J.P. Jones, who has been in telecom construction and tower rescue and rigging training since 1975, was first introduced to the Ronin Lift Battery Powered Rope Ascender in 2017 by GME Supply and he has been training climbers to use it ever since.
The President of Safety LMS, based in Austin, Texas, said he likes teaching climbers to use power ascenders because they are a proactive approach to preventing accidents on the tower by reducing fatigue, versus personal protective equipment, which comes into play only after an accident or fall.
“Most accidents happen, primarily, due to either fatigue or lack of training,” he said. “Using a power ascender eliminates the ergonomic stress that is on these climbers, which just makes a whole lot of sense.”
Separate half-day training classes on the Ronin Lift power ascender are taught at Safety LMS as an addition to the other tower rescue, competent climber or competent rescuer classes. Each of these courses can be hosted at Safety LMS flagship training facility in Dallas, plus its facilities in Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Lansing, Michigan; Corona, California; and Columbia, Missouri.
Safety LMS provides both classroom and hands-on training on the power ascender. Training can take place either at its indoor facilities or on-site at the tower company’s structure. Jones said that the team is flexible and will tailor the training to meet the particular needs of the technicians and the particular tower they work on, be it cell tower or broadcast tower.
Classes cover the operation and maintenance of the power ascenders, the proper type of rope that is specified by the manufacturer, and how to rig the rope. “You have to use the right type of rope for it to function the way it should and keeping it clean and dry is important, as well,” Jones said.
Jones will also introduce the new load lifting device, which operates like a winch. “If it’s a lighter load, say under 100 pounds, the new material-handling Ronin provides a speedy way to get loads up and down the tower easily,” he said.
In case a climber falls inside the tower structure, a power ascender can be used to lift the victim up and out so they can be brought down safely. “That’s the advantage of having any device that can lift, like the power ascender. You are able to pick the victim up and get them out of a complex situation two or three times quicker than doing it manually,” Jones said.
In the past, power ascenders have been thought to be too expensive, according to Jones, but that changed when the Ronin Lift came on the market, because of its lower price point. As sales of the Ronin Lift have increased, Safety LMS has seen demand for training increase commensurately.
Jones thinks use of the power ascender will grow as more people become aware of it. In fact, there is a Ronin Lift power ascender rigged on a rope every day in each of Safety LMS’ training facilities just to pique the interest of the climbers. “The more people see it, the more they want to put their hands on it,” he said.
For more information about the Ronin Lift, visit https://roninpowerascender.com/.
For more information about Safety LMS, visit https://safetylms.com/.
By J. Sharpe Smith Inside Towers Technology Editor
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