Fall Protection Powerpoint Presentation

Dan VE7ACV's presentation on Fall Protection. Please note that this is an awareness session only and must not be considered certification in any way.

A Full House at Tower Safety Presentation

It was a full house at SARC's March 9th meeting where 38 members and visitors were treated to a comprehensive 90 minute presentation on various aspects of tower safety by Dan Renaud VE7ACV of Prestige Telecom. Dan not only trains and certifies on tower climbing safety, but offers expert training on RF hazards, confined space, hoisting and rigging, and many other safety issues of interest to amateur radio operators and industry. He emphasized that the talk was not for certification but rather was simply for awareness. He pointed out that if you own a tower, seek assistance from your friends and colleagues, and give permission for work to be done, you likely retain liability, should something go wrong.

When employing a contractor for more than 8 hr/week or a total of 24 hours of tower work, clearance from Worksafe BC should be sought to ensure that the contractor is in good standing. You must ensure that the contractor has adequate insurance coverage. Subjects reviewed during Dan's talk were hazard analysis, preparation of an emergency plan, fall arrest and fall restraint, climbing equipment, climbing techniques and personal protective equipment. Fall protection is required when climbing heights over 10 ft. in BC. Dan talked about the requirement for 100% tie-off and 3 point contact; free climbing is not approved. Harnesses, workbelts and lanyards, unless otherwise specified, may not be legal if over 5 years old; carabiners must be of a modern self-locking design and of the correct type -- rock climbing carabiners are not legal for tower work, nor are shackles.

Tower inspections should be documented and include general condition, grounding, and verticality. Standard and not-so-standard equipment was demonstrated, with limitations and proper use of each explained. These points and more are outlined in Dan's Powerpoint presentation which will soon be found on www.ve7sar.net (Note from Webmaster: Please click the link at the top of this page). Anyone who missed the talk will have another chance when the North Shore ARC hosts a repeat within the next couple months.

This article written by John Brodie VA7XB