This is video of a technician free climbing feet to the top of a transmissions tower, for repairs. All the footage comes from a camera, mounted on the helmet of the technician.
The initial climbing is scary, since you can see all the way down. The moment he steps outside of the structure, I found myself in utter disbelief.
Why are you doing this? Why is that a ladder? Everytime I close the video window, I breathe a small sigh of relief.
What about the sudden gusts of wind! What about the slight slip of a boot! What about a snagged glove! For two men who work on transmission lines and antennas within the world of broadcasting however, they do. Captured from the point of view of the climbers, the video begins with a ride in an elevator, which takes the men to a height of around ft, before they are required to make their way up a number of ladders.
After the men reach the top of the tower, the lead climber, whose 30lbs tool bag dangles down behind him, struggles out over a ledge and pulls himself up onto a triangular platform.
He then begins climbing once more but this time on an extremely narrow ladder, with rungs that stick from the side of the large cylindrical base of the tower. After riding in a lift to a height of around ft the two climbers begin negotiating a number of ladders. The man stops to catch his breath by attaching his carabiner to the ladder on a few occasions while free climbing.
Momentarily stopping to unhook his tool bag, which gets stuck underneath the triangle platform, the man begins free climbing. The narrator notes that most tower workers climb this way as it is easier and faster despite it being more dangerous. Half way up the ladder, the man stops, leans down and picks up his dangling carabiner, which he then uses to attach himself to the ladder. Don't look down! The worker carries his 30lbs tool bag, which dangles down below him, to the top of the tower.
He rests for a moment and takes in the staggering view from among the clouds before unhooking himself and continuing his journey. Reaching the top the man then finds himself standing at the foot of a cage, which holds the transmission line that feeds the transmitter power to the antenna.
He then finds himself at the antenna tuner and pulls himself up onto the base of it despite there not being an obvious place for him to stand. On a number of occasions the man struggles to get a firm grip on the tower but manages to haul himself to the top.
The man reaches the very top of the tower, which the narrator nonchalantly states is the 'tricky bit'. Stopping to catch his breath once more, the man then climbs to the top of the foot of the next section and rather worryingly feels around for somewhere to grab onto. The narrator notes that his climbing partner is holding the dangling tool bag steady while he makes his manoeuvre, so as to prevent it from knocking him off balance. The lead climber then reaches the very top of the structure and the narrator rather humorously points out that this is the tricky bit.
With barely enough room for him to stand, the climber is joined on the platform by the second man and the video concludes with the pair attaching themselves to the structure. Top of the world! The two men balance on a tiny platform before attaching themselves to it and starting their shift. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Argos AO. The video narration is incorrect, as has been discussed at length on other industry websites.
Brad, we've been asking OSHA to weigh in on this video for weeks. We just received the agency's response and added it to the story. The OSHA response isn't exactly clear. Separate comment: The "Time for a break" points look pretty dumb. There is almost nothing keeping that hook from flipping off the end of the climbing cleat if he were to slip.
I see what look like sturdy galvanized steel flanges with holes within a few feet of each break point. Join the Conversation:. Technology Publishing Co. Tired of fighting traffic on your way to work?
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