A tower tech is lucky to be alive after his bucket lift equipment came in contact with a 115,000 volt transmission line in Fresno, Calif. on Thursday at about 9:15 a.m. when he was servicing a carrier’s equipment on a monopole. The man was rescued by Pacific Gas and Electric employees who had to wait two hours until the power …
As Goodman Networks collapses, key execs bolt out the door
Frisco, Tex.-based Goodman Networks’ Chairman and CEO Ron Hill gave notice on Nov. 21, 2016 that he would be resigning and his last day on the job would be Dec. 21, 2016, stating that he had “good reason” to quit as defined in his employment agreement that had been frequently updated since he served as the company’s Vice President of Professional …
Tech who hung himself is retrieved by a North Carolina tower crew
UPDATE: December 2, 2016 – According to Kernersville Fire Department Fire Chief Christopher Langham, upon arrival his department’s fire command began preparations to ascend the tower and make the recovery of the victim and they were fully capable of retrieving the tower tech, as incorrectly reported by multiple media. “We make a very strong distinction between a recovery effort and a …
Judge puts overtime pay hike on hold for many wireless workers
Coal in the stocking for some employees, a New Year’s present for their employers Many wireless industry workers in office management and construction-related positions earning more than $455 per week who were exempt from overtime pay, were assured of an increase in their paycheck beginning Dec. 1, 2016 when a new federal regulation kicked in. But two days before Thanksgiving, …
Wall Street crucifies Dycom over loss of Goodman’s contract backlog
Following the release of Dycom Industries’ Q1 FY2017 earnings report and conference call this morning where President and CEO Steve Nielsen fielded analysts’ concerns about Goodman Networks’ performance, a company that Dycom acquired last July for $107.5 million, Dycom’s stock lost $18.82, closing at $74.13. The 20.25% loss appears to be based upon a number of analysts’ concerns about considerably lower …
Civil workers unearth a skull and other bones at S.C. cell site
A crew performing civil work at a Greenville, S.C. monopole site unearthed human remains that, according to a news release from the Greenville Police Dept., had been in the ground for an extended length of time. While excavating Monday morning with a small backhoe, the workers unearthed a skull, a portion of a mandible and what appears to be a …
X2 and X3 Lad-Saf sleeves need an immediate locking lever inspection
The Lad-Saf family of climbing sleeves are again in an unfavorable focus as 3M Fall Protection (formerly Capital Safety and DBI/Sala) has identified that a limited number of Lad-Saf X2/X3 sleeves were identified with the locking lever not working properly. In August, 3M issued a stop use and recall/replacement notice for their original Lad-Saf sleeve when incidents occurred involving a serious injury or …
Officials feel Mobilitie is disingenuous as moratoriums mount throughout the nation
Cities and counties are continuing to slap moratoriums on the installation of towers and mini-macro sites in public rights-of-way. The most recent city registering concern is Boynton Beach, Fla. whose officials this month issued a moratorium on installing them until June so that they can examine the current regulations to determine if changes need to be made. The action came …
No longer in the legislative wheelhouse, time runs out for current FCC chief
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said yesterday that he had not yet decided on a departure date. Although his tenure technically extends until 2018, it’s customary for the current Chairman to step down. However, it is likely that he would not want to stay on as a commissioner. With either option, it appears that Wheeler’s influence and incomplete regulatory …
Tower techs’ lives are miraculously spared – literally by inches
Although a Saint James City, Fla. wireless contractor lost a crew cab and utility trailer yesterday, and a Pompano Beach, Fla. crane company suffered considerable damage to their 120-ton crane when it crashed to the ground in North Port, Fla., thankfully no injuries were reported in an incident that could have easily resulted in being the most horrific multiple fatality accident …
MUTI’s apprenticeship program highlighted during DoL’s spotlight week
Midwest Underground Technology Inc./Sabre Industries (MUTI), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, today announced its continued support for Registered Apprenticeship Programs as part of the second annual National Apprenticeship Week. MUTI said it is proud to offer the first registered apprenticeship for Telecommunication Tower Technicians in the country. Going into its second year, the apprenticeship program has trained …
What you need to know about the new tower safety consensus standards
Subject matter experts Don Doty and Gordon Lyman conducted a live NATE webinar yesterday, entitled Game Changers! What You Need to Know About the New ANSI/ASSE A10.48 and TIA 322 National Tower Safety Consensus Standards. Through a coordinated and collaborative effort led by NATE, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE); along with other key …
Trump’s election might have kayoed OSHA’s new tower industry regs
The election of Donald Trump as the nation’s 45th president may provide ancillary benefits to contractors and stop – or at least delay – new OSHA regulations directed at the wireless construction industry that were expected to be proposed in 2017. According to John Newquist, a former OSHA assistant regional administrator from Chicago, it is likely that the new administration …
New Secretary of Labor for OSHA expected to draw upon talents of current leaders
When the new Secretary of Labor for OSHA is appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2017, it is likely that he will keep and rely upon his key officials that have helped guide the agency throughout the years. One such executive is Dean McKenzie, who was appointed by OSHA Secretary of Labor Dr. …
American Tower reacts to Sprint and T-Mobile merger rumors
Update: Nov. 14, 2016 – SBA Communications Corp. provided an update to its exposure to both companies in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. In the papers, SBA said that as of the end of Q3, T-Mobile and Sprint each represented around 16% of its total site leasing revenue. Revenue generated from each of T-Mobile and Sprint overlapping sites represents …
Trump’s impact on telecom is anyone’s guess at this point
Trying to identify what Donald Trump’s election as the country’s 45th president of the U.S. will mean for the telecommunications industry is a daunting task since he has offered very few specifics as to how he will stimulate innovation and build out America’s infrastructure through re-purposing spectrum and supporting 5G through licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Trying to research where he …
Checkered contractor loses lawsuit after two tower tech deaths
Based upon substantial evidence to support their findings, a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has kayoed a wireless contractor’s final attempt to vacate the company’s serious violations of OSHA’s General Duty Clause and $7,000 in fines they received following an accident that killed two of their employees on May 28, 2013. Both men, employees …
Alyssa Runner joins Wireless Estimator in key advertising and marketing role
Wireless Estimator is pleased to announce the appointment of Alyssa Runner to the position of Marketing/Advertising Consultant. Alyssa has been crusading the digital marketing arena for more than seven years, specializing in copywriting, lead generation, data-driven strategies and conversion rate optimization. With a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master’s in Public Administration, she focuses her time …
Concerns about anchor corrosion detailed in new NATE video
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today unveiled an Anchor Corrosion video as part of the Association’s acclaimed Climber Connection campaign. The video provides detailed information on the conditions and factors that contribute to anchor corrosion on guyed-towers. The video also includes practical testimonial footage from a tower climber highlighting the options available to the industry to mitigate and …
Services set for tech who fell from a 160-foot Oklahoma monopole
UPDATE: Nov. 7, 2016 – Services have been announced for Steven Lamar Hill, 44, of Chandler, Okla. by the Barnes Friedrich Funeral Home, 1820 South Douglas Blvd., Midwest City, Okla. beginning at 1:00 p.m., Nov. 9, 2016. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Choctaw, Okla. UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2016 – Authorities have released the name of the deceased tower …
