Fall Protection Safety Harness

Even if you work for a company that provides all the safety gear needed, many climbers like to have gear that is just theirs. When picking out a harness, there are several things to look for. This guide will give you the important things to look for.

Start by asking yourself some questions. How experienced are you? How much padding do you need? What is the main reason for getting your own harness? Once these are answered, the search can begin. In the tower climbing industry, the full body harness, also called a rescue harness, should be used instead of the seated type.

Padding is pretty standard in harnesses these days. If you have a stockier body type, are new to climbing, or have areas where many harnesses “dig in,” then consider getting extra padding, especially around those “sensitive areas.”


The gear loops that hang off of harnesses are important for hauling and storing equipment. These loops hang off of the waist to distribute the weight more evenly. Most people only use for, but thinking about your climbing necessities will determine how many you need. When climbing a tower, there is no room for anything to be carried in the hands, and it is a long way down if you forget your water bottle.

Sizing the harness can be the trickiest part. Just because a harness fits over your jeans doesn’t mean it will fit over a snow suit. If a harness is too small it will make movement difficult. If it is too large then safety is compromised. The harness should not slide when it is over the ribcage. As a generally rule, snug, but not uncomfortable is a good rule of thumb.

This leads to the harnesses adjustability. When trying on a harness it should be in one of the intermittent adjustment settings. This will allow the harness to fit during weight gain and weight loss periods. It is amazing what a difference 10 pounds can make in how a harness fits, so getting one that only fits on the highest or lowest adjustment settings can spell trouble in the future.

The price tag on a harness can be a big factor but, it should not be the main factor. A harness needs to be durable, especially since it will be used day-in day-out. So that cheaper one may be fine for a few months or a year, but a more expensive one will save you from buying one every few months. On the opposite end, if you have not yet committed to being a tower dawg for life, buying a less expensive one, or even borrowing one from a friend may be a more viable option.

Men and women are built differently. Women who work in the climbing industry should look for a woman’s harness. Some of the key differences in a women’s harness are a shaped waistline, a reduced leg-to-waist ratio, and an increased rise. Not only do these increase a woman’s comfort, they increase safety.

Each of these factors should be considered when harness shopping. Since every body is different, do not expect the harness your buddy uses to be the one that will provide the most comfort to you. If the harness doesn’t feel right when you try it on, it won’t feel right when you are 1000 feet up in the air.

 

http://www.ems.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3942302

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climbing-harness.html

Fall Protection Safety Harness

Hidden Communication Jobs

When people think of the communication industry, and the jobs within it, they usually think of broadcasters, cell phone providers, and cameramen and women. But, there are so many jobs hidden below the surface that make every facet of communication possible. These are the unseen, behind the scene, and little known about career fields that are an integral part of making sure the word remains at our finger tips.

Radio Frequency (RF) engineer- The work of an RF engineer is found within every area of communications that works with radio waves. This field includes cell phones, Wi-Fi, radios, two-way radios and more. There are two specialties for the RF engineer, the first is the generation of signals that go to and from transmission systems to communication electronics. The second specialty is providing the coverage and controlling its dispersion with transmission systems. The must have a deep knowledge of physics, electronics, mathematics, and wave propagation.

Tower climbers- Mostly known for climbing up towers to do repairs, tower climbers are involved in all of the maintenance, construction, deconstruction, and preventative maintenance of a tower. They must be educated in engineering, proper climbing techniques, safety guidelines and much more. The also must understand how RF waves work, as exposure can be life endangering, and of course, they must lack a fear of heights.

Telecommunication Engineer- This is a branch of electrical engineering that focuses on bringing together electrical engineering and computer science. They design circuitry which allows communications equipment to effectively read and be read by computer systems. A telecomm engineer oversees the installation of copper wire, fiber optics, and the electronic switching systems which they have often designed. They must work closely with the account and project managers to ensure that the designs they create are cost effective and will work with the holistic view of the project.

Quality Control Engineer- These people oversee nearly every step of the material manufacturing process. The QC Engineer must make sure that all the materials used are of the required quality and that the steps and installation methods used maintain the original quality. This person is the one who makes it their job to minimize defects of any given product. Other factors that must be accounted for are cost, productivity, and quality, they will look for the least expensive yet still viable products to use. They need an understanding of all the other areas of the communication field in order to make the decisions.

Site Acquisition Manager- There is a lot more to this job then just finding a spot for a tower and buying it. The site acquisition manager looks at the element exposure of a site, the price, how the location will aid the signal of other towers in the area and if these factors make it the prime location. There is a complex interplay of factors within their job and site selection.

These jobs may not be in the spotlight, but without them and other jobs like them, communications as we know it could not exist. The people who take on these careers have a great deal of responsibility and often require years of training and education.

http://www.telecomcareers.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_frequency_engineering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_engineering

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-quality-control-engineer.htm

Hidden Communication Jobs

Tower Dawg Skills

When people hear the term tower climber, their minds fill with an image of thrill seekers, dangling 1,500 feet in the air, and they get a very glamorous image. There are many other qualities besides not having a fear of heights that makes a good tower climber.

The average tower is 200′-1500′ in the air. This goes beyond a fear of heights. The whole world is different that high up in the air. There has to be an ability to handle the pressure and the potential danger. It is not an amazing view that has these men (and women) up there. They are there to do a job that nobody else can or is willing to do.

Tower dawgs need to know the ins-and-outs of both computer and electrical systems. It is not the kind of job where someone wakes up and says “I like adrenaline, I think I’ll be a tower climber.” There is some serious education that must be completed for someone to be certified and qualified to climb a tower.

A wide range of skills must be possessed by each tower climbers. Some of the time they will be climbing up just to change a light bulb out. Other times they may be required to replace integral systems which aid in the tower function.

There are times when a tower is not operational and no one is quite sure why. The job of the climber then becomes to test the systems functions, one-by-one until they find the source. The tower may require new lines to be fed, antennae to be replaced, fuses to be changed, and rust to be removed.

A specialty exists within the tower climbing field, that is of someone who can both weld and climb. The general public does not usually think about it, but towers are metal and someone has to put them together. When towers are constructed they are put together from the ground up and tower climbers are there, during every step. Good eye-hand coordination is important for more than just the climb. All of the meticulous details that tower dawgs see to requires them to be very precise.

Tower climbers do get paid fairly well, but the job requires some out of pocket expenses that most don’t think about. Believe it or not, getting life insurance in a field known as the most dangerous occupation in the world is neither easy nor cheap. Health insurance on the other hand is relatively inexpensive. The health insurance companies figure that if a tower climber is injured at work, there is a good chance they wont make it to the hospital. It is tragic but true.

Since so much travel may be required for tower climbers, the whole dynamic of the home life can be disrupted. Being away from children, a wife, girlfriend, and pets can really wear thin after a while. The men who do this job sacrifice much for their careers, but many will tell you, they would never want to do anything else.

Tower Dawg Skills