. You may save a life of someone you care for.
As has already been mentioned, this video has a number of critical misrepresentations about what is 100% tie-off. Use of a positioning lanyard, exclusively, is NOT 100% tie-off. As someone who has been climbing towers for 30 years and is still here to talk about it, my advice is to follow the rules: either be tied off 100% of the time with at least one leg of an ANSI/OSHA certified Y lanyard, or be tied off to the steel cable of a tower's integrated fall arrest system (if the tower has one), using an approved cam system. Even when using a positioning lanyard, the rules state that one should still be be tied of at shoulder level or higher with at least one leg of your fall arrest lanyard that is connected to your dorsal D ring. If you have a 12 foot type fall arrest lanyard, you are only then allowed to tie off at foot level. Quite frankly, this video is dangerous, as it promotes unsafe climbing practices. Again, use of a positioning lanyard alone is not considered being tied off. You can still slip and without a properly tied-off lanyard leg from your dorsal D ring connecting you to the tower, you could slide (fall really) all the way down the tower. That could very well kill you. My advice is to never take shortcuts with being tied off. If you follow the rules, you stand much less of a chance of getting hurt or getting killed in a fall.
I have a 45 foot tower in my yard and i've been free-climbing it since I was 11. You would be surprised how much free-climbing happens within the radio hobby. There might be some "technicalities" about what he's showing that aren't "by the book" or whatever the heck you're talking about, but just looking at this logically, if a person goes about climbing towers in the way this man has showed, you're not gonna fall.
I'd like some advice if you don't mind answering.. on a water tower, is a 5ft railing around the platform good enough to not need to be tied off? Feel like I know the right answer but I was on one recently that had decorative handrails and almost nowhere to hook to without having to unhook every 2ft, moving around it was nearly impossible especially with all the radio/cell equipment attached to said railing. Tied off with a 15ft lanyard and made it work the best I could while replacing an antenna. Wondering if there was a better solution.
If you pass out on the tower you can slide all the way down at basically free fall speed. Because there's nothing to arrest the fall, you're not hooked onto anything.
For a safety video, this clearly contradicts itself and teaches bad habits, as well as a disregard for the regulations. Work positions equipment such as the lanyard or seat are not fall arresters; and it’s mandatory to have a fall arrestor connected at all times. I love the approach to getting this information in bitsize videos; but you can’t promote convenience over safety and call it a safety video.
Different then what I use. We have to use hooks all the time, unless its less then 12ft then we have to free climb until that point. Alot of Wade/Delhi dmx towers, mostly 40-80ft. Sometimes 350ft+ cell towers.
I think is a nice method to use in conjuction with your hooks, definitely not on it's own. For when you are tired and need a bit of a rest before continuing climbing.
The only part that makes me nervous about radio the tower
The BIG C-Hook that you were carrying near your chest. What is the name of this Part? I wish to purchase for my Harness
Any helpful suggestions for finding someone to take down an antenna like this? I have contacted 7 different people and no one has been able to take it down.
Where can I get this ?
You mean a Walmart bungee to my blue jeans belt loop is not adequate?
Great series. Any suggestions for good climbing harnesses for occasional use?
DBI sala exo fit...or u can check out GME supply website
DBI sala is the best option but u said for "occasional use" lol so maybe not the best choice financially
Thanks
Question: Where can I buy the "seat hook" presented at 4:21 in this video? I couldn't find this as a product anywhere.
A portion of the "seat hook" is clearly a spreader bar. The remaining portion appears to be a rebar hook on a loop or double loop of rope/lanyard. I haven't found any other videos/literature that tell how to connect or tie off the seat (very weird).
here is the name-- Positioning Assembly with GR 43 Chain with Swivel Rebar Hook
Petzl work positioning lanyard is very good.
Thank you and 73
Only I dont really trust the small- almost wire tower parts your standing on, if a weld is damaged and lets go, your weight may bend the wire rod and feet could slide off. Then since your strap is around the outside of the tower, you could slide a long way down. when I got to where I was going to work I would put my strap through the tower before wrapping around .
that's a single piece of metal all the way up. It's just bent in a zigzag pattern. There are no welds to break, other than the zigzags disconnecting from the tower completely, which wouldn't make you fall.
Thanks for the series!
Previous comments suggest you should be using fall arrest, but that is covered in the previous video in the series.
I don't believe fall arrest is designed to work at the minimum height used for the positioning demonstration in this video.
The full series should be viewed in its entirety.
I would like to see an example of installing or removing a tall commercial two-way repeater antenna on top of a Rohn tower with a standard tube top. The tapered top presents and extra challenge. BTW, I used to free climb my whole life and never knew any different. I now use his method and see the validity of it. At 68 years old, it's easy to make mistakes when climbing. I'm still waiting for someone to design a climb assist that goes in line with the rebar hook for the seat.
I have rigger 4 years experience
Excellent tutorial!
Hmm, all sorts of wrong with this presentation. Its not OSHA rules but good practice is to clip on the side rail instead on the single rung. if that rung fails for whatever reason you're done or severely banged up. If you clip on the side rail, the rung could fail and you can be caught by the lower rung. The presentation is dangerous practice.
Wrong, delete this. im not even in the field yet but the side rail isnt smart. it would put straight vertical weight at every weld. Full weight straight down at every weld in one direction. The inside rail is smaller allowing bend which inheirantly could act as a dampener. The inside rails are a continues wire bent at 90 degrees which offer fall arrest plus weld holding the weight. I cant explain it the best but the outer side rail is a terrible idea.
@@tapyinz I am actually in the field, and a current NWSA, NATE, and ANSI compliant certified Competent Climber/Rescuer Instructor. Tower legs are always the preferred point of attachment. You seem to possess an inherent misunderstanding of applied forces. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or wish to discuss proper practices. The techniques recommended in this video are entirely unacceptable in any professional capacity involving work at heights, and are infact blatant violations of current OSHA regulations.
P.S.,
Those are 45 degree bends in the tower bracing, not 90.
Thanks For the Videos On TowerSafety 73 de K4TEP
Nice
This is what trying to sell a product looks like. I'm sorry but you are NOT tied off with that lanyard. Being tied off and being connected are two totally different things. You do realize you can still fall down the tower and be connected to it which is what that lanyard does. The lanyard allows for displacement along it's length, that means up and DOWN! Being tied down means your displacement is locked to a defined distance by the device. It tethers you to a max distance from that anchor whether you muscles are firing or not. This lanyard will get you killed if you believe this guy. Lets see what happens if you're 150 feet up just with this lanyard and some freak events happen like your legs cramp up all of a sudden. Without the legs to keep u up, that lanyards gonna keep you close to the tower all the eay down. You will likely get decapitated on your descent because you cannot create any distance between you and the tower. What about a freej storm? Lightning sends your body into limp mode. Say hello to the ground! This viedo is a joke. I cannot believe for the sake of trying to sell a product, he's going to make all these claims of how uterrly safe a lanyard is. This lanyard can be used but only in conjunction with fall restraint and fall arrest systems. It should NEVER be used as a standalone device unless you're working only 3 feet off the ground like this guy.
.that belt is a Cadillac
dangerous do not follow the recommendations. proper fall arrest should be used at all times. positioning lanyard does not replace fall arrest. This video should be taken offline.
If you fell, climbing like this, OSHA's investigation would cite the numerous ANSI violations you are recommending, and you would be subject to criminal charges. Please, remove this video and receive some proper training.
Good stuff!
Five F'ing parts to get to the freakin point. What a joke. That lanyard isn't going to stop you falling at all.
Shame on you Tim. If you’ve been a rigger anytime in the last 15 years, this is all wrong. Terrible video to have up if you have green beans on here watching videos to try to learn a thing or two. Someone could lose their life with your advice