Not to pull you off your subject, but are your lower ape's being taught to free climb at least for emergency situations. I work for AEP west and was wondering how it was being done.
I am getting ready to go back to lineman school, C-300, in april and they are going to train us in the bucksqueeze. I was wondering if there was any tricks or tips to using the thing? The guys that already have them seem to be having a rough time getting use to it. Thanks
Not to pull you off your subject, but are your lower ape's being taught to free climb at least for emergency situations. I work for AEP west and was wondering how it was being done.
i've found that if you put your right hand in the carabeiner and left hand on the yellow handel and keep it a little loose its a lot easier to slide up the pole. take two steps and slide it up. don't fight it cause it'll just tire your arms out. I use a second retractable seatbelt type safety and belt in above an obstruction, then I can loosen up the bucksqueze and swivel it around to open it up and get it above the obstruction. coming down is a lot easier and smoother with gravity on your side. i've also found its a lot easier and quicker to just use a 28 ft ladder to get you above the secondary.
How do retired or semi retired lineman think about the bucksqueeze, or the new so called lineman and safety procedures or whats happening to the trade in general.
Please don't sugar coat it, tell me how you really feel.
If you had to work this way, would you still have wanted to be lineman?
Are you laughin your ass off, cause I think you are.
I'm not semi retired but I'ld say I'm in the seventh inning strech
every crazy idea thats come down pike has never once stopped me from making money... In fact with each insane policy brings me more oppertunity to make even more money than the year before. How many jobs are there that you make more money than your supervisor, they have no idea how to do your job, and if they get pissed at you another job is available withen a couple hours probebly for more money.
lineman4aep asked a question and I answered it honestly. Yea the bucksqueeze is a pain but the fact of the matter remains. It is what it is. You may not agree with all these rediculous safety rules your employer comes up with but its their table, their cards and their chips. We're just the players. The comment about the ladder was simply the honest truth. very few backlot poles are nice clean poles. most have several risers on them, pole steps, cable tv and telephone drops making mandatory use of the bucksqueeze not practicle. If you ever had to use one You'ld understand the situation.
If you would rather pack a 28ft ladder to a back yard pole, then use this skid, that tells me it isn't worth a s#!t. I'm sorry you have to use it. I liked the old skids that had the one spring lock. I have a hard time with the new double safety lock skid with my left thumb joint gone. I get-er-done but I don't like it.
Every so often we renew our first aid card, renew our forklift card, renew our flagger card. We do pole top rescue. All of this to cover our and the utilities ass. So why not have a climbing recertification with normal climbing gear?
Last edited by PA BEN; 03-27-2008 at 04:24 PM.
that's a good idea ben, but we were told this whole fall protection fiasco has to do with osha compliance.