Possibly The Most Dangerous Job Ever [Video]
Some jobs don’t have the best of benefits and work environment. The hours are terrible, the commute is lengthy, and the conditions can require Occupational and Safety Administration (OSHA), part of the US Department of Labor, to be on its toes.
There are just some jobs that are not worth the risk, and seem more like something you’d see on a show where if contestants complete it are rewarded handsomely. Overlooking ice fishing and the military, if you are a thrill seeker, this occupation is for you.
The video, by TheOnlineEngineer.org depicts a climber scaling a 1,768 foot (.33 miles) high vertical guided tower. The worker perils the metal scaffolding, dragging along 30 pounds of tools. OSHA approves of the worker free-climbing the skeleton of the tower without consistent use of safety lines.
A tower is a tall man-made structure, always taller than it is wide and erected to stand alone or as part of a larger structure. Towers are meant for regular but not living access by humans, and are self-supporting, completely free-standing without guy-wires.
A guy-wire is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure. They’re commonly used on ship masts, radio towers, wind turbines, and utility poles. One end of the cable is attached to the structure, the other anchored to the ground at a distance from the structure’s base. The tension in the diagonal guy-wire, combined with the compressional strength of the structure, allows the structure to withstand lateral loads caused from wind.
Perhaps you have seen the video, but to put you into perspective of just how awe inspiring the view is, there are only a few towers in the world that exceed it:
The Tokyo Skytree in Sumida, Japan is a steel broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower. It met its fullest height of 2,080 feet in March 18, 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world once construction was complete in February 2012. The Canton Tower, also known as the Guangzhou Tower, follows at 2,000 feet. It is the tallest structure in China and the fourth-tallest free-standing structure in the world. The CN Tower is a concrete communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is 1,815 feet tall. The Ostankino Tower is a television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia. It is only a few mere feet more than the one depicted in the video, topping out at 1,772 feet.
