WTT Tower Climbing & Rescue Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum safe horizontal distance a technician must maintain from the base of a tower during a drop-zone hazard assessment?
- 1 times the tower height (Correct answer)
- 1.5 times the tower height
- 0.5 times the tower height
- 2 times the tower height
Correct answer: 1 times the tower height
A horizontal exclusion zone of at least 1× the tower height is the standard minimum to protect ground personnel from falling objects.
Question 2: Which knot is most appropriate for attaching a rescue rope to a litter when performing a vertical lower from a wind turbine tower?
- Bowline
- Clove hitch
- Figure-eight on a bight (Correct answer)
- Prussik
Correct answer: Figure-eight on a bight
A figure-eight on a bight creates a secure, load-rated loop that is easy to inspect and used as a primary attachment point for litters.
Question 3: A technician notices ice formation on ladder rungs before beginning a climb. What is the correct action?
- Climb slowly and carefully
- Delay the climb until ice is removed and rungs are dry (Correct answer)
- Wear thicker gloves and proceed
- Clip into the fall arrest system and climb normally
Correct answer: Delay the climb until ice is removed and rungs are dry
Ice on ladder rungs creates a slip hazard that fall arrest systems cannot fully mitigate; the climb must be delayed until conditions are safe.
Question 4: What does the acronym 'TACO' represent in wind turbine rescue planning?
- Tools, Anchors, Communication, Operations
- Time, Awareness, Coordination, Objectives (Correct answer)
- Transfer, Ascend, Confirm, Operate
- Tension, Anchor, Carabiner, Offset
Correct answer: Time, Awareness, Coordination, Objectives
TACO (Time, Awareness, Coordination, Objectives) is a rescue decision framework reminding teams to manage urgency and communicate clearly.
Question 5: Which OSHA regulation specifically covers fall protection requirements for workers on wind turbine towers?
- 29 CFR 1910.27
- 29 CFR 1926.502 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1910.132
- 29 CFR 1926.1060
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1926.502
29 CFR 1926.502 sets the fall protection system criteria for construction activities, which applies to turbine installation and maintenance work.
Question 6: When performing a 2:1 mechanical advantage haul system during a rescue, how much force must a rescuer apply to raise a 200 lb victim?
- 200 lb
- 100 lb (Correct answer)
- 50 lb
- 400 lb
Correct answer: 100 lb
A 2:1 mechanical advantage system reduces the required input force by half, so 200 lb ÷ 2 = 100 lb (ignoring friction).
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a secondary (redundant) anchor point during a wind turbine tower rescue?
- To increase the speed of the rescue
- To provide a backup in case the primary anchor fails (Correct answer)
- To allow two rescuers to descend simultaneously
- To reduce the load on the victim's harness
Correct answer: To provide a backup in case the primary anchor fails
Redundant anchors ensure the system remains intact if one anchor fails, which is a core principle of life-safety rigging.
WTT Tower Climbing & Rescue Safety 2
What is the minimum safe horizontal distance a technician must maintain from the base of a tower during a drop-zone hazard assessment?