Used to tie off through the lifting bail on every small job down in Port Arthur

After a 65 foot fall last March when a cracked shackle let go on a mud barge inspection I switched to rigging a separate safety line straight to the bridle, has anyone else had a close call that made them change their whole setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

veram992mo ago

That cracked shackle bit really hits home for me. Had something similar up in the Gulf, not a 65 foot fall but close enough to rearrange your priorities real fast. Changed my whole rigging setup overnight, wouldn't trust a lifting bail for anything tied to a person now. Glad you're still around to talk about it, that kind of close call stays with you.

milesj702mo agoOG Member

Funny how one near miss makes you see the whole world's safety standards differently, @veram99.

zarar671mo ago

Port Arthur had some of the worst safety culture I ever saw, but that fall you describe is exactly the kind of thing that makes you realize how many shortcuts people take in daily life too. I've noticed the same pattern at grocery stores with those big pallet jacks or even guys using a bent ladder on a roof. People get away with something a hundred times then act surprised when it finally bites them. Your story about the cracked shackle is a perfect example of how one bad part can end everything, and it's wild how we normalize that risk until something breaks.