Bucket Truck Rescue System

When I'm in the bucket I've got my complete climbing system in use and I'm tied in to the D ring on the boom. I treat the bucket like I'm standing on a limb. Often I bail to get the back side of the tree climbing off of the boom until I can tie in to the tree.
 
The system sure would work but what if the operator wanted to exit the bucket quicker?

Hauling up a line and harness then putting on a work positioning harness over the top of a fall arrest harness would burn time.

If I were considering a bucket rescue system I'd look hard at the systems that are configured for FA harnesses. There are several on the market.
 
I would be interested to see those. I am familiar with a few but they all lower you either from a dorsal or sternum attachment (Standard 2 Dee FA harness).

Speaking from experience, having hung from both you wouldnt want to lower out of a bucket using either attachment point, and would have hard time running any system using either.

On 4 or 6 Dee fall arrest harness you still need a coupler which is another large piece of equipment.

Lowering out with a climbing saddle makes much more sense. I am not disputing the advantages of fall arrest equipment including decelerator packs and appropriate tethers/lanyards. Simply saying, if I were to escape a bucket on my own power, this is how I would do it.
 
Here's one:

Bucket truck rescue

I did a search using "bucket truck rescue systems" and saw several configurations.

Like I said, if its my decision I want to have something at-hand for self rescue and not have to depend on ground support.

Years ago I talked with a lineman who had to bail. He had his bucket out in a long grass farm field and was up checking some trouble on a line. Working solo which is SOP for a lot of lineman. His catalytic converter started a fire under his truck and burnt the controls for the bucket. There he is boomed up with his truck burning underneath him with no power. The utility company had installed bucket rescue systems so he was able to rig in and bail safely. He grabbed his fire extinguisher and put out the fire...whewwwwwww!
 
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His catalytic converter started a fire under his truck and burnt the controls for the bucket. There he is boomed up with his truck burning underneath him with no power. The utility company had installed bucket rescue systems so he was able to rig in and bail safely. He grabbed his fire extinguisher and put out the fire...whewwwwwww!

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One of my bigest fears when running a bucket is it catching fire. We currently do not have anything in our procedures about what we carry while operating a bucket. I have had to bail twice due to mechanical and hydrolic failures and both times the ground crew was throwing line and I was pulling a harness up. It is definately something to take a serious look at and come up with something that will work... Quickly. (Neither bail was an emergency, we had all the time we wanted).
I like that SRK-11.
 
Arborist looking for ways to get down from a raised bucket truck. Hot air balloons, maybe?

Arborist solved how to get down from a height a long, long time ago. Non climbing arborist and non arborist stuck in a bucket could be a major concern though.

I got a good laugh seeing a throw line being dropped to pull up a saddle and rope. I'd call that being pretty out of touch with the circumstances that usually surround bucket failure. If they have that much time then a non rope knowledgeable bucket operator should just wait for the fire department to show up or for another bucket truck from the same company.
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Whatever choices we make, I believe in dedicated, purposed equipment that is ready to perform rescues, escapes, first aid, and so on. Its just like CPR.

If having a bag of stuff can facilitate saving a life in even the narrowest of circumstances, to me, thats worth it.
 
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Arborist looking for ways to get down from a raised bucket truck. Hot air balloons, maybe?

Arborist solved how to get down from a height a long, long time ago. Non climbing arborist and non arborist stuck in a bucket could be a major concern though.

I got a good laugh seeing a throw line being dropped to pull up a saddle and rope. I'd call that being pretty out of touch with the circumstances that usually surround bucket failure. If they have that much time then a non rope knowledgeable bucket operator should just wait for the fire department to show up or for another bucket truck from the same company.

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Arborists may have solved getting down from heights but, too often around here they get into a bucket with the bare minimum if anything at all in the way of FA never mind a means of escaping in the event of failure.
 
We put together a similar system about 2 months ago. It's eerie how similar our system is to yours. The only difference is we prefer the Petzl ID because we have operators that rarely get on rope and wanted the extra safety features that the ID offers. Also, we require all of our aerial lift/bucket truck operators to wear a harness with a low center and dorsal attachment points; this way you only need to haul up the rope bag which is pre-rigged for descending.

Chris
 
Our system is a Petzl Navaho croll fast bod http://www.petzl.com/us/pro/verticality/harnesses/harnesses-difficult-access-0/navaho-bod-croll-fast because of its rated Dorsal for tie in while working the bucket. It's also works OK as a climbing harness when we climb out of the bucket to work. As for self rescue we have a 70' piece of climbing line in a bag in the bucket with a fig8 all the time. Machines break all the time and to have to wait for someone to rescue the operator would outweigh the PITA of having the line with you all the time. We have used the line a bunch, but never to escape a disabled bucket.
 
Whats wrong with weaving your lanyard through your bucket harness, most have built in loops for this reason, a steel biner to your lanyard attachment on the boom, run the rope through, and put a snap around your woven lanyard tie your friction hitch and out you go.
 
2X rope for descent. Friction hitches are great for shorter up and down work, but not great for long burn out descents. Some type of metal descender handles the heat generated better than rope on rope.
 
i've worn a saddle as fall protection and kept a long enough length of rope to rappel to the ground from full height with a rescue 8. Truck fire, break down, run out of gas. Whatever, who needs to be stranded. And guess what. Most people think I'm crazy like that's never gonna happen. Good thread.
 
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