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Written by Start a WISP Site Admin
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Monday, 21 March 2005 |
"I wonder how many of us follow proper safety protocol when climbing vs just grabbing the "ladder" and go?"{mos_sb_discuss:7}
cmaenginsb:
I doubt most people even know the rules. 100% attachment when you're
higher than 6' means a harness and 2 lanyards at a minimum.
robbin (original submitter):
So what do you use on the end of the lanyards to connect to the tower, silo, etc. Any good links for climbing hardware?
cmaenginsb:
The lanyards are required to have self locking snaps on the ends. I
haven't found a good supplier since I left my last company, but here's
a link to the mfg I use.
www.elkriver.com/
robbin:
Looking at the ElkRiver site, does all of the hardware on this
page meet the "self locking snaps" requirement? If so, I assume the
last number of the size (7-9/16" x 3-7/8" x 1-5/8") refer to the max
opening dimension? How much larger do you want to size your snap
opening than the support you are climbing? Too small is obviously bad,
but does it slow you down if you are using something too large?
I guess what I am trying to understand is what are you doing with your
hands. Do you just hold on to hooks and climb or do you somehow try to
operate the device and at the same time grasp the structure?
cmaenginsb:
robbin it depends on what I am climbing. Generally I prefer the large carbiners because of 2 reasons:
1. The are the easiest to operate with one hand.
2.
They are the only type of connecting device that allows for a side
loading. (That is wrapping the sling around the tower member and
connecting the device back to the sling.)
The only time I change this is that I carry a set of the small snaphooks for climbing foot pegs.
When
climbing I make the connection before moving. For example on a ladder,
I snap the carabiner to the run, then grasp the rung. Then I move up,
snap the next biner in and grasp the next rung. Essentially you have 3
points of contact at all times.
When traversing a face, it's the same way, snap in first, unsnap the other and move.
It's
extremely slow but 100% safe and compliant. Personally I usually do not
clip into a tower ladder if I feel I don't need to but I always clip in
when moving laterally. It's also why so many new towers have a center
safetyline.
Semaphore:
Note on double Lanyard systems if there are two shock cords in the
double lanyards it's against code to have both engaged at once (in
Ontario anyway) as it doubles the breaking force. I use a two Lanyard
system with a single shock cord at the dorsal attachment. Because
there's only one shock cord I believe I can ascend quicker (my opinion)
since I don't have to constantly be fishing up the free hanging hook, I
just keep both of them attached to the tower above chest height. The
down side is if you somehow damage your cord/dorsal snap your pretty
much free handing the return trip, which if you're 150' up is not cool.
I always snap on at 20-30 feet, ladder/cage or not.... ya never know.
cmaenginsb:
OSHA code in the US doesn't specify anything about double lanyard systems, at least as of 2003. It's a valid point though.
I also use a system with a single connection to the dorsal ring.
wispman:
There is a difference between a double lanyard and using 2 lanyards.
Semaphore:
Yes there is. But I've seen 1]two distinct lanyards each with there own
shock cords and connections to the dorsal ring and 2]a double lanyard
with two shock cords and a single connection to the dorsal, and then
3]the one I prefer which is a double lanyard with one shock cord and
one connection.
For a few hundred bucks a good intro course is
more than worth the money. Even if you don't plan on ever passing 50
feet.... I was doing an amazing number of dumb things that never even
occurred to me, and didn't really seem like issues until you look at
the over all situation with an instructor and they point out body
position combined with something like where or how you've tied off to
reposition, or do work, and all of a sudden you can see how you're in
danger of snapping your spine or strangling yourself should you slip.
Original thread location
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Site Surveying 
