Watch this video

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
tree md

tree md

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Oct 29, 2001
Messages
7,644
Location
Somewhere in a tree
Recommendation #2: Ensure employees wear appropriate work clothing at all times.

Discussion: The victim was not wearing shoes at the time of his fall, only white cotton socks. It could not be determined whether his shoes were in the pan or had been left on the ground before the ascent. 1Basic equipment for climbing towers generally consists of a hard hat, short leather gloves, leather climbing boots with good arch support, a standard positioning belt and an approved safety harness with lanyards.


Climbing a slick ass tower in sock feet... He killed himself.
 
ropensaddle

ropensaddle

Feel Lucky
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
22,259
Location
Hot Springs Arkansas
Recommendation #2: Ensure employees wear appropriate work clothing at all times.

Discussion: The victim was not wearing shoes at the time of his fall, only white cotton socks. It could not be determined whether his shoes were in the pan or had been left on the ground before the ascent. 1Basic equipment for climbing towers generally consists of a hard hat, short leather gloves, leather climbing boots with good arch support, a standard positioning belt and an approved safety harness with lanyards.


Climbing a slick ass tower in sock feet... He killed himself.

I wondered about the sock thing too, think he left his shoes on the south side of the river or just preferred to be sock footed. I don't mean to sound uncaring but I do wonder if that company has any American's or if it's like many other companies suddenly using, miraculously, seemingly documented, non English speaking Hispanics to escape paying a fair American dollar.
 
randyg

randyg

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
360
Location
Iowa
Recommendation #2: Ensure employees wear appropriate work clothing at all times.

Discussion: The victim was not wearing shoes at the time of his fall, only white cotton socks. It could not be determined whether his shoes were in the pan or had been left on the ground before the ascent. 1Basic equipment for climbing towers generally consists of a hard hat, short leather gloves, leather climbing boots with good arch support, a standard positioning belt and an approved safety harness with lanyards.


Climbing a slick ass tower in sock feet... He killed himself.


I find it hard to believe that he was climbing in socks. Possibly shoes flew off on the way down? The gates bent to the side on those ladder hooks make it quicker to change attachment points due to not having to work the latch (double safety). I've seen equipment altered like that on purpose. I know side-loading can bend also, but odd several others were found distorted as well?
 
fatjoe

fatjoe

ArboristSite Guru
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
591
Location
Huntington, ma.
I find it hard to believe that he was climbing in socks. Possibly shoes flew off on the way down? The gates bent to the side on those ladder hooks make it quicker to change attachment points due to not having to work the latch (double safety). I've seen equipment altered like that on purpose. I know side-loading can bend also, but odd several others were found distorted as well?

I`m sure the investigators asked all the witnesses about the shoe thing.He obviously didn`t have shoes on at the time of the fall.I`m sure they would have known if they flew off at impact or during the fall.He didn`t have shoes on.It was probably something he did to make himself unique or cool.Hey, Hector is a crazy son of a gun, He doesn`t wear shoes when he climbs, they probably said.Pretty dumb, if you ask me.:confused:
 
randyg

randyg

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
360
Location
Iowa
I`m sure the investigators asked all the witnesses about the shoe thing.He obviously didn`t have shoes on at the time of the fall.I`m sure they would have known if they flew off at impact or during the fall.He didn`t have shoes on.It was probably something he did to make himself unique or cool.Hey, Hector is a crazy son of a gun, He doesn`t wear shoes when he climbs, they probably said.Pretty dumb, if you ask me.:confused:

What witnesses? Didn't they all R U N ?
 
tree md

tree md

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Oct 29, 2001
Messages
7,644
Location
Somewhere in a tree
I`m sure the investigators asked all the witnesses about the shoe thing.He obviously didn`t have shoes on at the time of the fall.I`m sure they would have known if they flew off at impact or during the fall.He didn`t have shoes on.It was probably something he did to make himself unique or cool.Hey, Hector is a crazy son of a gun, He doesn`t wear shoes when he climbs, they probably said.Pretty dumb, if you ask me.:confused:

I believe that this was probably the case as well.

I have seen Mexicans on a landscaping crew take off their shoes to climb on an old, moss covered slate roof to remove debris from the roof. I think the no shoes deal is a Mexican thing.
 
Rftreeman

Rftreeman

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
3,317
Location
huntsville al
That's how I climbed line structures too. Freeclimb and clip in when you want a break. Like they said its efficient and I still think it's a tool that all tree climbers should posses and not be taught to fear.

They say there is no fast way down, how about a parachute.
oh, there's a fast way down but stopping is the hard part and at that height you'd have a few seconds to think it out....
 
SomeotherGuy

SomeotherGuy

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
95
Location
Maine
I climed AM towers out west about 20 years ago. There were no safetys on the tower itself, we just cliped onto it when we rested. The towers were probably put up in the 1960's or 1970's so I dont know what osha regs were back then, or if they even existed. Its nicer when there is a safety cable riding up the tower you can clip into.

Jason
 
2chops

2chops

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Sep 14, 2010
Messages
26
Location
Williamsport, PA
This one had me squirmin in my seat. eye yi yi yi yi... I don't know what these lads make/hr. but they earn it. Free climbing...no sir. I'd be too concerned with my hands cramping up and ......well, I'll keep to the trees.
 

Latest posts

Top