On Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:41:34 -0400, "Don White"
wrote:


"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:59:56 -0800, jps wrote:



I'm thinking spirit helpers at this point. How the hell does someone
fall that many feet only to be snapped taught in the last few inches
before splat? The odds seem pretty slim after 100+ ft.

Safety ropes aren't long. Sounds like he didn't even have it latched.
Then it snagged something on the second story.
Maybe a ledge, a flagpole, a bracket, etc.
Who knows.
But, "Somebody Up There Likes Me."

--Vic




Funny he didn't break his back, can you imagine the foot pounds of force at
work.
When I get up over a 2nd story window I wear my safety harness and tie the
rope off so I shouldn't fall more than 6-8 feet.

Maybe I'll breakdown and buy a proper safety lanyard with the webbing sewed
in a 'flaking' type arrangement so the threads give way gradually as you
fall.

I had a belt/lanyard when I did a lot of ladder work. Lanyard was
about 3' long. Good for moving 2 rungs before reattaching.
Think it cost about 30 bucks, but that was a long time ago.
No sense dropping more than a couple feet.
I bet most ladder accidents come from using cheap ladders and not
footing them correctly.
Used to be atop 40 footers leaning outside the rails painting.
Foolish maybe.
Then one day when I was about 40 years old I went up about 25 feet to
do some work on my windows and my knees were shaking so bad the ladder
was rattling.
That was it. Hired it done after that.

--Vic