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Thread: Tower Climbing

  1. #1
    Bklyn TS Guest

    Default Tower Climbing

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    I'm a 17yr. vet of distribution work thinking of switching to trans work I was told my co. Coned in new york is one of very few companies left to "free climb" lattice or lace towers without any fall arrest or steps. 75% of our structures are not stepped I was told OSHA forbids free climbing and my co. has a variance. If anyone Knows a little about this please let me know on the chat or email. Careful ot there boys safety is in our hands these companies worry about the bottom line.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    new brunswick Canada
    Posts
    14

    Cool

    Our little utility forbids free climbing. To climb lattece or pegs you have to use a sheppards hook and fall arrest. The first man goes up with it and brings a fall line with him that all other climbers use once at working level you must be belted in at all times [two belts or a belt and a seat belt] . Only one climber at a time on the fall line. To decend the last man down drops the fall line to the ground and brings the shepards hook with him.

    Work safe or not at all spur

  3. #3

    Default towers?

    My question is, how is the first man able to do it then?

    How are you suppose to erect these steel towers too? Someone needs to build them?

    I think this fall arrest thing may be a bit ridiculous.

    Nevada Power. Come work here. No fall arrest devices guys. The apes don't even wear them in school.

    Fall arrest on laced steel? What next?

    Maybe rubber suits for distribution.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    new brunswick Canada
    Posts
    14

    Wink

    The first man has a shepards hook with a 12-15ft rope hooked to it ,you hook the shepards hook as high as you can reach climb to the hook belt in move the hook and start again. When erecting towers we double belt all the way [very slow] our rules state you must be belted in at all times [we all know that is impossible].

    work safe or not at all spur

  5. #5
    Bklyn TS Guest

    Default

    500 kva just wondering if your a distribution or a transmission man. I,m just looking or a little info on transmission culture we only have 12 guys in our co. that work trans. Thanks for the info Spur.

  6. #6

    Default tower belting

    Bklyn TS, I did some transmission a long time ago when I was in the outside. All distribution now.

    I guess I'll have my crack at doing transmission again here since things are changing at this company, and we will be rotating onto some transmission work instead of one single crew doing it as it's done at the moment.

  7. #7
    m_kohner Guest

    Default

    our company climbs and has 2 or 3 huge transmission departments and we tie off and use 100% tie off on transmission work on, distribution we usually dont tie off assending or desending ( on hooks) 100% tie off in the bucket and basket.

  8. #8
    Bklyn TS Guest

    Default

    m kohner I was wondering if your boys climbed unstepped towers free of any fall devices.I you have any info let me know.Careful out there bro.

  9. #9
    HYLINESTICKY Guest

    Default Tower work

    Hey Bklyn
    I work for PSE&G in nj in the overhaed transmission dept.Ive been there 6 years and am a Towerman special.We work strictly on towers with voltages being 26kv,69kv,138kv,230kv,345kv and 500kv.We freeclimb everything with a tower harness and then use fall arrest when in the working position.Our group works live using hotstick and barehand methods in addition to dead work.We also have started a helicopter program for inspection and live work off of a platform.Also have two bronto skylifts 155'& 178' W/ insulated booms for barehand.All of our towers have step bolts on one leg all the way up to the goathead and steel poles have bolt on ladders or welded rungs on them.Any other questions you can send me a message.

    STICKY
    Last edited by HYLINESTICKY; 05-22-2005 at 09:06 PM. Reason: forgot something

  10. #10

    Cool towers

    Featured Sponsorr

    I always free climb everything.

    As for towers, I can tell how dangerous it once was. For example, when clipping bundles on a 500 lin in fla.

    We climbed the towers using 2 aluminum ladders per leg with 4 guys on one side and 5 (add the static dog) on the other.

    These towers were octoganal pre-rusted steel. We would start up one ladder, then the 1st guy would reach up and hang the next ladder.

    Then everybody would climb onto the top ladder and the last man would reach down with his foot and snag the 1st ladder, then it was passed up to the top man. Climbing inch worm style.

    Once we rigged our straps around the massive x-arm, we would coon the bells to the bundle (no clip-in ladders). Then we would clip the bundle in, and send the 3 roller blocks down the handline.(clip a caribiner to the block and fall line and it tags itself).

    Now the fun part!

    We send the rigging and ladders down the handlines. Then we hang the solid sheave (no opening sheave on our handlines) on a working eye on the x-arm.

    Then tie a bowline into our d rings and after making sure the grunt has your fall line wrapped around a t-bar (welded to the truck) and making double dog sure the grunt aint mad at you, you unbelt and ride the handline down.WWWHHEEE!!!

    I have once arrived late to a structure in the process of being clipped and rode the handline UP, pulled by a truck. No fun, no fun at all.

    I am quite sure all this stuff is outlawed now.

    Thank goodness I shoot trouble now.

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