I Need a Bucket Harness

[bonner1040]

With a back attachment, you have pretty much zero chance of pulling yourself back up into the bucket. As a climber I would prefer something that might possibly somehow give me half a chance at self recovery if I happened to slip out of the bucket.

exactly.

 

[tophopper]

Yeah, I agree with that. I would much rather be able to attach to a front D.

Question for Brian. Based on the picture of your FBHarness, I assume thats what you wear on a daily basis? If so, when you go work for your contractors, are they aware of how to use the lower controls should you get tossed?

I assume the reasoning for a dorsal attachment on a FBH, is because of the assumption there would be another trained individual to lower you down in that event. For a sole prop, working in your situation maybe a climbing harness would be safer, so you could self rescue? What do you all think?

 

[SkwerI]

The only time I've worn that harness in 4 years was working for FEMA in Kentucky doing ice storm cleanup (the leg straps rubbed me raw) and on one job locally last year doing some right of way work with OSHA people running around checking everybody out. It's still in perfect condition hanging in the gear box.

 

[JoshINtrees]

I've been tossed out of a bucket, and self-recovered only because I was in a position to do so. With a D in my back, I probably would have hung there for hours before someone could have helped. With only 3 feet of lanyard, I can't fall far.

 

[MasterBlaster]

How were you tossed out of your bucket?

 

[JoshINtrees]

The only time I've worn that harness in 4 years was working for FEMA in Kentucky doing ice storm cleanup

You mean the one a few years ago? I was there for that; hired gun for Superman Tree, big black trucks with an "S". See any?

 

[bonner1040]

I think if you are alone a rockclimbing harness is probably the safest option. Even our saddles really arent rated for taking falls.. you have to think if you get tossed you are taking a factor 1 fall for sure or more as you fall a distance equal to the lanyard or tether.

You guys probly think I am crazy for saying that but you can take a fall on a RC harness and you dont have to retire it. Using a shock absorber would help, something that deploys @ around 900 lbs would make a big difference because taking a factor 1 fall on a non stretchy or static connection will HURT no matter what harness you wear.

 

[tophopper]

I've been tossed out of a bucket, and self-recovered only because I was in a position to do so. With a D in my back, I probably would have hung there for hours before someone could have helped. With only 3 feet of lanyard, I can't fall far.

Were you working alone?

 

[JoshINtrees]

How were you tossed out of your bucket?

Not "tossed" really. I had hold of a really big limb, and refused to let it go over a roof. I don't back down from a fight!

 

[bonner1040]

See the difference for yourself. The goods are about halfway through each
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/C5VCBT5ei6A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[JoshINtrees]

Were you working alone?

I'm almost always working alone. I come in and wreck them out, and the landscrapers come and clean them up.

 

[squisher]

So what happened than when the limb yanked you out? Did you drop it then?

 

[Al Smith]

This is the ones we have at work .They're tolerable to wear .http://www.msafetyproducts.com/msa/harness/502733.htm

 

[JoshINtrees]

So what happened than when the limb yanked you out? Did you drop it then?

Yup! But it did swing away from the house!

 

[squisher]

Lol, glad it ended well!

I use a full-body harness with a decelerator lanyard. Never tried it out though.

 

[SkwerI]

Another hired gun! Welcome, Josh.

 

[tophopper]

Nice vids Nick. I understand the value of a shock absorbing lanyard and we use them too.

My understanding of a restraint lanyard was that it is short enough to restrain you from falling in the first place......so depending on the application its so short you could make it to (or over) the edge? So an effective restraint lanyard in a bucket truck would be very short?

 

[JoshINtrees]

It was a learning experience in physics for sure. I like to think I'm a little smarter now.

 

[bonner1040]

Lol, glad it ended well!

I use a full-body harness with a decelerator lanyard. Never tried it out though.

Thats a smart idea.. anyone that isnt convinced should watch the videos, it sells itself.

 

[JoshINtrees]

Another hired gun! Welcome, Josh.

I got sick of making other people money while I stayed broke.

 

[tophopper]

We learn from our failures not our successes!

 

[MasterBlaster]

So what happened than when the limb yanked you out? Did you drop it then?

And what about the "recovering" part? I thought you fell out of the bucket?

 

[JoshINtrees]

And what about the "recovering" part? I thought you fell out of the bucket?

That was easy. I spun around in the belt until the D was in front and used the lanyard to pull me within reach of the outside step. From there, it's easy to get back in the bucket.

 

[bonner1040]

Nice vids Nick. I understand the value of a shock absorbing lanyard and we use them too.

My understanding of a restraint lanyard was that it is short enough to restrain you from falling in the first place......so depending on the application its so short you could make it to (or over) the edge? So an effective restraint lanyard in a bucket truck would be very short?

yeah. it would be short top... but when you step over the TIP or lean out you risk taking a high factor fall... so if you had a 18"-24" 'restraint lanyard' and you were to stand 'up' in the bucket or get above the TIP somehow you could easily fall 30+ inches on a much shorter piece of material, getting into those types of high factor falls really stresses most textiles. even rock ropes can break under those and static ropes/lanyards/webbing products will break even easier.

while possibly not practical, having two TIPS in the bucket with short lanyards that definitively prevent you from falling out might be a safe option.

 

[squisher]

Bahh, sounds overly complicated to me. The safest thing you can do for not falling out of a bucket is to keep the sawdust cleaned out. Lol.