Aerial Operations in Rural Areas

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Drew Smith on August 31, 2008 at 11:47pm

You really need to know the soil conditions and if the area is new construction the soil has probably been disturbed by excavation. If yous are going to try to set up the aerial consider that the rural road or private driveway may not be built to hold any better than the earth. A long private road may be nothing more than a driveway. And the sides of the road may be nothing more than gravel on top of the dirt - no compaction was done.

If I were going to set up and my risk management assessment / size-up indicates it is acceptable I'll try to put the rear of the apparatus facing the building and perpendicular to the building (assuming its a rear-mount aerial). I will fully jack with ground plates-no shirt j******. When I go to raise and approach the building I will first raise the ladder straight up fully, rotate 180 degrees then lower then extend out. No extension would occur until I was straight off the rear as this is a much stronger and more stable position than off the side.

Permalink Reply by Adam Bean on September 2, 2008 at 12:51pm

Tim,
The biggest thing I've seen in my area is departments oversizing thier apparatus when they are responding to a mostly rural area or district. You really have to take a serious look at the places you are intending on operating these apparatus. Everybody wants to purchase a truck that is the biggest and best in the area, 100' plus aerials and tower ladders with huge jack spreads are great in the city where your almost always working off pavement and have the option to manuever. However when your trying to get an aerial up a tightly built driveway thats landscaped with rock walls on each side and only paved wide enough for one vehicle your just not gonna get your million dollar tower ladder up the driveway. The only chance you might have is a little single rear axle 75' aerial with one set of jacks or even better scissor jacks. Like you said some of these houses thier building today are outside the realm of hand ladders and you need to get an aerial in place. These conditions can be some of the most challenging for an aerial operator that there is especially if it snows where your from. The classic argument I love the best for purchasing the 95' tower with the 16' jack spread is that its safer for the men to work out of, but its definatly not safer in the middle of winter when you cant get the tower up the driveway and your working off hand ladders on a snow covered roof. Stay safe.