Hello,
I am scheduling work for when the snow finally melts here in Central Mich. I am getting alot of roof jobs come in. I am considering buying a harness like the one in the Tool Crib. I am wondering if the cord would be too much of a burden to deal with. Are there any that have a retractable cord similar to that of a dogs lease? There are alot of things on the roof during construction for the harness cord to tangle up with and it just might be to much trouble? What are your opinions on using them?
Thanks, John Keller
Replies
Surely you've heard that you just need to tie an extension cord to your leg: If you fall, the extension cord is bound to get tangled up in SOMETHING and save you. :)
Never used one (acrophobia), but I was amused to watch a couple of roofers a couple of years back, working on a small connecting "tunnel" between two buildings where I work. They were on the roof of this structure (maybe 12 feet above grade) and were, per OSHA, wearing harnesses. However, they had the clips on the ends of their tethers simply cliped back on the harness -- not attached to anything.
But, per OSHA, they WERE wearing harnesses!!
Yeah, happens all the time. Had a guy here take a dive off the tenth story of a condo at the beach while painting. He was wearing a harness but didn't have it attached to anything. Somehow he lived but has to have around the clock care since he can't move anything. Buy a harness, wear it and attach it to something.
I'm not afraid of falling. It's hitting the ground I'm afraid of.
I wore a harness for years when I was rock climbing. I can't remember ever actually falling and having the harness catch me, but I can remember lots of times when it gave me the confidence to make moves I would not have made without one. In roofing terms, I think that would translate to higher productivity because you'd spend more time roofing and less time having to be really, really careful not to fall off.
Of course that confidence depends on having a bomb proof anchor. When you're setting up your anchor, don't think in terms of OSHA standards, think in terms of your own personal self standing on the edge of the roof two or three stories up and taking a screamer. Then rig your anchor to catch that fall.
Also, think about things like being able to lower yourself to the ground after a fall if you're working alone. For me, in the best shape I've ever been in, climbing back up over the edge of the roof would have been iffy.
I prefer (whenever possible) to set up scaffolding to osha standards below me and use plenty of 90 degree roof jacks or use a boom lift. The time to set all this up is approxiamately equal to the time lost wearing a harness. I recently did a courthouse dome roof where everyone had to wear a harness, but the lanyards were never hooked to anything. Rules is rules is rules.
Are there any that have a retractable cord similar to that of a dogs lease?
Yeah, The roof guys called them retractables. The smallest one they had was a 9 footer. It worked like a seat belt..... pull it real fast and the mechanism locked. The lanyard was made out of the same material a seat belt is made out of,at least it looked like it. They were made by Miller.
The one I use has the orange poly line remain stationary, and the attachment to the harness is a movable grabber that has two modes. You can let it slide along the line freely, and if you move it downward fast enough, it grabs like a seat belt. Or you can have it in the always-grabbing mode, where you have to slide it by hand from position to position.
I use it the second way, because I prefer to feel tension on the line when I'm near the eaves of a 7 in 12, 26 ft. up. Being up there scares me a lot, and feeling the tension helps with that. Working with the line tight means that your attach point only sees your weight, not the impact of stopping your weight after you fall a few feet.
I also carry a second rope grab and strap, so that I could inch my way down to the ground if I ever went over the side. My first harness was the minimal Miller, not very comfortable, so now I use a Yates.
-- J.S.
Thanks Guys,
I'll try that one from Miller. If it gets to be too slow using it ,I can just use it for drip edge, ice gaurd and starter courses. Maybe it willl save my neck some time.
John
I think they definetly speed things up. I use an alpine climbers harness myself, not OSHA approved but they are lightweight and only cost $20.
Dave
I have the Miller Mighty Lite ( Mini Lite? Mighty Mouse? ...can`t remember) it pays out 11' of poly strap and locks very quickly in the event of a fall. It does give me the confidence to do certain moves that otherwise would make me think twice, however, there is a trade-off. I hang mine from the crane hook above and this gives me somewhat more range of movement than a static anchor point but the harness and the strap do tend to fight me on a semi-regular basis. It`s nice knowing I`ll still have my bacon at the end of the day, but not without some cussing and inconvenience. I would opt for the longer 20' or 50' payout if I had it to do again. Way more money though. $180 compared to about $800.
PS: don`t forget the cell phone so you can call for help while you`re hanging there.
in fall protection classes the state osha instructor says that on residential work, most workers feel that the laws of physics have been repealed.
he has lot of pix with folks on third story with no fall protection
I use mine on steep projects or when I am working by myself.One thing it will do is put a end to osha regulation of haveing 90 degree jacks where ever you working.If you do get them 2 things have you may want 1.how easy its goes on 2.a front located ring for the tag line
Being from Michigan myself I would recommend you try going Wimsatt in saginaw or Bradco they both have packages for roofers
The largest number of worksite accidents recorded by OSHA is from falls. Falls can be prevented. PERIOD. Fall protection is required at elevations of 6 feet or more. I know, it sounds A little excessive, but consider this, people are top heavy, and 6 feet is the distance it takes for you flip upside down. Here's another surprising number, 11 feet.If you fall from 11 feet you have a 50% chance of living through it. Still not convinced ? How about 1.2 seconds. That's how long it takes the average adult to fall 10 feet. Human reaction time is 0.75 seconds. So you're 2 feet off the ground by the time you realize you've fallen. Doesn't leave much time to save yourself. Wear the harness! wear it properly! Attatch your lanyard to an approved anchorage point. I don't think you want to be the one who has to go tell someone's wife, mother, or child that thier loved one died on your job because you were too cheap to purchase the proper fall protection equipment.