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Not scary, to me, as these guys know what they are doing and they do it correctly, sure, I very much doubt that "I" could do it, but there are a LOT more scary things out there, IMHO, where people are doing stuff that can easily kill them, and they are on a lark, these guys are obviously pros.
 
Stuart Ablett said:
Not scary, to me, as these guys know what they are doing and they do it correctly, sure, I very much doubt that "I" could do it, but there are a LOT more scary things out there, IMHO, where people are doing stuff that can easily kill them, and they are on a lark, these guys are obviously pros.
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Sorry Stu, but if I understood the soundtrack well, they waive the most important safety procedures for the sake of a speedy climb.

This guy, no matter how experienced and fit he may be is climbing without attaching himself to a safe line, he does it only to rest. To me that is being overconfident and there and in our own workshops we know what happen when we feel too overconfident. Don't we?

So, to me this guy DOESN'T KNOW what is doing. Of course he can brag about it and feel like hero but I think he's stupid. IMHO
 
Toni, I respectfully disagree. I don't believe these guys are being overconfident and showing off by not using a safety line. The narrator mentioned that most pros do it this way, and I'm guessing a lot of the reason is to reduce fatigue. It probably would take at least twice as long (if not longer) to climb up and down while staying attached to a safety line, and all that extra time on the tower adds to the fatigue levels.
 
Couple of observations:
Man that's a long way up.

You know how "they" always say you should not look down if you are afraid of heights? I think it far more important to not look up! Stand near the base of something tall (building, tower, etc.), when clouds are moving against a blue sky, and look up so you have no ground reference in your field of view. You'll understand.

I agree with Toni. Having myself suffered a total body cramp, completely unexpectedly, never put yourself in a position where you are relying totally on your body. I'm lucky to be alive. These guys are laughing in Murphy's face! You wont catch me doing that ever again.

As part of a company's tower crew back in the 80's, I climbed three different towers many times. Tallest was about 285'. At that height large bucket trucks disappeared behind an outstretched thumb, people on the ground looked like ants, the city I lived in turned into a forest and it was cold and windy even in the summer. Pretty cool actually.

I spent the better part of my life working 20-40' off the ground. Fear, not of heights necessarily but of falling, is healthy.
 
Toni Ciuraneta said:
...attaching himself to a safe line, he does it only to rest.
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What really got me was that on the last section, the rungs were open on the ends. So when he clips on his safety line for a rest it isn't really secured, it could still slip over the bump on the end and come off. That kind of freaks me out also.

I'm also a bit surprised that they were climbing with those kind of threatening clouds so close. I would have thought that this was the sort of job where it had to be totally clear with winds less than X-kph (where X is pretty small)

Still quite interesting!
 
hey brent,, its back isnt working either???? i am just to late again to see it.. but i have seen tower guys work i have one not far from me on piece of ground i used to hunt its the tallest one in michigan..they look like specs up there and they used to get 150 a light bulb..
 
Vaughn McMillan said:
Toni, I respectfully disagree. I don't believe these guys are being overconfident and showing off by not using a safety line. The narrator mentioned that most pros do it this way, and I'm guessing a lot of the reason is to reduce fatigue. It probably would take at least twice as long (if not longer) to climb up and down while staying attached to a safety line, and all that extra time on the tower adds to the fatigue levels.
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Thanks for your observation Vaughn, but while I understand what you say, that doesn't take away the fact that it is a completely unsafe and risky practice.
If this guy slips on a step because it is moist, or gets dizzy, or any other unexpected event and is relying only on his own grip the chances of falling off are close to 100%.

If you allow me to follow with the ww comparison, how many pro woodworkers have missing fingers? Maybe I shouldn't have said that they show off, because it is their job and for them it is common practice, but I guess that on their company climbing procedures there is a clear statement about how they should climb that.

In honour to the truth, one thing that we don't know is wether he is tied to his coleague and his coleague hooked to the tower while he is free climbing as it is done on rock climbing.:dunno: Then you and me would be debating on a false assumption, wouldn't we;):D
 
Pete Simmons said:
We (the USA ) burn up lotza electrical watts every night, lighting thousands of lights on towers under the ruse of air safety. I say Bull and I am a pilot.

As far as replacing the light..... Why do we have lights on most towers anyways? On a 1700 ft tower a light is fine but on say a tower less than 500 feet. Why is a light needed?

Look around at night there are way to many lights on many small towers. (cell towers quickly come to mind)

In 1929 a light on a 100 foot tower maybe was good for planes to avoid them at night.

Today how many aircraft do you see at less than 500 feet near any populated area? (close to airports excluded)


Must be a strong federal connection from many strobe light manufactures to keep these rules in place.

Lets save some energy and money and drop the requirement for lights on about 90% of the towers out there. Do we really need a light on top of a 100 foot cell tower that is in close to many 75 - 125 foot buildings???
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Pete I would agree with you on airplanes, but what about helicopters and ultralights etc :dunno:
 
An interesting read......

>> Climber Fatalities <<

If you read the whole thing, one point that is brought up is the very small number of people doing this job, less than 9000, most of the stats are for groups of 100,000 for example;

Wilcox questions sole reliance upon deaths per 100,000 climbers to provide a safety checkup for the telecommunications construction and maintenance community. He points out that with such a small number of climbers that one climber death in the tower erectors' high risk industry would indicate an additional 11.5 deaths per 100,000 tower riggers, whereas an additional fatality in the structural iron and steel workers group would only add 1.5 deaths per 100,000 employees.
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When is the last time you heard about such a death in the news? I mean if someone falls from a tower this high, it is bound to make the news in the "If it BLEEDS it leads" world we live in.... :rolleyes:

Just saying :D
 
Stuart Ablett said:
Pete I would agree with you on airplanes, but what about helicopters and ultralights etc :dunno:
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Ultralights should not be out at night.

Helicopters - You are right. They need some kinda warning but maybe there should be new consideration and rules for some of the low level stuff that is mixed right in beside other structures of about the same height.
 
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