Windy City Tower Techs, LLC (“Windy City”) suffered an unfortunate fatality incident on September 3, 2021 at a monopine telecommunications tower in Olympia Fields, Illinois. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) conducted a comprehensive investigation into the incident. Importantly, OSHA found no violations relating to the fatal accident. During its inspection, OSHA learned that the employee was not …
Black & Veatch recognized among ‘Best of the Best’ in Michigan workplace safety, health
Reflecting its unwavering championing of safety protocols, Black & Veatch proudly announces it has received the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program in Construction (MVPPC) STAR Award – the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (MIOSHA) highest honor involving workplace safety. The award, open to all Michigan employers, recognizes companies determined to be the “best of the best” in demonstrating exemplary safety …
OSHA will be inspecting a dissolved air conditioning company when investigating a Texas tower tech’s death
OSHA has identified the contractor they are investigating following the death of a Texas tower technician, Steven Rankin, 53, after falling from a tower on November 17 in Garrison, TX, as reported yesterday by Wireless Estimator. The inspection information released this morning states that Weiman Air Condition & Electrical, Inc. was the contractor that was managing the Verizon installation project …
A 1099 crew’s 53-year-old tower technician falls to his death from a Verizon tower in Texas
UPDATE: December 2, 2021 — OSHA has released the contractor’s name that the agency will be investigating. Wireless Estimator has been able to confirm today the death of a 53-year-old tower technician in Garrison, TX on November 17. The fatality came to light when tower technician Chris Sanders posted on a Facebook group: Sad day on the tower today! He …
Rivet concern has DBI-SALA issuing a stop use and inspection notice on self-retracting-lifeline
3M Fall Protection has issued a Stop Use Alert on specific versions of the 3M™ DBI-SALA® Nano-Lok™ Self Retracting Lifeline with Anchor Hook. 3M Fall Protection has identified a very low potential for the lifeline to be assembled with an unformed top swivel eye rivet, but an improperly formed rivet may become displaced from the top swivel eye. An unformed rivet may …
Contractors rebelling against ‘take it or leave it’ matrix pricing that could easily endanger carriers’ 5G builds
In 1999 when The Matrix opened in theatres, carriers and towercos began utilizing matrix pricing to project CapEx budgets for macro sites, while still allowing acceptable margins and opportunities for contractors to continue to be successful. Fast forward 22 years. The Matrix Resurrections sequel will hit the big screens this December and it is expected to be hugely profitable, unlike …
Veterans and tower techs will benefit from $3.2 million raised by T-Mobile and wireless industry companies
T-Mobile recently announced a staggering $1.4 million distribution to be shared equally by the Tower Family Foundation (TFF) and Warriors4Wireless (W4W) following the 8th Annual T-Mobile Golf Tournament. With 47 corporate sponsors supporting the event, the two benefactor organizations have now received more than $3.2 million from the annual fundraiser. “The T-Mobile Tournament achieves at least two results each year,” …
Bud Noel and Patrick Murphy appointed to Tower Family Foundation’s Board of Directors
Bud Noel, Senior Vice President of Operations for the U.S. Tower Division of American Tower in Boston, Massachusetts, and Patrick Murphy, Founder and CEO of Murphy Tower Service, LLC in Carlisle, Iowa, have been appointed to serve on the Tower Family Foundation’s Board of Directors. Noel and Murphy join the Tower Family Foundation Board comprised of industry veterans devoted to …
3M issues Stop Use and Recall notice for Specific DBI-SALA harnesses
As part of 3M Fall Protection’s continued commitment to producing high quality safety and personal protective equipment, we conduct periodic testing of our products. Recent testing of specific DBI-SALA® Delta™ and ExoFit™ XP Arc Flash harnesses have returned negative test results on some units. The Arc Flash Standard (ASTM F887) requires that all arc flash rated harnesses be subjected to …
Services set for tower technician Michael “Trey” Wagner, III in Danville, IL
Services have been announced for Michael “Trey” Curtis Wagner, III, 21 of St Joseph, IL, who passed away on September 3, 2021 at Franciscan Healthcare in Olympia Fields, IL as a result of injuries sustained when he fell while working on a monopine cell tower in Olympia Fields. Trey was born on May 30, 2000, the son of Michael Curtis Wagner, …
A 100-foot fall off of an SBA monopine is fatal for a 21-year-old Illinois tower tech
A 21-year-old Illinois tower tech died Friday after falling from a cell tower in Illinois while he was working on a Verizon installation east of Joliet as a member of a four-man crew. The structure is owned by SBA Communications. The St. Joseph man was reportedly at the 100-foot level of the 105-foot structure when he fell to the ground, …
The unvarnished Tennessee truth: Trained tower techs will save lives
The nation’s tower techs take pride in their work and their ability to safely rescue a fellow worker if the occasion ever arises. Most techs will spend their career never having to perform an emergency rescue on a tower, but when it’s necessary, it’s nice to know that the men and women working alongside you have you covered. Such was the case …
NATE takes off the gloves and exposes depressed pricing and other issues making contracting ‘untenable’
Downward pricing pressure and costly vetting demands from carriers and other top-tier clients over the years have undermined the ability of many wireless contractors to remain profitable. It’s a frequent topic of concern and conversations typically end with no solutions or guidance and are renewed each year when turfing vendors and other customers set a new percentage price reduction that …
Lack of training kills a high school day laborer climber and his employer claims it was his own fault
Lakaram Karanjeet was working part-time for Rise & Rise Wireless, Inc. while he was in high school. He died on June 28, 2019 when he fell from this New Jersey 150-foot monopole. An investigation by Wireless Estimator into a lawsuit brought against multiple defendants exposes a wireless construction contractor that had no safety programs in place, few owned assets and …
Plaintiffs settle for $3.2 million in 2018 Missouri tower collapse that killed company owner
Missouri State University and other defendants have reached a $3.2 million settlement in a 2018 deadly television tower collapse in Fordland, Missouri. The Springfield News-Leader reports the university’s attorney, Rachael Dockery, notified the school’s governing board of a “global settlement” in all the lawsuits filed about the incident. According to court documents, on March 10, 2021, a letter was presented …
Three tower techs rescued after being stranded in Utah’s Oquirrh Mountains
Update: February 23, 2021 – The technician that was taken to the hospital with hypothermia was responding to a maintenance issue for a tower site on Mt. Vision, about three road miles southeast of Nelson Peak and at thousand feet lower in elevation that transmits programming for KBYU-FM and KBYU-FM HD-1 and KBYU-FM HD-2. The company he is employed by is BYU …
Tracy, Drouin, Lekutis to lead Tower Family Foundation as it aids wireless workers, their families
The Tower Family Foundation announced today that Board of Directors’ members Jim Tracy, Victor Drouin and Craig Lekutis were appointed by their peers to serve on the non-profit organization’s Executive Committee for the 2021-2022 term. Jim Tracy, Founder and CEO of the Legacy Family of Companies in Gig Harbor, Washington, was appointed to serve as the President of the Board …
Tower tech is undergoing surgery after a 140-foot fall in New York
A tower tech fell approximately 140 feet from a guyed tower in Lawrence, New York yesterday at about 11:00 a.m. while doing a T-Mobile upgrade, according to individuals knowledgeable of the accident. St. Lawrence County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene off of Ferris Road and the technician was taken by Tri-Town Rescue to Canton-Potsdam Hospital. The man, in his …
Tower tech succumbs from 260-foot fall while endeavoring to bring broadband to the Spokane tribe
UPDATE: December 17, 2020 – James Shumate’s obituary and services information have been added below. December 16, 2020 — A 24-year-old tower technician was killed Saturday, December 12, 2020 when he fell from a tower near Fruitland, Washington. According to individuals knowledgeable of the incident, James Everette Shumate of Houston, Texas was at approximately 260 feet on the structure while …
Tower Family Foundation eclipses $1 million milestone of support to tower workers and families
The Tower Family Foundation announced today that the organization has surpassed the $1 million of giving milestone. Since its inception only six years ago, the Tower Family Foundation has awarded a total of $1,017,250 in donations and scholarships to eligible tower workers and their families, officially exceeding the $1 million threshold of philanthropy. The Tower Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) …
