[RMVHF] Re: [GMCC] KC0TIG-Two Dead in Electrocution Accident

[Phil Krichbaum]

    One of the things you are taught in Red Cross First Aid classes is 
in the case of suspected electrocution, do not touch the person(s) until 
the source of the problem has been removed by properly trained experts, 
which in this case would be the power company. I'm not sure the Fire 
Rescue people have the safety equipment that can be used to remove the 
power line high voltage safely. Inside the home or on the customer side 
of the meter, turn of the power at the main electrical box. It is hard 
to remember this when it is a loved one involved,but you can see the 
result of not heeding this advice where you may have an additional 
victim(s).
    I operated a station at PJ4 (Bonaie) where there is an 80m dipole 
that has one support rope goes over a high voltage power line. It is 
suspended from towers on either side by rather substantial ropes. If the 
one side had failed, the wire would have landed on the HV line which 
coming in the coax would be extremely hazardous to anyone in the shack. 
If the other side had failed, just the rope would have contacted the HV 
line which is more excitement than I'd want. I'd  asked several people 
and no one seemed to know how this was even erected in the first place! 
I would suspect they had co-operation from a power crew to turn off the 
power. I've never seen another ham installation like this even in 3rd 
world countries!
    I've also heard of more than one ham being killed by tower accidents 
this summer so be careful out there. I recently had much appreciated 
help by a professional and he wears a full body harness with a shock 
cord off the top and 3 more attachment points. These things are not all 
that expensive especially, considering the amount hams spend on other 
aspects of the hobby. Jack Johanson (W0JEJ) gave a talk several years 
ago at a GMCC meeting and pointed this out. You have $10,000 worth of 
ham gear and use a flea market used belt! The old single lanyard waist 
belt used by most hams (at least I added two additional attachments but 
that is not enough) is not anywhere close to being OSHA approved. For 
less than $500 you can buy the right equipment.  I know Gerry, K0DU,  
has one. Don't use a yard sale belt. I need to go down to Factory 
Surplus here in Glenwood and get a proper harness including a shock cord 
now that Scott Burkhardt, W0KU, further demonstrated and explained its 
proper use. It takes a few more minutes going up and down the tower but 
we have time for this or can make the time!
    Even a fall off a step ladder can be fatal or cause permanent health 
issues as happened to a ham in the Colorado Springs area a few years 
back while working on an antenna.
    Phil N0KE

Rick Spiegel wrote:
> >From email reports it looks like KC0TIG was the person killed in Kansas
> City, KS.
>
> SAFETY-SAFETY-SAFETY
>
> Rick-W0RIC
>
>
>
> KANSAS CITY, Kan.  --  Two people were electrocuted Sunday afternoon in the
> 6100 block of Nogard in Kansas City, Kan. A nine-year-old girl found the two
> men. The men, a grandfather and father, were trying to put up a ham radio
> antenna on a house when one of them came in contact with a live power line.
> The other went to help and was also electrocuted. FOX 4 News will bring you
> more information as it becomes available.
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