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01/01/2005
OSHA Relations Committee Update
A tower owner had one simple question. He contacted me recently and asked, “I’ve installed safety climb devices on my tower and it came with one of the sleeved grabs with it. Some people tell me I should leave it installed at the base of the tower ready for the next user and others feel I should take it off and let each climber provide his own. How would you answer that question?”
What a deceptively complicated question to answer.
On one hand, you have a tower owner who clearly is proactive about climber safety, installed the proper gear and makes it available for immediate use. It is positioned so anyone could see the cable grab was intended for use while climbing, always ready for the next user. Imagine that! A tower owner, just like ones about which we use to complain doing the right thing and then faced with uncertainty.
On the other hand, you have a cable grab that is exposed to the weather. The internal activation devices need inspection and maintenance just like any piece of safety equipment. Certainly corrosion must be watched carefully.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y.
“I would take the cable grab off as soon as possible” came out of my mouth like a cadence. I tried not to sound panicked but I urged, in my most confident voice that, “You could be exposing your company to risk if that device fails to activate properly when relied upon by the climber.“
I also fell into my standard risk assessment spiel that control of the tower and who is authorized to access must be carefully documented and required of all contractors and subcontractors. Include strong language in tenant leases so the requirement is not lost in the inevitable paper shuffle.
It occurs to me now that I should have also stressed the importance to have the cable and attachment itself inspected and tested before each use.
I’ve seen those cable grabs on tall towers for years. I hardly ever tried one to see if it worked. The few I did try to activate were hopelessly frozen into position. I simply pulled out my new or almost new cable grab and installed it on top of the old one and took off up the tower.
I also know the early retractable lifelines were so hard to keep in working order that the climbers seldom asked for them. I, for one, thought they were going to be wildly popular. But early versions were not as robust as the ones produced these days and many sat on the shelf after only a few uses.
My most humble thanks to all the tower owners who have taken our workers’ safety seriously, both past and present. But they need to be certain their actions are the right ones for the right reasons that will reduce risks, not increase them. So it is good that the owner I mentioned at the start of this column did seek the guidance of a tower professional.
Don Doty serves as Chairman of the NATE OSHA Relations Committee as well as Vice Chairman of the Association. He is the Vice President of Doty Moore Tower Services, Inc. of Cedar Hill, Texas and can be reached at 215-631-1300 or don.doty@stainless inc.com
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