Fall Protection Tips For Climbing Wood Poles
Climbing tall wood poles in itself is a dangerous activity, and certainly, one that should be avoided. However, many utility workers have to resort to climbing wooden poles to be in reach for maintaining and installing power lines that many of us take for granted. While we cannot eliminate the occurrence of accidents, we can instead focus on safety measures and fall protection to ensure a utility worker’s safety in the line of work. Read on to learn more about fall protection tips when it comes to climbing wood poles.
Climbing Wood Poles
Regardless of how seasoned or experienced a lineman can be, a moment of carelessness is all it takes for fall accidents to occur. After all, climbing a wood pole is not something that anyone can do successfully and safely, but rather a skill that is developed over time.
Before climbing wood poles, checks should be done to ensure the wood pole’s integrity to ascertain whether or not it is suitable for climbing. If there is any doubt or uncertainty, risk should not be taken. This process involves visually inspecting the wood for any signs of cracks, rot, holes, obstructions, as well as any other possible safety hazards. Some companies also choose to perform an on-site hammer test to determine whether or not a wood pole has interior rot. Only after these checks are executed, then can a lineman proceed to climb the wood pole.
When it comes to climbing wood poles, safety measures can be categorized into three different factors: fall restriction, fall arrest, as well as work positioning.
Fall Restriction
As the name suggests, fall restriction means limiting the length of a fall so that it can be prevented even in the event where the lineman’s gaff loses contact with the pole. Fall restriction can be implemented through the use of appropriate fall restriction equipment. If you happen to be on the lookout for fall restriction equipment, then we recommend that you consider purchasing them from JY Products. At JY Products, a large selection of modern top-of-the-line fall protection equipment can be found. With the numerous benefits that modern equipment offers for linesmen, fall restriction is made easier than ever before.
Fall Arrest
Oftentimes, linesmen will run into scenarios where they have to work around obstacles to perform their work. Vertical lifeline systems make it possible for linesmen to climb freely without a second positioning strap. This is possible thanks to the fall arrest system, where a rope-positioning tube is secured with a dielectric lifeline at the top of a pole.
Work Positioning
For a worker to remain at his/ her work location hands-free, work positioning lanyards are required. Work positioning equipment helps to secure a worker around obstructions and is used by linesmen for crossing over and under obstructions while remaining connected to the pole. Combined with the use of fall restriction equipment, a fall restriction system is complete.