Eric and Garrison -
Yea, I see your point. I was questioning the ladder method because walking modules up the ladder seems to be the standard for roofs 2 stories or higher. I thought maybe some folks had a different interpretation. I'm particularly interested in seeing what Solar City is doing these days. Eric, I like the big tote bag/backpack idea. I believe it's been discussed on the wrenches list before so you might want to do a quick search. Schuco used to sell a collector strap kit for solar thermal collectors but it was designed more for hoisting. We just installed a 30 collector system with it (not Schuco collectors though!) a few weeks ago. Best, August *From:* re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of *Eric Youngren *Sent:* Thursday, February 07, 2013 12:51 PM *To:* RE-wrenches *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] getting PV modules up to the roof I agree that its impossible to maintain 3 points of contact on a ladder while sliding a module up above you. I've done it many times but I agree that its probably not kosher according to OSHA. This reminds me of a product idea I had with a friend who does canvas sewing for boat covers and such. How about this?: A heavy-duty canvas bag for carrying PV modules, with backpack straps and D-rings in the corners? With a module pack bag, installers could climb a ladder with both hands while the module is securely on their back, Or it could also provide an easy way to tie on a rope and haul them up, or secure them on a sloped roof before installation. How many installers would be interested in something like that?? How much would you be willing to pay for it? Eric Solar Nexus International On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 12:03 PM, Garrison Riegel < garri...@solarserviceinc.com> wrote: It is not possible to maintain three points of contact at all times while carrying a module up a ladder. It is my understanding that if three-point contact is not possible at all times, then a personal fall arrest system is required. This is not called out specifically in Subpart X<http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10839>, but if an injury or fatality were to result from carrying modules up a ladder I think it would be difficult to avoid getting fined or sued. We use a power ladder whenever possible. It takes a while to set up, but is OSHA compliant, can lift multiple modules at once, and saves wear and tear on the crew. The only real issue is upfront cost, but this is cheap when compared to the long term cost of a workman’s comp claim. My 2¢ Garrison Solar Service Inc 847-677-0950 *From:* re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of *August Goers *Sent:* Thursday, February 07, 2013 12:44 PM *To:* RE-wrenches *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] getting PV modules up to the roof Hi Wrenches, I imagine that all of us working in rooftop PV have put some good hard thought on the best way to get the modules up to the roof. There are various lifts on the market, you can hoist them with ropes manually, or walk them up a ladder (sling them over your back). I find that the majority of our competition in the Bay Area walks panels up the ladder for residential projects. What is your feeling about OSHA compliance of doing this? Best, August 415.559.1525 _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
_______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
