Talk about exposure...

[t_rutl]

360 degrees of 1700' straight down

[genepires]

spooky! It is amazing than OSHA doesn't jump all over that shit. I can't expose myself to a 10 foot fall without fall protection yet these guys can expose themselves to a 1700 ft fall. and lightning.

[112]

I think their form of protection is called Work Position (or something similar); they have to be tied off to work, but can access the work area via free climbing (wayne posted a similar type of video). This type of protection system is common when erecting rebar assemblies. I am not sure towing a tool kit hanging below is legit. It does seems an unnecessary practice on a fixed ladder when there are currently devices on the market that protect ascending a fixed ladder (and these devices work work well).

Edited September 18, 2010 by 112

[AlpineK]

In the video he does mention his partner below is helping with the tool kit. That may be how they compensate for the associated risks. Running a rope attached to his harness around rebar rungs with a weighted tool kit could be like lead climbing or simul climbing.

 

That is just a guess though

 

[goatboy]

It's really more like free-soloing, with occasional rests protected by a big old OSHA-style daisy chain/carabiner.

 

I was an arborist for awhile and was not nearly as exposed as this guy, though I did swing around in a tree with a chainsaw running. That was a little nerve-racking for me.

[Choada_Boy]

Half way through and I'm begging him to clip in. How much does this job pay?

Edited September 18, 2010 by Choada_Boy

[AlpineK]

It's really more like free-soloing, with occasional rests protected by a big old OSHA-style daisy chain/carabiner.

 

I was an arborist for awhile and was not nearly as exposed as this guy, though I did swing around in a tree with a chainsaw running. That was a little nerve-racking for me.

 

ANZI Z133.1 Standards for Arboricultural Operations require arborists to be secured while ascending a tree and working. Statistically it is the 5th most dangerous professions in the US.

 

The tower climber does have a rope. Weaving it through rungs and attached to weight or a partner may be acceptable by tower climber standards since it does provide lead climbing protection. I don't know this profession; maybe he is breaking all kinds of standards.

[musky333]

 

 

There is a TV tower about 30 miles from me in Fairchild Wi that is 1998 ft high. There was an article in the paper a while back about the guy who changes the lights up there and he goes up solo.

[111]

one little slippery bird shit on a rung....

[pindude]

Feck, you got it right. This vid went viral before the original owner/maker could get it pulled off the web. I'm sure the company the climbers worked for are in deep shit right now and are being investigated by OSHA. Likely will receive a hefty fine, if not worse.

 

I work in that industry. Several points:

1. "Free climbing," really free-soloing, is absolutely illegal per OSHA. 100% tie-off is the norm. You're typically hiking up a ladder or pegs while connected to a 3/8" diameter stainless steel cable, hung vertically in front of you, with a cable grab (it's like an ascender, but also lets you descend unless you suddenly jerk it like you would when falling) attached directly to your full-body harness, or if you're not on that cable, you're climbing on your own and leap-frogging a pair of large-opening rebar or snap hooks (somewhat like carabiners but much bigger) that are connected to the back D-ring of your harness, each on their own shock-cord which is stitched similar to a Screamer. If you're going to "rest" or clip in and hang on tension, then we use a rope or chain lanyard which is connected to both sides of our harness' waist belt, but before weighing we make sure it's always backed up with at least one of the two non-tensioned shock-corded hooks I just mentioned.

 

2. I may climb with a canvas bucket with tools and materials in it, but most of the time, and especially for the situation in the video, it would have been safer to haul up a rope and block (pulley to you regular climbers) from the 1600' point at the top of the elevator. Once the climber gets to the tip-top and anchors off, then sets up the block, he can haul up whatever he needs from a person at the top of the elevator. Climbing with a heavy tool bag below, threatening to pull the climber off-balance while he wasn't clipped in, was pretty effing stupid.

 

3. Likely the guys were up there just to change out the bulb for the strobe on the light system (insert your own joke here). However, a call-out to one of us contractors for a light system alarm can turn out to be more than just a simple bulb change-out. Whether it's a bulb, fuse, light sensor, or something else requiring troubleshooting, once the lighting alarm is triggered, the owner of that tower has 48 hours to get the light operational again or may be fined by the FAA.

 

4. Tower climbers don't make squat for pay. Bottom end of the pay scale is 12-14/hour. Some companies pay time-and-a-half for hazard pay (climbing over 10'), and some may pay up to twice that bottom-end rate if you really know your shit and don't climb and work like the yahoos in this vid. There's only a few rock/ice/mountain climbers in the tower and telecom industry from what I've experienced--less than 5% of the total number of workers hanging around on steel and buildings.

Edited September 23, 2010 by pindude

[Bogart]

+1 to Pindude

 

I work on the engineering side of the wireless telecom fence, and there is no way that style of climbing would comply with one of our PO's/contracts. Broadcasters may have different standards/contracts, but seriously those guys work practices were begging for a beatdown.