Tower Access and Rescue

4 – Days (Site-Specific Closed Enrollment) The general category of tower access and rescue is as widely diverse as the number and different styles of steel structures that make up our infrastructure.  Whether it be telecommunication towers, wind turbines, bridge structures, or EHV transmission towers (including Live-line/barehand rope access and rescue) Rhodie Ropes can provide the expertise and unmatched site-specific instruction to meet these challenging courses.   The key to the success of this type of training event is the pre-planning of the course with the client. Rhodie Ropes will include specific curriculum design that specifically meets the client’s needs and approval prior to the start of the training.

At the completion of this class, the participants should be able to: 

1. Describe the physical principles which underlie knots, anchors, and mechanical advantage. 
2. Safely ascend steel structures and towers with appropriate fall protection.
3. Perform rope access and rescue for live-line/barehand applications (qualified linemen only). 
4. Construct structural anchors that can accept the expected loads and maintain safety ratios. 
5. Rig and operate a ground-based ascent and descent operation. 
6. Rig and operate appropriate backup rope systems (belay lines/fall protection systems). 
7. Perform a solo pick-off of a sick or injured person.
8. Rig and operate a Sloping Highline/Skate-Block ascending and descending system.

Principles of Rope Systems 

• Knots, Anchors, Mechanical Advantage 
• Mainline, Belay Review 

Applied Force Calculations 

• Vector Analysis 
• Safety Factors 
• Compression and Tension 
• Capstan Equation 

Knot Craft 

• Key Definitions and Physics 
• Knots, Bends, Hitches 

Anchor  Rigging Concepts

• Anchor Theory, 
• Resultant Forces 
• Compression and Tension Considerations
• Anchor considerations for Steel Structures 

Controlled Descent Systems 

• Petzl I'D
• CMC Clutch
• Other Descent Options

Hauling Systems  

• Pulley Systems  
• Capstan Winches  

Belay System Setup and Operation  

• Fall Factor and Impact Force  
• Petzl ASAP Lock  
• Twin Tension Systems Applied to Tower Environments   

Offset and Highline Systems  

• Major Taglines  
• Dynamic Directional Systems  
• Sloping Highlines/Skate-Block Combination System

Scenarios 

• Ground Control Operations 
• Tower Control Operations 
• Solo Pickoffs