Tower Climbing

[42linehand]

I believe that OSHE states that a lineman can free climb a tower. In Connecticut Northeast Utilities wants you to climb the towers with 100% fall arrest. Additionally they are making us install barckets on the steps so you can hook into them. Myself and others find it more dangerous here having to climb with lanyards hanging on your side getting caught on your knees while climbing. Going up the lattice we will climb until are lanyard wont lets you go any further. Then we will clip in with another lanyard and then remove the other. I just find it much easier to free climb But then again who am I.

[keithz]

Contractor Lineman Still Free Hand As Far As I Know I Used To Like Transmission When Most Distribution Jobs Were 40 Hours I Did 12 Years Transmission 18 Years Distribution

[Alan Mac]

Over here in the UK, anyone working on towers MUST be attached at all times above ground level. HSE brought the requirements in about 12 years ago. As soon as it was introduced my mate and myself thought "fair enough, we'll go with it". Once you get into it, you find it becomes second nature and you get quite slick at it. After a while it doesn't really slow you down, sometimes it can be a pain but hey, that's life. You can spot the guys who don't normally do it from a mile away, they really do make it look awkward.

Take care out there, it's a scary world...
Mac

[old lineman]

I believe that OSHE states that a lineman can free climb a tower. In Connecticut Northeast Utilities wants you to climb the towers with 100% fall arrest. Additionally they are making us install barckets on the steps so you can hook into them. Myself and others find it more dangerous here having to climb with lanyards hanging on your side getting caught on your knees while climbing. Going up the lattice we will climb until are lanyard wont lets you go any further. Then we will clip in with another lanyard and then remove the other. I just find it much easier to free climb But then again who am I.

That's a real problem when your safety equipment becomes a tripping hazard. Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?
The solution is to purchase elastized lanyards. You leave it attached to your dorsal DEE and snap the safety snap onto the front of your harness.
some manufacturers are installing a specific place for it.
If the lanyard is elastized and is 6 foot long it with hang right beneath your arm pit.
Voila no tripping hazard.
The Old lineman

[OLE' SORE KNEES]

I at one time would free climb to the top of any Transmission Tower,Lattice,Corten,Creosote,Galvenized........bu t as they say wisdom comes with age(at least I hope so)...would today double safety on wood or double Grouper Hook with all else, a good example years back on the transmission crew on a 500KV Corten Structure on the West Coast a FPL employee was climbing a Corten Ladder Section ,clipped in the section above him while clipped in to the lower section tugged a bit and the entire section fell behind him teathered to his harness.......................what a sad day it would have been for him to free climb on that day.............on a personal I used to free climb the wood, on one morning climbing the morning dew was still out on the Spar Arms when I was crossing over to the next pole when I slipped at the center phase where the two arms meet at the center of the structure, I could feel and hear arcing on 230KV as my hooks were shunting out bells,only by the grace of GOD I pulled myself back up and re-grouped....................from the day forward I have double-safe'd or Groupered..................take care ....work safe..............it is you or your family that will suffer from short-cuts.................

OLE' SORE KNEES