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LARG Field Day

Safety Briefing

2022

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June 2022

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We in LARG love Field Day!

Awesome radio gear, gourmet food,

big antennas & tall masts, zillions of contacts, and wonderful friends!

Please help us keep it fun!

SAFETY is VITAL!!

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Field Day Safety Focus

• Background & New ARRL Guidance
• Back to Safety Basics…
• Please review carefully the LARG Field Day Safety Checklist!
• Electrical Power, Fuels & Fires
• Including Personnel Safety & Trip Hazards!
• AB-577 “Rocket Launcher” Mast
• Please review carefully the LARG AB-577 Checklist!
• Trailered Towers & Antennas
• Grounding & Bonding...
• Others...

SAFETY QUIZ!!

The pictures in this briefing have many smart safety practices & gear,

BUT may also have safety issues…?

Can you spot them?

Can you offer good corrections?

HINTS!!

Page 3 of 48

ARRL FD Safety Officer Checklist

1. Fuel for generator properly stored.
2. Fire extinguisher on hand and appropriately located.
3. First Aid kit on hand.
4. First Aid, CPR and AED trained participants on site for full field day period.
5. Access to NWS alerts to monitor for inclement weather.
6. Tent stakes properly installed and marked.
7. Temporary antenna structures properly secured and marked. Site secured from tripping hazards.
8. Site is set up in a neat and orderly manner to reduce hazards.
9. Stations and equipment properly grounded.
10. Access to means to contact police/fire/rescue if needed.
11. Safety Officer is designated point of contact for public safety officials.
12. Minimize risks and control hazards to ensure no injuries to public.
13. Safety Officer or a qualified designated assistant was on site for the duration of the event.
14. As Necessary, monitoring participants for hydration and ensures an adequate water supply is available.

Every element is included in the LARG FD Safety Checklist, and More!

Page 4 of 48

Electrical Power, Fuels & Fires

• Generators-
• Downwind of people, fuel, and fire extinguishers
• Floating connections (3-wire, but ungrounded to Earth at the generator)
• Rig electrical cord strain reliefs to prevent tipping or disconnects
• Must stop & cool generator before refueling!
• Note – Extended range tanks usually avoid refueling during FD event!
• Note – Try generator clusters for improved management, operations & safety.
• Note - Co-located generators (such as the Honda eu2000i) can be paired to share power, ensure continuity & backup, and enable alternate fueling.
• Fuels-
• Downwind of people, upwind of generator
• Only approved fuel containers
• Fire Extinguishers-
• Upwind of fuels & generators
• Preferably at Station, or easy to grab location
• Class ABC dry chemical, or BC carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Cables-
• No trip hazards! Route neatly, and away from people paths & areas.
• Cautions & Markings-
• Place generator & fuels in marked “zones”
• Preferably in a non-flammable shelter, protected from weather & sun (& tampering...)
• Clearly mark all cables, & gear zones, with bright barrier or flagging tapes, etc.

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Nice low wraps

avoid tip-overs

& disconnects!

Up-wind are

the separate

fuels & fire

extinguisher!

Exhaust fumes

& noises are away

from Station!

Page 6 of 48

Easy to find

fire extinguisher!

Placed upwind!

No wraps or knot

for anti-tipping

or disconnect

protection!

(What’s the box?)

Nice extra range

tank here is good

(BUT not any

spare fuel cans!)

“Please

flag me?”

Page 7 of 48

Easy to find

fire extinguisher!

BUT beside fuel!

Fuel beside the

flammables?

And what about a

lightning strike?

“Please

flag us?”

Page 8 of 48

Easy to find

Fire extinguisher,

placed upwind!

“Please move me!

I’m too close to

fire hazards!”

Generator clusters

can be good,

BUT keep away

the extra fuels!

Page 9 of 48

Opportunity!

Use nearby

generators

in parallel!

Separate all fuels

from flammables

& generators!

An extra range

tank here is OK...

(BUT not the

spare fuel cans!)

“Please

flag us?”

Page 10 of 48

Nice tie-off

knot avoids

disconnects!

BUT need wraps

for tip-over

protection!

Page 11 of 48

Previous year was

worse – NO tip-over

or disconnect

protections…!

“Please

flag us?”

Page 12 of 48

High visibility

bright cords

contrast with

background!

BUT should

gather together

and mark with

flagging tape!

Electrical cords

separated from

people paths &

movement areas!

Page 13 of 48

(Saw)Horse Sense!

Clever protection

for cables also

limits people

access & trips!

BUT should

still mark with

flagging tape!

Marking high

Is good too!

Page 14 of 48

What is Good?

What can be Better?

Page 15 of 48

AB-577 “Rocket Launcher” Mast

• The AB-577 military masts provide many advantages, but they are hazardous!!
• Hazardous challenges can be relatively safe with right skills, gear & attitude.
• And they can be crippling or deadly with out them!!
• Carefully review the AB-577 manual, and the LARG setup checklist, first!
• LARG wisely employs a “Crew” system for mutual safety and synergy. Sign up & join them!
• Experienced “Mast Elmers” - Please carefully guide and train new mast crews...
• Essential Personal Protection – Recommended for all, and required for AB-577 operations!
• Rugged work gloves, hardhats or helmets, and glasses or eye protection.
• Location & Installation-
• Away from people movement areas, and fuels & generators.
• Prefer cross or downwind of Station and out of fall radius (>tower height).
• Ensure anchors & rigging have the strength & integrity to resist winds & storms.
• Telescoping mechanisms must be locked or secured to prevent undesired collapse or retraction.
• Recommend grounding the masts & towers at bases (separate from Station grounds).
• Cables & Guy Lines-
• No trip hazards! Rig & route neatly, and away from people paths & areas.
• Carefully & neatly wrap & secure the AB-577 guy line adjusters. Use gloves!
• Cautions & Markings-
• Place antennas and masts & towers in marked “zones”
• Preferably protected from wandering people & children (& tampering...)
• Clearly mark all anchors, guys, cables, and gear zones, with bright barrier or flagging tapes.

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Just awesome

AB-557 mast

system!

Happy antenna

with lots of

DX contacts!!

Grumpy

case of

“mast envy?”

Page 17 of 48

“But We Thought That You Brought The Wrenches!!”

The AB-557 mast

system starts here...

And the hazards too!!

Did you remember

rugged gloves,

hardhats & eye

protection??

Are you following

the AB-557 manual

& LARG checklists?

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Got my gloves &

eye protection!

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Must stabilize the

launcher first,

with the lowest

guy lines.

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Vital stability enforcer!

With eye protection!

BUT needs hardhat

& gloves?

Good shot of

mast tubes,

rollers & the

sneaky brake!

Page 21 of 48

Good carabiner!

Gate locked,

oriented down!

Good lock link!

Gate locked,

oriented down!

Good marking!

BUT need one

at stake too!

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Setting guy lines

safely is a

two man job!

(Supervisor

Is optional!)

This year, we

needed gloves &

eye protection!

Page 23 of 48

Next year, we

had gloves &

eye protection!

Page 24 of 48

Next year, we

had gloves &

eye protection!

AB-577 adjusters

just love to

eat your fingers!

Page 25 of 48

Nice shot of

the clever

tension

adjusters!

Try to emulate

these neatly wrapped

& secured cables

& adjusters!

Beware sharp

strands on

steel cables!

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Off the ground?

We need hardhats!

And gloves &

eye protection!

Page 27 of 48

Yep! This takes

lots of teamwork

& patience!

Be careful!

Hand & finger

traps in the

mounting gear!

Page 28 of 48

Be careful!

More hand &

finger traps in the

rings & tubes!

Have gloves &

eye protection!

BUT hardhat?

Page 29 of 48

If you are working

a structure above

your head, you

need a hardhat!

Page 30 of 48

If you are working

a high structure,

don’t forget the

“fall zone” danger!

Page 31 of 48

Good marking!

Bright flagging

tapes at stakes,

plus all guys

to six feet up!

Really awesome

W5ODJ tower with

SteppIR antenna

(but can’t come out

to play on FD)!!

Page 32 of 48

Good marking!

Bright flagging

tapes at stakes,

plus all guys

to six feet up!

Nice shot of all

three tension

adjusters,

neatly secured!!

Can you find the

secret trip hazard?

A bright orange

electrical cord, but

hidden in the grass!

Page 33 of 48

Good marking!

Bright flagging

tapes at stakes,

plus all guys

to six feet up!

BUT need marking

with flagging tapes

for cords & cables!

Good generator

Spot! Far from

people movement

areas or Stations!

Yep! All guys

to six feet up!

Page 34 of 48

Can you find all the

guy lines, cords & cables

in this picture? Without

peeking at the flagging?

The lonely, but

wisely positioned

& safe generator!

Page 35 of 48

Trailered Towers & Antennas

• LARG often deploys several trailered towers for Field Day.
• Shown following is a nice tilt-up design, custom crafted by the notorious Tom WB3AKD!
• And after that, a few good pics of the other, telescoping crank-up, design….
• But the safety and implementation principles remain the same!
• Safety:
• Yes, these devices are competing with the AB-577 to hurt you!!
• Plus they need careful leveling, and good wheel chocks...
• Yes, you still need your gloves & eye protection, and hardhats!
• Don’t even think of getting under a lifting load, especially a tilting tower!!
• Cable Warnings:
• If you are near any cable under load, you may be within the “slice radius”! That’s the danger area, measured around and from both ends, where the cable can break, swing, and injure you! If you are close, move further away!

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This nice tilt-up tower looks

so young & innocent!

But this Crew is

not quite so much…!

At least 3/4

brought & wear

eye protection!

BUT where’re the

gloves & hardhats??

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GOTA

“Dave, can you roll your

nice truck just a wee bit

closer to my jaws..?”

Page 38 of 48

The initial lift-off is

the most likely moment

for the cable to fail!

And whip around to

slice your body!

And drop the tower!

Good eye protection!

BUT where’re the

gloves & hardhats??

“Yikes!!

Back me away!”

The “slice radius”

of the cable swings

in a wide swath

from this end...

The “slice radius”

of the cable also

swings in a swath

from this end...

“Ouch!!”

Page 39 of 48

Did you remember

the “fall zone” danger?

If you are working

with winches & cables,

don’t forget the

“slice radius” danger!

From both ends!

Page 40 of 48

“I still need anchors

& guy lines, soon?”

“Did you remember

to chock my wheels?”

Page 41 of 48

Nice distant spot

for generator!

Nice outrigger braces,

plus chocks & guys!

What is Good,

or Still Needed,

with these lines?

The Other nice LARG

Trailered Tower!

Page 42 of 48

Nice steady chocks!

And bright color too!

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More Ways to Be Safe (or Not?)

• Protect hazardous areas with flagging & barrier tapes and traffic cones
• Watch where you are stepping, and be alert for Trip Hazards!
• Others?

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• What can You think of that we should all be alert for?

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What are the hazards?

And what to do?

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Area protection from

cones and flagging tape!

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QUESTIONS?

And Please read the

Field Day Safety Checklist!

Stay Alert & BE SAFE!!

Thanks!!

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References & Credits

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• LARG Field Day Safety Checklist 2017
• ARRL Field Day Safety Officer Checklist 2017
• www. K4LRG .org
• https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/K4LRG
• Photos: Gene N3EV, Paul KG4TIH, Rick N1RM (ex AI2C!), Paul N4PD, Tom WB3AKD, Robert K4RWK, Paul KF4TJI, Ben KD7UIY, and likely other suspects!
• Please send your great photos, suggestions and hot ideas to: Bryan <k1nsa@k4lrg.org>

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