‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  
USE EITHER FULL LEATHER OR LEATHER PALMED ARE FINE.  THE SOFTER THE GLOVES,
THE MORE USEFUL THEYLL BE.  STIFF LEATHER CONSTRUCTION GLOVES ARE FINE FOR
THE GROUND CREW, BUT PIGSKIN AND OTHER SOFT LEATHERS ARE BETTER FOR THE
CLIMBER, BECAUSE YOU CAN THREAD A NUT OR DO JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER DELICATE
JOB WITH THESE GLOVES ON.  SAFETY TIPS 1 DONT CLIMB WITH ANYTHING IN YOUR
HANDS ATTACH AN ITEM TO YOUR SAFETY BELT IF YOU MUST CLIMB WITH IT, OR HAVE
YOUR GROUND CREW SEND IT UP TO YOU IN A 

SAFETY FIRST PART 3 CLIMBING SAFETY  THIS ARTICLE IS THE THIRD OF A MULTI
PART SERIES ON SAFETY EXCERPTED FROM THE 2017 EDITION OF THE ARRL HANDBOOK.
PART 1 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE ON PAGES 39 43.  PART 2 CAN
BE FOUND IN THE DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE ON PAGES 39 41.  TOWER CLIMBING IS A
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITY, SO YOULL NEED TO USE THE PROPER SAFETY
EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES.  OSHA, THE FEDERAL OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION, PUBLISHES RULES FOR WORKPLACE SAFETY.  ALTHOUGH AMATEURS
ARE NOT BOUND BY THOSE RULES, YOULL BE MUCH BETTER OFF IF YOU FOLLOW THEM.
THE EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES YOU USE ARE UP TO YOU.  SAFETY AWARENESS AND
PREPARATION ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF SAFETY IS HAVING THE
KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS TO DO A JOB SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY.  YOU MUST HAVE
THE MENTAL ABILITY TO CLIMB AND WORK AT ALTITUDE WHILE CONSTANTLY
RETHINKING ALL CONNECTIONS, TECHNIQUES, AND SAFETY FACTORS.  SAFELY
CLIMBING AND WORKING ON TOWERS IS 90 MENTAL.  MENTAL PREPAREDNESS IS
SOMETHING THAT MUST BE LEARNED.  THIS IS AN OCCASION WHERE THERE IS NO
SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE.  THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE FOR ANYONE IS MAKING THE
MENTAL ADJUSTMENT.  PROPERLY INSTALLED TOWERS ARE INHERENTLY SAFE AND
ACCIDENTS ARE RELATIVELY RARE.  YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK YOUR SAFETY EQUIPMENT
EVERY TIME BEFORE YOU USE IT.  INSPECT IT FOR ANY NICKS OR CUTS TO YOUR

BELT AND SAFETY STRAP.  PROFESSIONAL TOWER WORKERS ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK
THEIR SAFETY EQUIPMENT EVERY DAY, AND YOU SHOULD CHECK YOURS BEFORE EACH
USE.  ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR TOWER CLIMBING IS THAT YOU HAVE
FOUR POINTS OF ATTACHMENT AND SECURITY TWO HANDS AND TWO FEET.  WHEN
CLIMBING, MOVE ONLY ONE POINT AT A TIME.  THAT LEAVES YOU WITH THREE POINTS
OF CONTACT AND A WIDE MARGIN OF SAFETY IF YOU EVER NEED IT.  THIS IS IN
ADDITION TO HAVING YOUR FALL ARREST LANYARD CONNECTED AT ALL TIMES.
ANOTHER RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUE IS TO ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING THE SAME WAY EVERY
TIME.  THAT IS, ALWAYS WEAR YOUR POSITIONING LANYARD ON THE SAME D RING AND
ALWAYS CONNECT IT IN THE SAME WAY.  ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR BELT D RING WHILE
CLIPPING IN WITH YOUR SAFETY STRAP.  THIS WAY, YOULL ALWAYS CONFIRM THAT
YOURE SECURELY BELTED IN.  ALWAYS LOOK.  PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT THE MOST
IMPORTANT PIECES OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT ARE THE FALL ARREST HARNESS FAH YOU
WEAR AND THE ACCOMPANYING LANYARDS THAT ATTACH TO IT SEE FIGURE 1.  THE FAH
HAS LEG LOOPS AND SUSPENDERS TO HELP SPREAD THE FALL FORCES OVER MORE OF
YOUR BODY AND HAS THE ABILITY TO HOLD YOU IN A NATURAL POSITION WITH YOUR
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ