The time I tried to swap out a door operator solo and ended up on the roof for 2 hours

Used to always bring a second guy for those big MCP jobs, but last month in Cleveland I got cocky and thought I could handle a 34-inch slide door by myself. Ended up stuck on the machine room roof with the old operator hanging half off the bracket, no cell service, and a busted safety clip. Now I always pack a backup harness and at least text my buddy to check in every 45 minutes. Anyone else ever got themselves into a jam trying to save a helper?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan_roberts4921d ago

That busted safety clip is the part that gets me too. I had a similar thing happen last year on a job in Pittsburgh trying to swap a 42-inch slide by myself. Got the old operator loose but the bracket slipped and spun sideways, pinning my arm against the rail for almost 20 minutes before I could wiggle out. No cell service up there either, just concrete and echoes. I learned the hard way that saving a helper's wage ain't worth ending up as a statistic in the hospital. Now I follow the same rule, text someone the time and don't move until they reply back.

willow_morgan22d ago

That busted safety clip part stands out, that's the kind of thing that makes you realize how fast it can go wrong. Did you have to MacGyver a fix up there with whatever was in your pockets or did you just wait it out until someone figured out you were missing? A backup harness is smart, I started carrying a cheap little set of hand tools in a pouch on my belt after I got stuck without a wrench once.