bucket truck, fear of heights

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Thirst4Knowledge

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NEW JOISEY fugget about it!
Just Wondering?? The company I work for does some parking lot light maintenance. I realized today that there is a number of co-workers who will absolutley not go up in the truck to do even a 25" pole. Granted I have to get my "legs" to do it but after about 10 minutes I'm at ease. I always thought to be an electrician you kind of had to overcome any fears of height. Any thoughts or comments on this subject??
 
jumper

jumper

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3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
40 feet on a ladder or 50 feet in a lift or bucket is what I call mimimum. After that, I can understand that some electricians are at their max, unless they specifically say they are lighting techs.
 
ultramegabob

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
nakulak said:
why do you need a bucket truck for a 25" pole ?
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What do you use? I'm not going to prop a ladder up against a 25' pole and lean backwards and work over my head to disassemble a fixture and change a ballast, and many of the lights I work on have a hinge that the glass would be hanging right on top of you also....
 
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Tonybugs72

Member
Knowing how to put your harness on correctly, where the tieoff point for your lanyard is, make sure the equipment is in good working condition. You should have some loto procedures. This should include test before touch. You should also look at your surroundings and sometimes the the quirks of the equipment lifting you. Don't be afraid to ask how to use it if you're not sure.
 
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Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
Thirst4Knowledge said:
Any thoughts or comments on this subject??
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I think they're in the wrong profession. It comes with the territory, they knew it when they signed up.

But, if it's from lack of safety gear or using some lift that's been beat on with no sign of maintenace, then it's natural that they should be scared.:grin: Now that.....I understand!;)
 
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jeremysterling

Senior Member
Location
Austin, TX
Thirst4Knowledge said:
Just Wondering?? The company I work for does some parking lot light maintenance. I realized today that there is a number of co-workers who will absolutley not go up in the truck to do even a 25" pole. Granted I have to get my "legs" to do it but after about 10 minutes I'm at ease. I always thought to be an electrician you kind of had to overcome any fears of height. Any thoughts or comments on this subject??
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My safety harness is my "legs". If I'm not comfortable with the lift equipment, on goes the harness. Especially hydraulically leveling buckets.

I climbed out of the elevated basket of a 60 foot boom lift before it was dragged over by a crane. I was left standing on the bottom block of the crane. I know OSHA requires a harness, but I was thankful that I did not have it on that day.
 
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nakulak

Senior Member
I was in a tree guys bucket truck once that was truly a piece of crap and almost impossible to operate smoothly, but most articulating boom lifts these days are pretty nice. Haven't been in one over 120' tho, but I have had to hang off 7 stories in cheesy one and two man stages, that's really not so bad either. (Anything taller than that isn't much of an issue around here)
 
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nakulak

Senior Member
jumper said:
I saw earlier posts on 25" typo, but are you saying that asking an electrician to go up a 40' extension ladder is excessive?:confused:
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I'd go 120' up in a boom anyday before I had to mess around with a 40' extension ladder (given a choice).
 
jumper

jumper

Senior Member
Location
3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
jeremysterling said:
To do pole work on a windy day? You first!
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OP asked what was an opinion on working heights, I stated the minamums accorrding to my job specs under normal working conditions, not pole lights on a windy day.

nakulak said:
I'd go 120' up in a boom anyday before I had to mess around with a 40' extension ladder (given a choice).
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So would I, but when the boss says says install a wallpack at 35' and there is no bucket truck, up I go.
 
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Thirst4Knowledge

Member
Location
NEW JOISEY fugget about it!
there is probably a lot of people in the industry with a fear of heights. the bottom line is your at a disadvantage if you are scared to go up in perfectly same equipment. i wouldnt want to pay someone to go up in a lift while i payed someone the same money to watch from down below. you end up with one guy doing ballasts and lamps all day while other guys are just takeing the stuff out the packaging and talking about there holiday, its not right.
 
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jeremysterling

Senior Member
Location
Austin, TX
jumper said:
So would I, but when the boss says says install a wallpack at 35' and there is no bucket truck, up I go.
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You're right. I guess 40' sounded tall at first.

But for wallpacks, I'm with you a 100%. Sometimes the boss will tell me to service or install wallpacks with the bucket truck. It's actually much easier and faster to work from the extension ladder. I carry a 24' ladder with "level-locks" on my truck.

Also, the customer appreciates not having their lawn torn up by the truck.

I usually work by myself. A 40' fiberglass ladder is a handful even with no wind!
 
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