What are your thoughts on using some form of suspension to access and work on railroad equipment instead of ladders? As I see it suspension seems safer than using a ladder as the only way you would fall is if there is catastrophic equipment failure. Also if the hoisting mechanism is on a trolley (not the railroad kind) you can move side to side without climbing down and moving the ladder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_access

That giant photo makes this nearly impossible to read, at least on the iPad.

The first photo, with the railcar, is not a rope access system. It's a fall protection system, and does not provide any support unless the worker falls and triggers the system.

Yes I just edited that and added a better photo.

RCD,

I have experience with "fall protection systems", I work on large aerospace products (tens of feet tall). The protection system is useful as a backup only. There is no substitute for a good "work platform" (ladder, scaffolding, planks, walkway, etc). We have "suspended" planks 50 feet or so above products and worked safely with fall protection as a "backup" system. Hanging from a rope (or multiple ropes) as opposed to standing on your own two feet is UNCOMFORTABLE (at best), especially if you expect folks to do it for many hours.

And the fall protection systems only "kick in" after you have already dropped ten feet or so, and there is a "heck" of a "jerk" to your lower body area when those straps take effect.

For the typical railroad situation I think good quality work platforms (scaffolding with railings) are far better than "dangling" from a rope. It's just ergonomics, would you rather walk on a secure scaffold to do your jobs, or hang from a rope ? Sure, a backup fall protection system (anchored to beams in your building ceiling perhaps) may make sense, but if you are 11 feet off the ground and you fall off the scaffold, you will just end up 1 foot off the ground with a terrible "groin injury" and your head will probably still hit the floor. Ouch, head and groin damaged at the same time....

And you still have to worry about "falling objects", we routinely "tether" all of our hand tools when working above expensive hardware. Nothing worse than completing an expensive project only to drop a wrench "into the works" at the last minute.

Buy some good quality scaffolding and ladders, train your volunteers (or workers) and use fall protection systems if they make sense (above ten feet or so from the ground level).

My "two cents", Kevin.

Oh, and do you really want to be hanging from a crane when the guy that's controlling it decides to take a "coffee break" ? With a scaffold you can always climb down to ground level and go home....

If you use a chain hoist you can just lower yourself down.

Please, the spelling is SAFETY-

Forty or so years ago, when I was young and dumb, I did a job at IRM from a bosun's chair suspended from a crane. The job was hanging the doors on the back steam shop; rough terrain with no access for the line truck. The top hinge was a good eighteen feet off the ground.

This was one of the worst ideas I ever let myself get talked into. With the door blocked in the closed position on a flat steel wall, there was absolutely nothing to hold onto. As they say, for every action there is an equal reaction, and this was certainly true; pushing on the drill just pushed me away from the wall. Once the first bolt hole was through, I nutted the bolt but left it loose so something stuck out that I could pull against; then I found I really needed a third hand. A half day of dinking around got the job done, but it would have really been easier and safer if we would have rented a couple sections of patent scaffold.

What I learned is one is really at a disadvantage for many jobs if one can't bring their weight to bear or leg muscles into play.

Several years ago WRM's shop purchased enough scaffolding parts to be able to erect a scaffold along one whole side of a car if necessary. It's one of the best investments we have made in recent years.

Several people can work on a scaffold, there is a place to put tools and parts while working, and people are more productive when they don't have to worry about whether some jury-rigged platform or suspension system is going to fail.

We bought our scaffold parts new, but I suspect that used ones are available also.

Old Pueblo Trolley has always used scaffolding to work on our cars and access the roof. Makes things like repairing trolley poles, etc. easier. Rope access is less ideal for most of our applications and ought to only be done if a ladder or scaffold cannot be safely used. Used scaffolds in good condition are worth the money as they will give many years of good service with a little care.

Did we not already have this conversation?

GME
(Who recalls that a class several cycles ahead of his for an Officer Advanced Course adopted as their motto: "We won't learn and you can't make us!")

I was thinking of something more like this hooking up the hoist to a rock climbers vest or bosun's chair. No need to climb down and move the ladder to acess the next section that needs painting as you have side to side movement, no scaffolding to set up or put away, and no falling.

All:

Your best bet for working on top of railroad equipment is a Self-Retracting Lanyard (SRL) and a full-body harness, with some sort of anchorage above the equipment. The SRL will pay out and retract line as you move around, ensuring that there is little or no free fall in the event that you fall. Like a seat-belt, it will "lock" when it senses a fall, and an internal braking system will bring you to a quick, controlled stop and avoid the "jerk" that NYCRRson refers to. The full-body harness is much safer than a belt and ensures that forces are more evenly distributed on your body. Take it from someone who's "jumped" in gear many times - it's never comfortable, but much safer than using a line that doesn't include any sort of shock absorption built into the system. Depending on where you're operating, you'll want product that meets ANSI (USA, lots of other places) or CSA (Canada).

Most line-side industries that receive railcars employ a permanent or temporary beam system to anchor their fall protection to. Many times these are custom engineered. For the "quicker and dirtier" approach, however, a device similar to what RCD posted in his picture could work, provided it is in good working order and can withstand 5,000 lbf in the direction of loading should a fall event occur. ALWAYS keep your anchorage point overhead, so if you're using a movable crane beam like the one in the photo be sure that it is moved along with you as you work. There are numerous "anchorage connectors" designed to connect fall protection equipment to beams.

It's important to point out that, if you're following OSHA guidelines, you must have a "competent person" trained in fall protection who can inspect equipment and take products out of service where needed. This training is available through a number of different avenues.

Keep in mind that scaffolding still may be the best way to go. It depends on what job you're trying to accomplish.

Disclaimer - my "real" job is designing fall protection equipment for a major safety products manufacturer.

I've worked with a stairway with a platform on top set on a wheeled platform before.... used in scenic art to paint large backdrops it is referred to as a "boomerang." Turns out they are also very useful for working on railroad equipment - the stairs get you to any desired height between floor and roof. You can chock the wheels to prevent rolling, or leave them free and roll yourself along if you wish.

dave

I at pac-bell, AT&t and lucent an 28 ft ladder that ends to max 24 with fiber and rail an aluminum a each level, The 32 ft ladder is all avail.

The 28 ft I took too Pacific Southwest Railway Museum 20 ago, I think still O.K.

The Lucent a the trash be not fix to part a mfg to sent.


Stan