Tag Archives: tower technician

SOW Tutorial and more Feedback

November 21, 2014 Wade Leave a comment

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I am taking this moment to let you all know that I put together a Scope of Work tutorial so everyone out there can understand the SOW. Yes, a shameless plug for something I made to help you out. I have a page setup to help you out, go to http://wadesarver.com/scope-work-training/ to learn more. Price is $24.99US but for reading this I have a discount code w4w_sow that will save you about $10 off of that price. I put this together for the wireless field workers that need to understand the SOW or may have to write one. It is a video tutorial. I have a free PDF white paper to help. Feel free to download it and see if it can help you out. If you want to order now click on the icons below.

I understand from many of you that you are working as contractors and need to write or update a SOW. My intention is to make sure that you understand the work in the SOW and that you understand how to protect yourself from doing work that is not covered in the SOW. I tried to make it clear how this is going to be your key to getting paid for the work you do and how you can create a change order for the work that is not in the SOW. Remember that all the extra work you do will cost your company money so you will need to weigh out whether the customer is going to appreciate it and reward you with more work or if they are taking advantage of you. That is your call but if the SOW is properly written you can make it your decision how to process.

And now, more Feedback!

OK, now let’s get to the feedback. Let me start by saying that I really appreciate the time you have taken to post notes in the feedback forms, thank you! I don’t post names because I don’t want anyone to get in trouble or be ridiculed by the tower community. If you put your company name in, I will post it unless I find it offensive in some way.
OK, let’s get started.
From my post “Climbing alone” we have:
Comment: Awesome ……like minds are good to hear
Response: Thank you!
Comment OSHA 1910.151(b) in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available. Seemingly this indicates the necessity of a minimum of two persons.
Also, OSHA 1910.38 Emergency action plans. The requirements for a rescue plan under OSHA 1910.38 require a written rescue plan is on site completed and signed by all participating personnel.
To my knowledge, I have never reviewed a plan of rescue that
could be construed with a single climber carrying out the complete written activities to be performed during execution of a rescue.
One last thought, I do not believe there is a legal allowance affording the presence of only a single employee on site at any given time. This/these are my interpretation of the readings of the above stated reg.’s. Be familiar with the rules and when and where they may apply. Help with your crew members to become familiar, and at the same time become able to Trust yourself to know. That’s all I have,
Response: Thank you sir!
Comment: Wade – I wrote a blog post about this myself back in May:
http://safetyoneinc.com/climbing-alone/
I hear about this frequently. Not too long ago one of our clients told me about how he fired someone for climbing alone after repeated warnings. Nice to see someone stand behind his words with actions.
Be Safe!
Response: Thank you for taking the time to let everyone know the dangers of climbing alone. Even if you think you can, it is better to have someone there. I know the mentality that it won’t happen to you. We all think that until something so stupid happens, then we know it could happen to anybody. Things happen, good and bad, not always in our control or we get careless. Not fair, but it does. We aren’t always smart, safe, and we don’t always pay attention. We say we do, but we get stupid when we are in a hurry or tired. I know I do!
Comment: Well I do understand where this is coming from. I remember when our policy was buddy system we were to NEVER climb alone. Then as the company got busier it was well its okay just call me before, at location, and back on the ground. Then it went to no mention the fact I was aligning a 6′ or 10′ antenna by myself at 500’….. As time went on the company got so adapted to us climbing alone that if I said someone should be with me , it turned into well I guess we didn’t have what it took to step up. I made my way from greenhorn to lead man to supervisor, to job coordinator. After 15 years I decided to leave. There comes a point when a man becomes a man (at times a stupid one) but we all do what we have to do to take care and provide for the time being. Once he or she realizes the company that sends them out alone is only worried about their Upper Management Bonus check that comes in when the job was done with less payroll. PROFIT is all it comes down to. So if you’re reading this and you understand what I mean. Stop living (risking) your own life for your company that doesn’t care about your worth as an employee. I’m no longer there and left the industry entirely. Now I only kick myself for not doing these 14 years and 11 months ago. When your employer values and respects you……. You as an employee will have a new-found fire and self-worth to exceed farther than you would if you were left alone with no help if needed. Be safe guys and WHOOP! WHOOP! Climb safe and take your time to double-check your anchor. And remember its okay to be 100% tied off it’s a good habit & gets you home safe. Take care.
Response: Thank you for the honesty! I know exactly what you mean. We usually start out with the best intentions, but then something changes, the workload, the schedule, the bonuses, the money, or we just get lazy. We may deny all of these, but I have been there and I have the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, and I know that I fell into these categories. Denial is something we can do until something terrible happens, then all we have is our excuses.
Comment: At the end of the day it all comes down to safety training. But people still make mistakes… most of which I’d say is caused by fatigue caused by poor management, busy work schedules, pressure to finish sites quickly, etc. Wireless work is very complex and it takes very knowledgeable people to make it work.
Response: So true!
OK, I have more feedback and I guess I have to do a follow-up. I will put more out in the next post unless some big news happens. I will try to get it to you soon!
Let me know what you think, don’t be shy!

By the way, if you stuck with me this far, here are some links that you may find useful!
Antenna basics free tutorial http://host.comsoc.org/freetutorial/rohde4/rohde4.html
Cold Stress information http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/coldstress/
Wireless Estimator is creating a Wireless Blue Book to help you find all your wireless needs in one location, http://www.wirelessestimator.com/blue-book/#!/
Trauma Kit information https://wadesarver.com/Podcast/critical-mindset-lane-falkner-talks-about-trauma-kits/
NATE webinar NATE Webinar Article…
I have books; please take a look at the new pages I created, http://wadesarver.com/tower-climbing-introduction/ and http://wadesarver.com/field-workers-aid-tower-site-work/ so you can get more information!

Don’t forget, support Hubble!

Search on iTunes for Wade4wireless and write a review now! Listen please!

Guess what?!! I have finished a training video for the SOW.

The price for the Scope of Work training is $24.99 but I have discounts for those of you who read this.

Gumroad for credit card sales – Save $10 by entering this code – w4w_sow. Credit Card https://gum.co/Wade4Wireless_SOW

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Wade4Wireless BlogCast

Climbing Alone and more Feedback

November 5, 2014 Wade Leave a comment

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So, did you ever try to climb quickly just to get things done? You’re alone and thought it wouldn’t take long so you would go up to finish something. First off, you should not climb alone, second always be 100% tied off no matter what. I wanted to bring this up because it should go without saying. I know that tower workers are quick to criticize anyone who can’t rescue a fellow climber, but if you are alone, then no one can rescue you! If you are alone, no one can call for help! If you are alone then no one can do anything. Do you remember when that fellow fell in Texas? He was found beside the tower. He was there for maintenance repair and then someone found him 30 feet from a tower near Bluetown, Texas tower, post here. The company sent him out there alone! This man was Ronaldo Eduardo Smith, according to Sheriff Omar Lucio. He was 62 years old, climbing alone, no one is sure how high he was on that 1,000 foot tower. Unfortunately I could not get more information. This happened about the same time that the West Virginia accident happened. So here we are, 9 months later and we don’t know any more that we did that day except his name and that he is gone. So sad, our prayers go out to his family.

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Listen, I climbed alone, I would call in when I started to climb, called in when I reached my height, and called in when I was heading down, and called in when I got on the ground. Did that make it right or smart, no, I was completely stupid! I want to make sure no one makes the same mistakes I did! I want to get the word out that the money is not worth the risk! I want to make sure that OSHA and TIRAP are doing all that they can to make sure that everyone who works in the tower industry is 100% safe! Many of you think that it may not be possible to get to 0% fatalities, 0% accidents, but I don’t! I just think we need to work as a team and try harder! Did you ever hear of Albert Einstein, not a climber but he had a great quote. Quoting the great Mr. Einstein, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Any idea what he means? I will tell you how I interpret this, we can’t use the same methods we were using when we created all of these problems! So we now have 100% tie off, which from what I hear only about 20% of you actually follow! Not an accurate number, just some of the feedback I am getting from people who brag about it on Facebook. Are you being as safe as you can be? Do you think about what you’re going to do before you do it? Or do you think, “That won’t happen to me!” Just like climbing alone, most people think nothing will happen to them, and chances are good that only about 10% will die. Are you one in 10? Let’s quote the great Clint Eastwood from his character “Dirty Harry” movie, video clip here, “You have got to ask yourself, do I feel lucky? Well do ya punk?” So think about it, do you feel you are too good to have an accident or too lucky?

This wasn’t a tower climber but a mountain climber that fell 40 foot off of First Flatiron in Chautauqua Park in Boulder County, Colorado. He thought he could climb alone without safety gear. This is a good example of what happens when you don’t have safety gear. I wanted to get this out because people thought it was a tower climber, links below. Thank you Dave Harrison! You are the man!

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_26843731

http://kwgn.com/2014/11/01/man-climbing-alone-without-gear-seriously-injured-in-flatirons-fall/

http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2014/11/01/climber-injured-in-fall/18345013/

http://kdvr.com/2014/11/01/man-climbing-alone-without-gear-seriously-injured-in-flatirons-fall/

Hey, just to offer you a helpful link, http://www.rfwireless-world.com/calculators/ is something that someone sent me and I thought I would share with you. It is a good reference for some RF formulas that may help you work in your job. Trust me when I say most stuff today is fixed but in case you actually get to do some RF work, it may help. Something that is really cool is their RF Exposure calculator, it is pretty neat because they not only let you enter the values, but they show you the formulas. See if there is anything you can use on there.

Tell me, what do you think about this?

More Feedback!

So here is more feedback.

Someone responded on the “Let’s all TIRAP, FCC and DOL team up” post.

Comment: I work for Premier Utility Service! I’ve been climbing for 3 years now and absolutely see the need for an apprenticeship! It is so great that the industry is finally taking the correct steps to better the future of all of us in the telecommunications industry!
Thank you for being such an advocate for all of us. Being that you attended the event I had a couple of questions for you!
Is there an estimated length for the apprenticeship? And when is the expected date for completion of the program?
Thank you

Response: Thank you sir! I appreciate the words of encouragement. There are so many ways to learn about safety and it is up to all of us to make sure that we can all stand for a safe work environment. For information go to http://www.tirap.org/ and here is what I know. The expected length of the apprenticeship doesn’t seem to be set, and I don’t know if they have a set length. I am thinking it has less to do with a time period and more has to do with skills and training. I don’t have a date for program completion at this time but I do have an email into them for more information. It is taking longer than expected to get a response. Once I do, and if I get permission, I will write something up. Just because you get answers doesn’t mean they will let me print it. I had some interviews with the FCC and they would not let me associate their name with anything in print. For more on TIRAP here and here and here. More information on guidelines here and here.

This will not be easy, since the lowest bidder gets the work. We will need to make sure that we have good and realistic pricing to start with. There will always be someone who thinks they can do it for less, but I think the carriers will have a responsibility to make sure that the climbing companies are doing everything as safe as they should be. They need to help us help ourselves. I am talking safety, but also in getting the crews paid! It is impossible to be safe when you don’t get paid! So if they have a turf vendor who won’t pay, then they should find a new manager for their contractor! We all need to do the best work we can so we can get paid in a timely manner. The acceptance process needs to be improved!

Next comment is from the “Notes on Workshop on Tower Climber Safety” post.

Comment: That workshop meeting reads as though it has a great consensus for all to build a common safety & procedures platform for us all to work from which will help all of us tower worker bees immensely. I look around my tower crew workers & worry & wonder who will be my first tower worker that may chose to ignore their safety training & get themselves or somebody else injured or killed? I am going to pass along & have parts of your article read aloud plus parts of the workshop meeting since our weekly safety meeting on the fall protection subject normally amounts to 100% of our worker having no feedback or suggestions. It’s amazing that they must perceive that everything is perfect until they arrive at their tower site & everything is not. It is a difficult job for tower climbers & ground crew to adjust & adapt to daily changing safety challenges! My hat is off to those of you that were able to make time to attend & participate at the workshop.

Response: Thank you for the feedback and I really appreciate the support. This made me happy that I went! Knowing that you appreciate the notes on this makes me understand how important this was for the industry! You make a great point, nothing is ever perfect when you arrive, and no climber has a perfect life! Far from it! Tower climbers deal not only with work problems, like when they who up at the site something is missing or something is in the way or something is hanging where you need to put your equipment. They deal with financial problems like customers not paying or the boss being late with a paycheck or the boss not covering expenses for the tower climber. They also deal with personal problems, like marital problems from being away from home for long periods of times and missing their children growing up. They deal with work personnel, let’s face it, there are some great guys in the industry, but we have our share of jerks! Those jerks could cause a problem when on the tower putting people at risk. I just brought up some common issues that you need to be aware of if you don’t know what the climber has to deal with. It is not an easy job that is why for some it is a passion to not only climb but to do the best they can do to be safe and do a good job! While most tower climbers really care, like the both of these people who left comments, many do not care. It is just a job or a way to kill time or something they do just to impress the women! I say that because most of the female climbers I talk to seem to be more conscientious than many men and really care. It seems like there are a bunch of guys out there that need to be straightened out. My opinion!

OK, let’s end this by announcing that NATE is going to have a webinar on December 9^th if interested, http://natehome.com/2014/11/04/dont-miss-the-live-nate-webinar-on-december-9-2014/ about the “Achieving Zero Injuries – Best Practices in Workplace Safety” that I will listen to. Oh, Todd Schlekeway, if you read this, please put a meeting invite in the article so I can add it to my calendar. Just being selfish here but the sooner I put it in the better chance I have of making it. This is probably more for the tower crew owners because it is presented by the law firm of Fisher and Phillips. Presentation by Edwin G. Foulke, Jr who is a partner there.

OK, finally, support Hubble, they care for you tower workers! Did you hear that? Gette and Kathy are very passionate people who give every moment of their spare time to the families of the tower workers. Why, because they have been through tragedies of the wireless industry! They have suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved. Someone who they loved dearly, someone they thought they could not live without. Someone that they would like to be remembered forever by their work in this charity! Do you want to be remembered for something good? Do you want to leave a legacy of helping people? These two women suffered more than anyone should. Did they quit on life? Maybe for a little while due to grief, but then they came fighting back to help your families tower workers. Isn’t it time you give something back? Isn’t it time to show you care? Isn’t it time you fulfilled your legacy of helping a fellow climber’s family? Just do what you think is right! These people are here to help and help they have, so I am thinking it’s time you return the favor! Click on the picture below to go to the website!

Soon I will release my training for the SOW and more, to build your library of basic knowledge so you can advance in your job and the industry! My books will help teach someone the basics of tower work.

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Wade4Wireless BlogCast

Know your SOW and more Feedback

September 20, 2014 Wade Leave a comment

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Hello everybody! First off, if you didn’t see there is a warning sent out about a safety climb. Capital Safety put out a press release that their 3/8” 7X19 strand galvanized cable, also known as “Safety Climb System” could have slippage issues. All the more reason to tie off 100% even when using a safety climb. Read the notice, I have the line here. While not a recall it is a warning so read the document so you understand what is going on. Does anyone remember that not long ago there recently was a snap hooks recall?

RIP James Linstedt.

Today I am going to discuss the Scope of Work, SOW, for all of you who just go out and do what you’re told. It would be a great idea for everyone who is at the site the review the SOW. I am working on a book that reviews all of the paperwork that the tower worker will be dealing with.

The SOW will have the outline of the job. It should be put together so that you know what duties are required of you. For instance you will need to know what you are installing. You will be putting in just the equipment on the tower or both the base station and the tower. If you are installing microwave, what is your responsibility? Are you doing the installation and the alignment? What are you doing?

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Where are you working? This should be part of the SOW as a site list. The site list is a separate document that you will be working with but it should be attached to the SOW as an addendum.

What parts do you need? You should have a Bill of Materials, BOM, as an attachment. This is very important because if you pick up the parts at the warehouse and don’t review the BOM, guess who’s fault it is if you miss something. YOU! YOU! YOU! If you miss a part that is on the BOM and you don’t get it, you messed up. Make sure when you hit the staging warehouse you look at the BOM and check off each part you need. If you are doing the install and you need a part that is not on the BOM, guess what, it’s the customers charge and a change order so you can charge for the labor and part to add it. However, if your people put a clause in the SOW that says you will supply miscellaneous parts, then you need to define miscellaneous parts. Why does this matter, because your customer will consider 200’ of #2 copper as miscellaneous and you may have meant zip ties and vapor seal, that’s why! If you’re asking what the difference is, the maybe you should look for a new line of work. Don’t be an airhead!

So, when I put my package together I will explain the SOW and I will give you an example and I will give you audio to talk about it. I should have something out here in the next 2 weeks or so. I am putting together something for all of the paperwork so everyone can get on the same page and understand what to look for and how to write the SOW. I just need to complete it and I will put it out to you guys.

Now, I have 2 feedback statements I want to share.

Feedback on tower owners:

First off, I have to take back what I said about American Tower not inspecting sites annually. I heard back from one of their people and he told me that at a minimum they inspect the towers annually. He knew the FCC lighting regulations inside and out but he said that with or without light, they make it to every tower at least once a year. That is awesome! Think about it, they have over 28,000 towers in the USA according to http://www.americantower.com/corporateus/investor-relations/. From what I hear they are on top of site inspections. So if something is wrong at the site, maybe you should let them know.

Feedback on Training:

OK, this is great to hear that someone would send their people to IRATA training to improve safety. Here is the statement, “Hi Wade, we got IRATA certified so we could deal with wide face towers safely. Now we use roped access on many jobs that don’t strictly speaking require it as it’s a safer alternative to relying on fall arrest and once the ropes are rigged often many more times efficient too :)” This is awesome and it’s nice to see some super responsible people out there! This came from the UK by the way, they go the extra mile!

Feedback on TIRAP:

It appears that a professional climber out there is happy that TIRAP is happening. This man is willing to help create the climbers bible, how cool is that. Here is the statement, “Finally! Now we might even be recognized for the skilled work we do under VERY hazardous conditions on a daily basis. Now, maybe the green guys will understand that 2 yrs. DOESN’T make you a professional yet. But, give it time and actually LEARN from older and more experienced guys. It’s all in the details. I’d like to collaborate with anyone interested in writing a “climbers bible”. Let me tell you something, when you climb for 10 years you begin to learn something. However, you need to keep a good positive attitude. Here is someone who I am going to reach out to so we can collaborate on putting more information out there.

Just to be fair, I did get plenty of negative feedback saying that the industry does not need to follow TIRAP nor do they need to issue this directive. I am surprised by how many people think this is a bad idea. Someone reminded me that this is a recommendation and it is not a requirement. I look at this as a step in the right direction. I am shocked that so many people see this as a bad thing, what a shame. The industry cries for change and improvement and now that it is being recognized and improved it seems people are angry about change. I get it, there are many good tower crews, safe and without incident, but for every 10 safe crews there’s probably at least one crew that just won’t follow the safety practiced recommended just because it costs too much. OSHA just caught someone who didn’t follow the safe climb rules, Morlan Enterprises got a $52K fine on July of 2014. Go ahead and take chances and see if OSHA cares or if the whistle-blower rules matter. Whistle blower fact sheet here! OSHA is your friend, the FCC is your friend, and they are here to help. While we may not always agree with them, in the end they are really here to make our lives safer and better.

Tell me what you think!

Other notes:

I have been talking to Bridgette Hester who is working diligently to make the Hubble Foundation do as much as possible. She just awarded another scholarship award to Carrie Plants, who lost her husband Daniel Plants back in 2007. This is part of the Widow’s Fund that Gette has created. For all of you climbers out there let us not forget the fallen, they may be gone but they are not forgotten! Let’s all say it together, “Way to go Gette, Way to GO!” She sis so much with passion, just one woman, than most groups could do.

By the way, NATE started the Tower Family Foundation and they already have $400,000, yes, $400K to give out to tower climbers families. I can’t wait to see where the money is going to go, that seems to be the one thing we are waiting for. They can do so much good for all the families we lost in the past 2 years!

Next podcast I interview a SPRAT 3 level trained climbing instructor Todd Horning of Safety One, cool guy and passionate about safety and rope access! His information is here.

2 books!

“Tower Climbing: An Introduction” is for the new tower climber, the green hand, to understand that will be expected.

“Field Worker’s Aid for Tower Work” is a handy aid to help out when you are at the site.

You may expand to other jobs in the industry. This can be the beginning of a great career path in the wireless industry. Whether you decide to keep climbing or find another opportunity, the industry is large and growing!

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Inspection of Full Body Harness

How Carabiners are made

Wade4Wireless BlogCast

Report the Unsafe Towers in a Public Database

September 13, 2014 Wade Leave a comment

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OK, here is your chance to send a legitimate complaint out to the world for all to see! This is where the you, the tower technician, the tower climber, the field engineer, the tower worker can exert your knowledge, show some muscle, and become powerful. A database for unsafe towers where you, the person working there, can input your data, thoughts, and facts. Where you ask? Well, I was talking to Vern Fitzgerel, who I met on Facebook, and he put together a form you can fill out by going to http://form.jotform.us/form/42525754737159, This is a form that is asking for details for unsafe towers that you may or may not have refused to climb.Just because you climbed it doesn’t mean it’s safe! This is going to go into a database for unsafe towers that Vern is creating and he will put out on the internet for all to see.. So, this is where the climber, the tower climber, the tower crew, the tower foreman, the lead man, the chief, the project manager, the person who refuses to work on a tower because in their opinion it is deemed “Not Safe”. He will also accept emails at unsafetowers@gmail.com but you need to put more information in the email than to send a picture and say “it’s not safe”. You need details and facts. Make sure if you say it’s overloaded you have some proof, or if you are speculating, explain why you think it’s overloaded based on tower type, loading, and previous experience.

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I have seen towers and monopoles that were overloaded based on tower model and load rating and expected ice and wind rating in that region. However, it was all speculation. I have also see towers come down in ice storm that I thought were plenty strong enough. So it helps to have some facts or an educated guess to explain why you think it’s overloaded.

Here is a way that climbers can identify problem towers for other climber, tower owners, OSHA, lawyers, customers, and anyone who maybe we can learn from the front line, the climbers in the field!

First, let’s review what unsafe is. It would be a tower where you would see a hazard that prevents you from climbing the tower because you deem it as dangerous. It could be anything that is a problem. If you think it is overloaded, then maybe you should make sure by requesting the structural report so you can see what the recommended loading it. To look at a tower and say its overloaded is one thing but to see on the structural that it’s overloaded is another. You make see something that is not attached properly or cross members loose or missing, these are all issues. You may see safety issues or other problems.

Why would Vern do this? Because we need to start documenting towers that are unsafe. Many climbers can refuse to climb a tower but the problem may be that they will find another crew to climb it the next day. Many climbers will climb anything where as other climbers may see problems on the tower.

If you refuse to climb, here is your chance to document the tower and why you won’t climb. This is where you, the climber can report problems towers. This is where you can raise your voice to make tower owners aware of issues. Remember, tower companies that own towers may or may not visit their tower regularly. Things get overlooked and lost and forgotten. Well when Vern’s database gets built we can have a reference to look at.

What do you need to do? You need to provide all the information possible. This of what a site list would have on it. You need to provide the details, coordinates, address, type of tower, owner if you know it, and why it is unsafe. If you say that it is overloaded, prove it by referencing the structural or other documentation. If it is not safe, be specific and say why it is unsafe or where on the tower it has issues. If there is a security issue then explain what you mean by that. Be specific in the issue and the location and the site ID if you have it. This way the tower owner can be notified. Maybe they will correct it or maybe not. Perhaps the next crew will not identify the problem or ignore it.

The database should be enough to let all climbers know that where the problem towers are. It will also be a great way to leave a trail in case there is an injury on that tower and it was identified by someone else earlier.

Vern has a Facebook page which shows the link, FACEBOOK/Unsafe Towers, in case it is easier to go there first.

So what would you do with this database? Will you refer to it from time to time? Do you think the tower owners will be held responsible for tower issues? Do you think that it is time we document tower issues in an organized manner. We need to help out any way we can. I think that when you are in the field you may be able to prevent accidents by sharing information. This is your opportunity. This is your chance to save others from a problem you identified.

Let me know, do you think this is a good idea? Do you think you will participate? Let me know. Maybe you just don’t care. Maybe you will climb anything. Maybe you think that if you don’t do it someone else will. Chances are you are correct. Once again, the industry just can’t stand together. Don’t you think it’s time that the climbers start to work together to make the industry a better industry? The FCC and the DOL are beginning to recognize the problems and importance of this industry. Why not do your part out to help out other climbers? Don’t you think it’s time we unite? This is a start.

Wouldn’t it be great if OSHA would be able to look at this to see that there are issues with this tower rather than only having to look at the mistakes the climber may have made? So many times all of the liability is put on the climber because they are the target, they are there, and it’s the only thing they can look at. The more we document and share the better off OSHA will be armed. They need help, let’s do our part. They may or may not listen but maybe we can star to use the tools at our disposal to make deployments safer.

It’s something that turf vendors may run you 100 miles to try to get you to climb a tower that is not safe, so you don’t get paid for the travel time and the turf vendor finds another sucker who will climb it. Is that a common problem? They use that all the time where they will just call someone else and you are out the money but maybe the other crew could be getting pulled into a dangerous situation because they need the money. Now you can document it and then the tower should be labeled unsafe until the tower owner makes some modifications to repair the problem.

Calculate the load!

Calculate safe load for rigging, sling stress.

Crane Signals.

Proper use of Shackles.

Are you a competent person?

Do you know when you are in over your head?

Don’t think something like a tick can harm you, Bruce would tell you different!

Do you know the founder of the Hubble Foundation? Dr Gette Hester?

What do you think? What should I talk about next? Did you subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher? Write a review!

Support the Hubble Foundation NOW!

2 books. One for the new tower climber, the green hand, to understand that will be expected. The other is a handy aid to help out when you are at the site. I am writing a new book to go over all of the paperwork that you could encounter on the job so you understand what you are working on and what you should be doing. You may expand to other jobs in the industry. This can be the beginning of a great career path in the wireless industry.

Kindle:

My PDF books so you can buy with PayPal:

Wade4Wireless BlogCast

Let’s All TIRAP! The FCC and DoL Tell Us How!

September 10, 2014 Wade Leave a comment

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OK, not the best title but the FCC and DoL have come together to develop standards for “Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program” (TIRAP), for the occupation of Telecommunications Tower Technician.

Announcement here.

Guidelines here.

Outline of schedule and training here.

OK, this is very exciting. The FCC and DoL have decided to outline the requirements for the Telecommunications Tower Apprentice, Level 1. You may ask why this is so interesting to me. Well let me tell you it’s because the DoL is defining the requirements that are going to be put on the tower technician aka the tower climber.

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When will they announce this? October 14^th, 2014, 1PM in DC, so it’s Eastern Time. WOW! Requirements laid out! Requirements defined along with a public announcement.

When you look at the schedule and training document you will see they require OSHA 10, PPE training, CPR/BBP//First Aid, RF Awareness, Job Site Analysis, and SOW training. They also outline basic rigging and material handling. Does it stop there? But wait, there’s more! Operate hand tools, operate truck s and trailers, and introduction to structures and Appurtenances! Oh yeah, so much to learn! Let me tell you, this may not be cheap so the customer will be expected to pay more, like they would for an electrician, a mason, or any skilled labor. Maybe the executives complain as they still expect the laborer of years past that had no training but would risk their life for that $10/hour that went out to the lowest bidder. Band together climbing companies because those days are over! The requirements are laid out for you to demand more money to hire skilled labor! These guys are entering a new era, an era where they are going to be viewed as skilled talent. Remember those guys? They are the ones that most companies let go so the carriers could build out the systems for less money! I digress, apologies, let me get back to the point!

In the details they have knots listed, imagine that, the bowline and the clove hitch. They have the SOW listed so they actually want you to know and understand what you are supposed to do at that job site! Amazing insight!

Safety training is outlines, OSHA 10, Authorized climber, PPE, CPR, RF Awareness, Job Hazard Analysis, and SOW. All this required so the climber knows what is going on at the site. These are all explained in the documentation. I love it because this is something I have been saying for a while, not because I am right, because it should be expected that the guys out there should be prepared for anything that could happen. Training and practice will make them the best they can be. Don’t think that you can take the training once and that’s all. You need to make sure your people are trained early, trained often, and trained well! Practice makes the training sink in and if an emergency comes up there is no guess-work, just quick and thoughtful planning to save lives! Practice makes the safety training a habit. We all want good habits, not laziness. We all deserve to have the chance to save our workmates, our partners, our friends, our work family!

Technical training outlines the SOW, basic rigging, material handling opes/knots, antenna/line installation, lightning system installation and maintenance, tower structural installation and maintenance, and applicable standard awareness. They don’t stop there, they add test equipment, exothermic welds, basic understanding of regulatory issues, and operate trucks, trailers, and equipment. Bu hold on, there’s more! Operate hand and power tools like the normal power tools like drills and saws but also torches, connector tools, and tools applicable to the SOW. So much to learn. So many climbers already know this but don’t get the credit they deserve for such knowledge. Skilled labor, professionals are in this industry and now they will be recognized for it.

Let me tell you, this is a wonderful thing to be done by the FCC and the DoL. They are changing the landscape of this industry in the USA. We need the help. If you wonder why, then you live under a rock! This move is because so many out there have been falling, so many have been hurt, so many have been careless, and mainly because the industry let it happen! When I say the industry I lay the blame all around. Do you really think that $10 to $15 an hour is a fair wage for someone to make the schedule so someone’s smart phone will be able to download “Angry Birds” and get Facebook updates? Apparently it was the case. It’s the one thing that someone pushing a deployment could control, or so they thought. Then by simply saying, “I told them to be safe and use safety gear” they could wash their hands of it.

How will this affect you, it depends who you are. The climber stands to get more training and eventually get paid more. The tower crew companies stand to bid higher, make more money, but pay for more training and pay to maintain the training. If you are the end customer like a carrier, your prices will go up. That means that you will pay more for the climbers. I know you will complain, but let me ask you, what is a young person’s life worth anyway?

How will it affect the industry? Well, deployments may be delayed, but will they be delayed any longer than the auctions were delayed? Will the installation take longer than site acquisition? Will the installation take longer than the OEM takes trying to work out the bugs? You know, it goes back to what I said, everyone thinks that the climbing crew is the one thing that they can push and push. Well, now they will be pushing back.

I get a little fired up about this, but I have been on both sides. I know what it’s like to push and be pushed. If you push, take time to listen. When you listen you realize that there is a good reason that the crew can’t do the installation. When you listen you solve problems. It’s really a great thing. Schedule can be a bitch, but losing a life is something that people don’t forget. Schedules are something that’s forgotten in the end as long as the company doesn’t go under. Then they blame the costs and schedules. But when someone dies, all that fails to matter, at least to the family of the lost.

So I think this is a great thing and I am hoping the industry changes for the better. Remember that it takes talent and brains to do this job. Just because climbers get high for a living doesn’t mean that they lose sight of what’s important.

Tell me what you think about TIRAP! How is it going to impact the industry? Who do you think it will hit the hardest?

FCC = Federal Communications Commission

DoL = Department of Labor, OSHA is part of the DoL.

For more information on knots go to www.netknots.com and Adam wrote a book, go to http://www.telecomrigging.com/ to get one. I do not have any type of agreement with Adam Beck, but I think that this could really help you out.

For more information on other hazards, look at these links, bird-poop and ticks and more ticks and more ticks and more ticks!

Whistle blower information:

http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=330216

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=OSHA-2011-0540-0001

Support the Hubble Foundation NOW!

NATE has announced their new Tower Family Foundation! It will launch today, September 10, 2014.

http://nationalassociationoftowererectors.cmail1.com/t/ViewEmail/t/27A57EA732B99C95/C62CEA3BAE9C840AC9C291422E3DE149

2 books. One for the new tower climber, the green hand, to understand that will be expected. The other is a handy aid to help out when you are at the site. I am writing a new book to go over all of the paperwork that you could encounter on the job so you understand what you are working on and what you should be doing. You may expand to other jobs in the industry. This can be the beginning of a great career path in the wireless industry.

Kindle:

My PDF books so you can buy with PayPal:

Wade4Wireless BlogCast

Do or Die! Are you in over your head?

August 20, 2014 Wade Leave a comment

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Qualifications, do you think that just because you climb towers you are qualified to do anything on the tower? What does your company bid on? Does your crew install dishes or LTE arrays or broadcast antennas or stack towers or strengthen towers? Do you know if you are qualified to do this work on the tower? Did your boss assign your crew a job that you know you are not qualified to do? Did you read the paperwork before you started? Are you in over your head? Is it do or die? No, it isn’t! Because if you are not prepared to pull that load up the tower then maybe you should say something to whoever is running the show. Either get the right crew with the right tools or get another company in there to do it!

You company should not be bidding on anything with a dollar sign. Like Clint Eastwood said as Harry Callahan in “Magnum Force”, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” It was much cooler when Clint said it, but you get the idea! Do you know your limitations? Did you plan on lifting such a heavy and large load? Do you know the ratings on your ropes, blocks, shackles, straps, and all associate hardware? Do you? Do you know how to mount to the tower? How about what to mount to on the tower? Do you mount to a small cross member for a large load? Can you tag the load out with the people you have? Ask yourself, can I do this with the people I am working with? Answer honestly!

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Listen, some companies bid on work because they need the work, not always because they can do the work.Reputation is big in this industry so that is why when something happens they need to correct it immediately. Accidents happen and most people can forgive, but you need to work extra hard to earn forgiveness and avoid a repeat in the future. If you are good at what you do, then the word of mouth should help you out.

There is a lot of speculation about how prepared a crew was recently and if they should have been doing this work because of an accident. Could it have been prevented or was it a faulty piece of hardware? If you read this then you can probably guess what accident I am talking about. If you don’t know then go here.

So if you are the one bidding on the work you had better know what your crews can handle. Do they fly dishes or cell mounts? Do they erect towers? If so what kind and how big? Do you think you can do it all? Think again. How experienced is the crew that will be doing the work? How confident are they? How smart are they? How smart are you? All questions that should be asked prior to the responding to the offer.

You see, the thing here is if you are wrong, it may not be a bad day but a funeral. It may cost someone more than a damaged reputation! Think about it. That is why I am in favor of not only experience and learning, but understanding your limitations. If you have worked on something similar than you will understand what is involved and the risks! If you are getting into something new, then it would be a good idea to hire someone who knows what they are doing and get the equipment to handle the job. Plan it out. Read the SOW, look at the BOM, understand you equipment’s ratings. Know what you have and what you will be doing by making a plan.

If something goes wrong, OSHA will look at the people doing the work and that company who is doing the work, but I am thinking they should go beyond that, end to end. Tower owners to the end customer so they know all the factors involved. I am pretty sure that someone at OSHA is looking at this rolling their eyes because they are overworked, but I think once they get the system in place then it will benefit everyone. Once the standards and requirements are set then they will roll it out to the industry. For the tower crews it will probably mean more paperwork to qualify everyone and that will mean more costs for the customer because it will not be free. We all know that paperwork means more money. We also know that it may weed out some of the crews that should not be out there in the first place. It may get ugly before it gets pretty again.

Did someone ask how to use a Capstan properly?

Hey, great resource for Capstan winches from GME Supply, and no, I do not get any type of kickback! I just think this is an excellent resource for someone using a capstan. Kudos to GME Supply for putting this out! I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier! Presented by Keith Willey of Hubbell Power Systems. Great job Keith! It’s all about the drag!

Wade's Working Tips

Tag Archives: tower technician

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Let’s All TIRAP! The FCC and DoL Tell Us How!

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Whistle blower information:

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Do or Die! Are you in over your head?

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