The FCC and OSHA today released their Communication Tower Best Practices guide following a concerted joint effort on industry safety when the two agencies began the initiative with a workshop in Washington, D.C. in 2014 and continued the effort with another group of industry stakeholders in 2016. Although the guide is advisory in nature, and is not a standard or regulation, …
Industry’s contractors readying for national safety stand-down
Next week’s national safety stand-down, May 8 through May 12, to prevent falls in construction, is an ideal time for contractors and other aligned businesses to take time out to discuss the very real problem in wireless construction of civil workers and tower techs injuring themselves. And even though the industry has not had any fatalities of a wireless worker …
New Washington telecom construction safety regs could see widespread adoption
Exclusive “quick links” document is available for rule review The State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries has submitted a 106-page Safety Standards for Telecommunications proposal for public review that is expected to be adopted in July following three public hearings. And even though it would just affect those companies working in Washington, it is possible that a number of other …
Rappelling tower tech may be disqualified from receiving workers compensation
The Supreme Court of Georgia has ruled that a tower tech who disobeyed his supervisor’s instructions not to use a controlled descent and fell, severely injuring himself, may not be entitled to workers compensation benefits, reversing a Georgia Court of Appeals decision. Tower technician Adrian Burdette, employed by Chandler Telecom L.L.C. of Eatonton, Ga. during November 2012, according to the ruling, …
New tower construction regulations could be on the way if the CWA gets its way
New OSHA regulations directed at the wireless construction industry that were expected to be proposed in 2017 appeared to get a stay of execution when it seemed that the new administration will put a freeze on new regulations – especially since President Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 30 that for every new regulation, agencies would have to toss …
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. …
TIA and OSHA explore new standards and serious safety climb concerns
The Telecommunications Industry Association and representatives of the Occupational Safety and Health Administrating met in Washington DC to hold productive roundtable discussions to gain a better understanding of applying new TIA standards to communications structures. Developing and presenting the detailed presentation, available here, were John Erichsen, Bryan Lanier, Stephani Brewer, Scott Kisting, Richard Cullum and James Ruedlinger. In addition to …
A long overdue game-changing tower safety standard is finalized
The long-awaited game-changing ANSI standard, A10.48-2016 – heralded as being the first comprehensive standard encompassing the entire wireless construction, service and maintenance industry, and clearly living up to its expectations – has been finalized, according to the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and other individuals knowledgeable of its completion. The 107-page standard, although currently not available for purchase, is …
TIRAP encourages ongoing safety training with new video on standards for tower work
Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) Board Chairman Scott Kisting today announced the availability of a new video aimed at raising awareness of the critical role standards play in the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure throughout the United States. Because the responsibility for understanding and following task-specific standards is the responsibility of the companies and the professionals doing the work, it …
Rescued tech is in a two-week coma as his employer and OSHA wait to see if it is work-related
UPDATE: June 2, 2016 – OSHA said today that they have thoroughly reviewed the incident that resulted in a 38-year-old Tennessee tower technician lapsing into a prolonged coma after being rescued two weeks ago off of a cell tower in Bethany, Mo., and have closed their investigation after finding that the incident was not work-related. OSHA Kansas City, Mo. Area …
OSHA is readying new RF, fall protection and hoist standards
Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had known that fall protection in the wireless construction industry has either been used improperly or inconsistently due to the high fatality rate of tower climbers, after analyzing the responses to their 38 questions on tower safety published last April, the agency has decided that it will be moving forward with revising their standards …
OSHA issues workplace injury reporting rule alongside a chorus of concerns
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule on Wednesday designed to modernize injury data collection to better inform workers, employers, the public and OSHA about workplace hazards. A number of trade groups and professionals believe that it will create more harm than the intended benefits OSHA anticipates it will provide. OSHA currently requires many employers …
Wireless industry tackles needed improvements for failing safety climb systems
Officials from the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), which aims to promote worker safety, quality and efficiency within the wireless infrastructure industry, gathered representatives from wireless carriers, tower companies and safety climb system equipment manufacturers to hold a Safety Equipment Manufacturers Summit to maximize the critical role safety climb equipment plays in protecting climbers. The purpose of the gathering …
Safety trainer CITCA lands Jocko Vermillion to expand their services
Steve Wilder, Chief Operating Officer of CITCA, LLC of Bourbonnais, IL has announced that Jocko Vermillion will be joining the safety training organization effective April 18, 2016. Well-known in the tower safety industry, Vermillion will assume the role of Vice-President of Safety Management Services. In that role he will work with both CITCA clients and with clients of CITCA’s sister …
First climber death in 2016 reported in Iowa after tech falls from Hamilton County tower
The Hamilton County Iowa Sherriff’s Department has confirmed that a 28-year-old tower technician fell to his death yesterday at approximately 4:45 p.m. from a cell tower. The man has been identified as Stefan Watermann who was employed by Tri-State Tower of Marion, Ia. A spokesperson said that Watermann lived in Anamosa, Iowa. The investigation is underway into finding the cause. …
Great video tips unveiled in NATE’s 100% tie-off safety video
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a 100% Tie-Off Safety Video as part of the Association’s Climber Connection campaign. The video was released by the Association in advance of next week’s NATE UNITE 2016 Conference in New Orleans, La. The video highlights practical 100% Tie-Off safety tips for industry workers to follow to ensure that they are …
Fall protection equipment malfunctions result in serious injuries for Texas climber
A 26-year-old tower climber is expected to be in intensive care for another ten days after he fell from a guyed tower in Rosenberg, Tex. when his personal fall protection equipment failed after he slipped from a brace on a climbing face as he was descending after a day’s work on an LTE project for AT&T. Wesley Scott, who had …
Crew and subcontracting requirements could change with proposed OSHA/FCC best practices
If the best practices (BPs) being developed by the Federal Communications Commission and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration are implemented nation-wide, it is likely that the industry will see a marked improvement in fatality and injury counts. It will also assist in reducing the number of companies in the industry that provide lower bids because they’re not burdened by …
Workshop panelists ferret out tower climber concerns and possible solutions
During his opening statement at a Department of Labor / Federal Communications Commission tower climber safety workshop on Feb. 11, 2016, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said that “everybody has to be proactive,” emphasizing the need to champion pre-emptive strikes by all wireless industry stakeholders in order to continue to improve upon a lower climber fatality rate that was achieved in 2015. …
