Industry Forums > Wireless Service Providers > Climbing Lanyards

Climbing Lanyards

reply to GTOV8
Can you be more specific as to your intended use and the make and model of the harness?

I generally use 2 lanyards, one is a Y lanyard for fall arrest, the second is a positioning strap used to allow me to work hands free once I reach the work location.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber

reply to GTOV8
Using a full harness with a D ring on each hip, you use a 3 or 4 ft rope lanyard for each side D ring AND a "Y" fall arrest? We're climbing 40ft and 50ft towers, nothing into the 300ft range at all. I know the ground is just as hard at any height.

I was looking for the best combination and easiest to use. With a 3 or 4 ft lanyard on each hip D ring, you can climb and be always connected. When you get to the top, do I still need the "Y" arrest lanyard, or will the two side lanyards be okay for working maybe 30 mins to align an antenna? With those two side lanyards connected I can easily work hands free, no?

Thanks. As a Ham operator I've climbed 70ft towers with just a wide safety belt and lanyard in my 20s and look back at how stupid that was. I'm in good physical condition, not overweight, etc. and want to be able to relax and enjoy doing the tower work safely, but it won't be that often so I was looking at getting a Eagle Lite harness
»www.tessco.com/products/displayP···ntPage=2
and a couple of lanyards. I just wasn't sure if plain rope lanyards were okay today or if I needed shock-absorbing lanyards or something else.

Thanks.

This is what we use to climb out towers as well as 1 y lanyard and a 2ft steel cable lanyard (CSA approved) to keep our body straight. So far our biggest is 112ft.
»www.northsafety.com/TriggerWorkf···ken=True
Very comfortable and easy to use.

Height has absolutely nothing to do with anything. You will die if you fall 20' (if the conditions are right), and you will die if you fall 2000' (there are no right conditions). Get a good harness, something from Elk River is my personal preference. I also use the twin leg fall arrestors. You can use them to ascend and descend the structure, but only clip one leg on at a time. When you reach the working height, you will need a work positioning lanyard in conjunction with the fall arrestor (one leg only!). There are many types available so take your pick. I use an Elk River nylon strap lanyard. They are like $30 so replacing them is not an issue(don't be a cheap-ass. Replace your lanyards). Just remember, always stay tied off. I always have the fall arrestor attached at all times. Falling into a straight rope-type lanyard without a fall arrestor on it will be very very painful and it is not their intended purpose.

I would also get a harness that has a front dorsal ring on it for attachment of laddsafe-style cable brakes if you happen to work on a structure that has a fall arrestor cable running up the ladder. If you are not using the cable brake, you can use the ring to hold a wrench or something with a cheap carabiner.

Speaking of carabiners, any carabiners that you use that are not used for fall arrest should be of the inexpensive type; as in not fall rated. This is so if you happen to get snagged or hung up, and you need to get free because of an emergency situation, it will be easier to break the cheapo carabiner and free yourself than it would be to break the fall rated one.

Steel cable lanyards are NOT recommended.

Think about this....say you fall, and your lanyard catches you. Your tower crew (you do have a ground crew right?) needs to come up and rescue you. So they get to where you are, and low and behold oh crap....you are applying tension to the positioning lanyard, and they cant hoist you up (because you don't have the right rescue kit) so they have to somehow cut the lanyard so they can lower you or at least get it so you can climb down. Since the lanyard is cable, you cant do anything about it (unless you have a saw or something). If it were nylon you could cut it and be done.

This was learned in tower safety school. The instructor used to work as a fireman in a fire/rescue team that did tower rescue and he expressed the dangers of using a cable lanyard.

/end_rant
--
Using a non-ports-system OS is like masturbating with a cheese grater


"No job is so important, and no service is so urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely."
-- AT&T

reply to GTOV8
okay to make sure I've got this.... for tower climbing.

Climbing harness has D rings on each hip (North RITE-ON).
Each hip gets a 4ft shock absorbing web lanyard so that you can climb without being disconnected.
Then at working height, the 2 lanyards stay connected and allow movement about the tower.
The towers we work on are only 14 inches wide at the top and 22 at the bottom and only have our stuff on them.

Does this sound like it will work safely?

Don't climb with anything that you attach to the side rings. If you fall you might snap your back as you'd fall off to one side. Arrestors are ment to go on the back ring so you fall straight.

Cut the weight down.

On the back d-ring, put a twin leg fall arrestor. The one I use has a large snap ring (clip).

This is what you will use to climb with and also once in the working position, provide fall protection. Use only one leg at a time. Example: Climb on the tower, clip one on. CLimb up, clip another on, remove the lower one. Repeat as you ascend/descend the steel. Once you are where you need to be, clip only one on the steel. If this is somthing like a Rohn 25,45,or 55 style tower, you should be able to clip it around the leg portion just fine. Dont clip off on the horizontal running bars on these tower types as they are IMO not strong enough to support your weight should you fall (falling generates around 900lbs of force IIRC). I don't feel safe doing such methods of tie-off.

Be sure to always have the arrestor clipped ABOVE you. The further you have to fall into the arrestor the more painful it is.

On the hip rings, pack one work positioning lanyard. Two if you want. These do not need shock absorbers on them.
I pack only one.

I also pack a tie-off sling to create an approved tie off point on steel beams too big to fit the arrestor around.

All my gear is Elk River. The harness is an Eagle Tower LX, the arrestor is model # 35496. The lanyard is just a 6' adjustable nylon strap....Dont know the model on that but it is yellow.

The tessco site has an arrestor that might be the new model.
»www.tessco.com/products/displayP···ntPage=1

Here is the harness:
»www.tessco.com/products/displayP···ntPage=3

I do a lot of tower work (more than I care to) so I asked that I have a better quality harness. The eagle tower models have a built in seat for comfort. One of our tower guys has worked on the steel for many many years and he tried my harness out and loved it way more than his, which was just a basic harness with a padded back support.
--
Using a non-ports-system OS is like masturbating with a cheese grater


"No job is so important, and no service is so urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely."
-- AT&T

reply to GTOV8
Thanks AMD ...

So the Y lanyard is going to hook into the back D ring and, what, go over my shoulders in front of me as I climb? Is that why they are so long, usually 6ft?

How then do you lay back when in position to work hands-free? You say only one of the Y lanyard points is connected and then only one of the side D rings is using a non-shock absorbing lanyard? I'm not seeing how you would be able to relax with that. I'm thinking a short lanyard on each side D would be more stable to work hands free, no? Arrested with the back D to the Y above your head then using the two side Ds to support your back so you can tilt backward and work.

reply to GTOV8
GTO, OSHA regs state you need to be connected to the back D ring on a full body harness due to the physics of the fall. The lanyards are 6 feet because that is the max you are supposed fall with proper use of them.

Here's a general description of what happens when climbing legally and safely.

You climb up the tower with the Y lanyard. At all times 1 of the hooks is connected to the tower. So hook, climb, hook, unhook. While it sounds like a PITA with practice it isn't as bad as it sounds (especially compared to a fall from even 8 feet, remember chances are if you fall it isn't going to be an ideal landing).

Remember that recently a climber from Superdog's area just fell and died from a tower that was less than 80'. They claimed he couldn't clip on until he got to the working area. With a Y lanyard and the technique above, that is a BS excuse.

You are correct that the norm used to be just the same type of waistbelt used by the phone company and a single lanyard to strap in once you got to the top. Of course the norm was a lot higher ratio of deaths to feet climbed as well.

So one you reach where you want to work, you take your positioning lanyard (I use a 3' do not use a shock absorber for this though ) and clip one end to one hip D ring. Wrap the lanyard around the tower in a fashion that allows you to clip in to the other D ring and lean back. At no time do you unclip the Y lanyard.

Think of it this way, the Y lanyard is always what saves you during a fall, period. The positioner is only there to make your life easy, use it how you see fit in most cases.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber

reply to GTOV8
I'm still not exactly clear on how the Y lanyard goes from the back D to my hands as I climb. It will go up the middle of my back OVER my shoulders and into my hands as I climb? So the junction of the Y is at the back of my neck? Sounds like I can strangle myself if I fall.

reply to GTOV8
Not sure how you would strangle without the cord actually wrapped around you?
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber

Dang, I wrote a huge post last night and I must have forgot to hit reply after I was interupted with something.

The other guys have said it all pretty much anyway. The only thing I suggested was you actually really sound like you need training. OSHA requires that anyone that works at height be certified.

Working on a structure without proper training is deadly. Anyone can do it, but unless you understand what is going on aruond you, if you have an accident you will most likely die if you are not applying proper safety techniques. The chances of you dieing go down significantly if you understand what is going on. In fact, IMO you are more likely to die falling off a subs roof doing an install than you are from falling off a tower if you are practicing safe tower work methods.
--
Using a non-ports-system OS is like masturbating with a cheese grater


"No job is so important, and no service is so urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely."
-- AT&T