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OSHA & FCC Best Tower Climbing Practices

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That’s right, the FCC and OSHA DOL have teamed up to use their superpowers for the good of the tower climber. These are two of the most influential divisions of government on American business, the world really, that worked hard to provide a safety guideline for an industry where people die every year. They knew there were issues that need to be addressed and they acted.

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Did they do it alone? NO! They asked the tower industry, held workshops, and released the RFI  for the tower climbers to fill out, anonymously if needed. You all had a say. If you didn’t participate, then you may not have been in the industry, or you didn’t make the time to participate in this momentous event. That’s right, OSHA reached out to the field workers for help. Hey, if you did nothing, then you probably don’t expect anything.

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I am proud to say that I not only participated, but I went to the workshop at the FCC office in DC. I took a day of my time, drove several hours, completed the survey, I did all that I could to help. What did you do? All the people at the conference were very supportive of the initiative. There were many vendors, company owners, carriers, and groups like NATE and the Hubble Foundation and the Tower Family Foundation. The workshop information can be found here. This happened back in 2014, so it took a lot of time to make it happen. Yes, I was blogging then, and I had been trying to help more climbers back then.

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One more thing, I think we should all thank the participants of OSHA and FCC who worked diligently to create this and try to raise awareness of the tangled web of climber’s safety.

I don’t climb anymore. I do more engineering, sales, and planning work. I consult, and I write books, and I teach. I coach. So, I am not currently active in the climbing industry other than I bid work, I am still active and keep in touch with the climbing industry. I knew I had to move on, but I still have a passion for this industry. While it’s not as active as it once was, it’s still a critical part of the communications industry. I only did it for 10 years or so, but I really did enjoy it. I learned a lot of what to do and what not to do. I also learned that it was a completely different lifestyle. A job and a lifestyle that takes some adjustment, one where your life could end any day you go up in the air. I worked with some of the best people I ever met and some of the worst people I ever met. It is an amazing industry.

There is one thing that we all agree on is that it’s not as profitable as it used to be.  The carrier specifically made it a commodity. This means that the experienced climbers are leaving the industry by retirement or just looking for new opportunities. It didn’t seem to matter much because there are plenty of new, inexperienced recruits willing to put their lives on the line so that you can use Tinder on your smartphone, isn’t great how far technology has come?

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Therefore, the FCC and OSHA knew they must get involved, they wanted to save lives, and the best way to do that is by prevention. If they fine a company, it’s too late, the person is usually dead. The aim of this is to make the job as safe as it can be so that we prevent death. I hear about the lawsuits and how people get screwed and get hurt, and some people will never recover. I have also seen people try to scam the charities and industry. Like I said, some of the best and some of the worst people. I think it’s sad that people try to cheat charities, but it happens.

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OK, back to the subject at hand, the guidelines. They can be found below:

You can download the best practices document.

First, I want to thank the people at the FCC and OSHA that made this happen. Commissioner Wheeler helped to get the ball rolling, but Commissioner Pai has done a great job of keeping the ball rolling, twitter @AjitPaiFCC if you want to tweet him and tell him what a great job he’s done. Many people participated in the workshop and worked all the way to the end. I know that I was contacted personally by Jessica Douma of OSHA and Michael Janson of the FCC. They really worked hard to see this project all the way to the end. It was no quick or easy process. It takes a team, as I listed below.

Let’s all thank the following:

  • Claire Wack, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC
  • Jessica Douma, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
  • Michael Janson, Associate Chief, CIPD, WTB, FCC
  • Erin Patterson, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
  • Joseph Jenkins, Team Leader, Marketing and Outreach, Office of Apprenticeship, ETA
  • Matthew Warner, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC

When you read the document, you will see it’s broken down into the following parts.

  • Introduction and Background
    • This is obvious, right?
  • General Topics
    • Here they copy general programs that the FCC and OSHA have for the tower climbing industry.
    • An overview of Safety and health programs and contracting practices.
    • An overview of verification of subcontractors.
  • Tower Climbers and Ground Crew Employees
    • This is on the front line!
    • This goes into how each group or participant in the tower work is responsible for defining and following safe practices. From the climber to the crew, covering contractors and crew member at the site or preparing to go to the site. General safety recommendations.
  • Carriers and Tower Owners
    • This section covers how the tower owners should not only vet the contractors but have reporting procedures in place to report incidents. Have the processes and protocols in place. Manage complaints properly, log them and attend to them.
    • They also cover audits, training, and record keeping. Carriers and tower owners are being asked to participate these practices. This spreads it across the industry. Communication is the key.
    • Carriers are asked to provide realistic timelines for deployments. Think about the resources and set up a timeline that makes sense for that project. (Someone’s life depends on it!)
    • Tower owners are asked to inspect their tower, provide anchor points where needed, and update leases to mandate safe installation procedures that do not impede anchor points. They need to meet standard TIA-222-G, have a way to report unsafe conditions easily, allow drones to do more work, and ask for photos of their tower from the contractors working there. Keep a record of what you get!
  • Turfing Vendors
    • First, my opinion – These guys need to be mentioned here because they throw the most climbers all over the place. AT&T has done a great job using turf vendors then laying all the blame on them. They were the scapegoat that AT&T was being investigated for all the deaths that occurred years Wireless Estimator has a good record of climbing deaths by year here.
    • This covers training, job specific training, vetting contractors, and outlines ow they should work with contractors.
    • They cover communication, reporting, incident investigation. Yes, the turf vendor has a serious responsibility to investigate any incidents or unsafe practices. You need to identify SMEs, (Subject Matter Experts), that can help you do this. When I say SME, I mean someone who really knows what they are doing and they have been doing it for years, not the senior guy on a new crew. We here to save lives people!
    • Communicate openly, provide ways to communicate up and down the chain! Have procedures and processes in place so it’s clear how everyone should work, be trained, and report problems and incidents.
    • Work site safety practice, this should be defined clearly.
  • Tower Construction and Maintenance Contractors
    • Here is the front line, again, only the big dogs, or should I say the big tower dawgs? They started with the front line, and they’re ending with the front line.
    • Auditing and incident investigations are outlined. While most of you may have this in place, it’s always a good idea to update and see what has changed.
    • Outline your work site and safety practices, tailgate meetings, cover safety but don’t become so redundant that it’s blown off. Keep it original and interesting. That takes research and work. Review the JHA, keep it onsite, and update it as needed.
    • Record keeping and communication. Do I need to say more? Records of employee training and certifications so that they are available to all parties involved.
    • Training – again, train all worksite employees, not just the climbers. Right?
  • For additional information, here are some sites that may help:

There you go. The FCC and DOL did the best they could to outline this. Tower worker safety seems to be improving in the industry. It pays to be educated and updated.

If you’re interested in what industry leaders are saying, Wireless Estimator does a great job of putting together the voices of the industry at http://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2017/industry-applauds-osha-fccs-long-awaited-communication-tower-best-practices-guide/.

NATE also had good things to say at https://natehome.com/safety-education/osha-fcc-communication-tower-best-practices/ where they also have praise.

Jeff Williams posted a detailed letter at https://blog.npstc.org/2017/06/02/fcc-osha-offer-tower-safety-guidelines/ which summed it up very well.

5g-deployment-plan-front-cover-3k-pixelsWhat does 5G deployment mean? Find out, “The 5G Deployment Plan“, in PDF, eBook, and Paperback!

 

 

 

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention!

See Ya!

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Do you know what to put in your SOW, the details needed to get paid for milestones or job completion? 

The foundations below do beautiful work, helping families in their time of need. Climbers often get seriously injured or die on the job. The foundations below support those families in their time of greatest need! 

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Hubble Foundation helps the families of climbers in a time of need and beyond with financial support and counseling!

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Tower Family Foundation supports the families of tower climbers at the time of crisis when a climber falls with financial assistance and more.

www.techfecta.com

 

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FCC DOL Tower Safety Workshop Panel 3 Breakdown

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Here we are for the third and final panel which covered TIRAP and Telecommunications Workforce Development, let’s get to it.

OSHA has released the initial version of the “Communication Tower Best Practices” document coauthored by OSHA and the FCC. Click here to download the PDF. For those of you that don’t know OSHA has a website for the Communication Tower industry here.

This panel covered the RFI that OSHA put out last year to the tower climbing community, the people on the front lines, for Information on Tower Climber Safety, OSHA-2014-0018, and click here to learn more about it.

I will be at the NATE Unite conference February 23rd and 24th, will you be there? Let’s talk if you are! So who is going? The exhibit floor, map found here, where I will be the 24th to meet and greet as many people as I can! The schedule, found here. See you at NATE Unite! Remember that the TFF will auction off a professional drone package, details here. 

Thank you FCC and DoL/OSHA for putting this together, for taking the time to show you care about making this a better industry.

Video of the workshop found by clicking here.

  • ModeratorsIMG_3393
    • Joseph Jenkins, Team Leader, Marketing and Outreach, Office of Apprenticeship, ETA
    • Matthew Warner, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC
  • Panelists:
    • Dave Anthony, Shenandoah Tower, outstanding guy and on the board of TIRAPIMG_3396 (1)
    • Chase Hammock, TIRAP Apprentice, MUTI/Sabre Industries
    • David Sams, SBA Communications, Vice Chair for TIRAP board
    • Laurie Gebhardt, Verizon Wireless
    • Jonathan Adelstein, PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association, President and CEO of PCIA
  1. Opening Remarks
    1. Dave Anthony gave praise to NATE and many other organizations for all of their support to the tower technician workforce. He explained how complex the business really is and how much sacrifice the tower workers give each day. He also brought up how common training certification will make a difference in the industry. It is important that we continue to educate and train the tower workforce moving ahead. This documentation and standardization will lead to uniform safety across the industry.
    2. Chase told us that he sees TIRAP a bit differently because he is the climber on the front line. He also mentions how many changes he has seen in this industry and went through the history of his training. And how much better it is now compared to when he started. How MUTI training took training from a one day class to a week-long training program. MUTI training makes the climbers safer and professional.
    3. David told a story how when he started with SBA he was on his 10th day on the job and he got a call that one of his foreman fell and died. He then said how SBA had no safety program. He went to management and explained that they need to follow the regulations from OSHA and they needed to make changes. Two years later they lost one of their climbers from a fall in Florida. Today they have a serious and dedicated safety program. He sat down with Scott Kisting about how to make changes in the industry.
    4. Then Laurie opened with how the demands put on the network demands a vast number of people with a wide variety of skills to roll out the network. It is important to Verizon that they know that people are properly trained. TIRAP is just such a program where the workers training is standardized and nationally recognized. Verizon has established programs to verify the vendor’s safety programs and certifications. They have hired a third-party to verify the contractor’s certifications. They don’t want anyone to get hurt or lose a life building their network. They feel that standardization across the industry will really help.
    5. Jonathon talked about his time with the FCC and thanked everyone for focusing on safety on the 20th anniversary of the telecom act. He pointed out how telecom has exploded in growth. He then said how growth means that the programs to train the works needs to be set and standardized for the workforce. Then he said how the workforce needs to provide an opportunity for the workers. They are bringing in academic institutions and veterans to build careers in this industry. To develop a career.
  2. First question asked by Matthew Warner. Has TIRAP advanced its 3 main goals, safety, quality, and job advancement for workers?
    1. Dave responded with how pleased he was to develop the training standards for each of the climbers to do their job at each level, and how TIRAP is supported by volunteers. By pursuing this course it will make the industry better with safety and standards.
    2. David agreed with Dave and also said how it’s self-funded and full of volunteers. He feels what they have accomplished in the past year is remarkable with the job titles and curriculum they have set up it a great start. They are working to get more codes for more job titles. Although slower than they would like it to be it is making progress. They are looking for volunteers to help.
    3. Laurie felt good about the push forward but she thinks that they could improve by getting more HR departments involved in this program. There is plenty of work to be done and they would love to have more people help.
    4. Jonathon said that they formed an apprenticeship program that stretches across the industry and that is a first. There is a long way to go but it’s a start-up, a small group that is really working on big ideas. They really want to make it grow quickly. It’s difficult to help all the companies with the help they need because of the small TIRAP group. He would like to hand it to the companies so they can see how much it will help them improve.
  3. Joseph said about how TIRAP took a lot of time creating ONET codes so that the jobs can be recognized by the DOL, why is this so important?
    1. David said that SBA has job titles and job description to provide uniformity to their workforce across the nation. This apprenticeship program is providing a career path instead of just a job. This states that the tower industry in wireless will provide a career path for them to earn money and build it into more.  The ONET code is the catalyst behind all of that.
    2. Then Joseph followed up with, “what is the major advantages of providing ONET codes regarding safety quality, job advancement, and universal understanding of qualifications for this industry.
    3. David came back pointing out that the training curriculum is based on the ONET code in the job title. Each person has their qualifications based on that curriculum so they should all be trained the same. He said that the agreement between TIRAP and NWSA agreeing on the training so that the industry is completely aligned no matter how you get trained, with for NWSA or through TIRAP, the standards are the same and uniform.
  4. Then Matthew asked Chase if he could explain if he would want to see TIRAP trained people working for him and with him. Especially if he went to another company.
    1. Chase said that as a TIRAP member you start as an apprentice and then you work your way up. If he were to go to another company then he would have the certification, the training, the card, and the new company would know exactly what he is trained for. If you don’t have this certification then you really don’t know what the new guy was trained for. With TIRAP you have the structure in the training so you know that they know how to be safe and do their job.
  5. So Matthew asked if the training changed. with MUTI in the last 4 years?
    1. Chase said when he started training was 1 day with going up one tower and making sure you know how to tie off. Now they have class study and tower training that lasts a week to go over training and a competent training class. They also have continued education with teams that come out and do audits of the climbers knowledge
  6. Then Matthew asked a question from the audience, “A new climbers first time on the tower should not be on the job,, are tower owners willing to allow access to the towers for training?”
    1. Chase said that they do have a training tower as well as classroom so it will not be a=on the job but there is on the job training.
    2. Then David jumped in and said that its SBA policy not to allow any training on their towers due to the risk and liability and that they do not have the faith in how most folks dot he training, and that they have their own program. That is SBA policy.
  7. Joseph then asked how Chase would improve training to ensure that he and his team is safe, what could companies to make them all safe?
    1. Chase responded stating that no job is more important than the tower climber’s life so if they feel at risk they should now they don’t have to climb. That should filter down to the climber so that they can stop the job at any time. They save an acronym called SAUCE, Stop, Assess, Understand, Communicate, Execute, this is what they do when there is an issue at the site.
  8.  Matthew has followed up with stating that they have good practices, how do we make that a best practice for the industry.
    1. David said that everything they do they are trying to make a common practice. He also said how the workers spend a week in training first before they are deployed. They are taught what they need to know which is very similar to the TIRAP curriculum.
    2. Jonathon said that TIRAP is really about sharing best practices, looking at how they can do things right. This is being spread across the industry with TIRAP. They are working to developed more training. They are also promoting TIA standards and getting the word out in the industry. Now TIRAP is working on videos on YouTube to be released to train the workers to do the job right.
  9. Joseph ask Chase, have you noticed that following TIRAP procedures that you are improving your practice in the job have you been able to notice when someone is doing something wrong that you can improve the practices?
    1. Chase said that he spends more time with his crew then with his family, so they are family and it makes them look out for each other. He is picking up and showing the new workers how to improve their work. He also learns from others and to learn from them
  10. Matthew asked about how you know when the contractor is telling the truth about their training?
    1. Laurie said that they evaluate the contractors on several factors, safety, length of time in the industry, and track record with OSHA. There really is no set of criteria to evaluate how good they really are. So they like that if they could have a uniform way to see what their workers can do with uniform certifications. This will help align contractors with the certifications. How does a carrier know who does the actual training versus someone who just copied credentials. So with TIRAP setting a uniform training and certification program to let them know what they can and cannot do.
    2. Then Matthew asked what would be the ultimate solution for that, but ONET codes won’t really help the carriers, but what would help Verizon verify who is qualified?
    3. Laurie would like to see a way that they could look at a database it would really help. There isn’t anything at this time but the sooner they have it the better.
    4. Then David brought up that this is a real problem in this industry. He said the way to stop these companies it to catch them in the industry, but doing site audits.
    5. Then Dave said that NWSA will help align their training credentials with a database lookup. This training has 37 different jobs that they will code which means one size does not fit all, but each one will be specialized. So they are being very specific about the training and certifications which is specific to the scope of work.
  11. Joseph asked what is TIRAPs method for validation of training and how will this be different from internal training programs?
    1. Dave came back and said that the federal government will have a role in this. Credentials will back up what they say and the government will back up prosecuting anyone with false credentials.
  12. Joseph asked if the TIRAP board could do more to create standardized training modules and does the all-volunteer TIRAP board have the resources to complete this?
    1. Dave said they need more time and money. They are taxing OSHA to support them which needs more time and money to support this program. Dave asked them to step and be all in. They need the support of the government to help them achieve the goal, the commitment to support them.
    2. Then Jonathon brought up that this is a startup phase but they expect that when the larger companies start to pitch in then they can quickly adopt the apprenticeship programs then things will start to roll ahead faster.
    3. Then David said that the program for the smaller companies that can’t hire a training staff, it will really help. What a great way to train veterans to be trained and use the GI Bill to get trained.
  13. Matthew then asked what TIRAP could do to help veterans.
    1. Dave (on the board for Warriors for Wireless) brought up that veterans are looking to build a career because they are always looking to advance. The wireless industry didn’t have that before but now they are building career paths for the people to get a job that they can succeed in and grown. A career that they will enjoy. A career that they will support their family with.
    2. Jonathon said that this is the perfect industry for veterans because they are team oriented, safety oriented, and many are leaders. Maybe they want to move into different jobs and that is open to them now. The GI Bill could be used to train the veteran workforce and help them move ahead. The men and woman of the military are perfect to build a culture of safety.
  14. Matthew wondered if Verizon would pay a higher rate to hire TIRAP trained contractors.
    1. Laurie said that the job does not always go to the lowest bidder but to someone who is the most qualified and has the training in place. She said that Verizon understands that when a contractor says they need a man lift that they would allow that.
  15. Matthew then asked could third-party auditing contractors, would that help.
    1. David said it is very hard to stop this, no matter what you do it may not stop. They ask for the training certificates for the people on site and they did over 500 audits last year. The problem is that you have several companies that play this game and do not train people properly. He doesn’t think that audits could help.
    2. Laurie said that audits would be a good place to start but it will not be enough. It’s a step in the right direction.
  16. Matthew asked, Most companies are money driven and TIRAP would be driven by company owners, so if new companies pop up during the busy time, how would you know who is trained and who isn’t?
    1. Dave said that the workers will not get the certificate until that worker is qualified and passes the certification program in TIRAP and NWSA. The on-the-job training for TIRAP is more thorough and requires more validation. The apprenticeship part of that will help as well but it takes time to get all of this in place. The workforce will be trained for their specific job, then there should also be a no tolerance policy for the cheaters. There isn’t one thing to be done but all of it has to be done right. It take time and adjustments to do it right. Do we love money or do we love the people that work for us? Dave asked his guys to stand up and we all applauded because he made the point that he loves his guys and he doesn’t want to see any of them get hurt. He thinks that all contractors should decide what they love more, their people or money. He hires the right guy for the job. He states that each company and worker will stand the test of time and that the industry is moving in that direction. We want to build something that is enduring.
  17. Then Joseph asked how TIRAP works for the climbers for someone who has been in the industry for years.
    1. David said that they can test out at each level.
  18. Closing remarks
    • Dave said that we got a long way and let’s work it together. Each group has to do what they need to do be successful.
    • Chase said that safety starts with the company so if the company isn’t safe then the climber will take shortcuts. Don’t let complacency creep in because if you get complacent on the tower then you have accidents. Stay 100/100.
    • David thanked the FCC and OSHA and thinks that the industry needs more workshops like this. He said that he does not want to investigate any more fatalities, he has looked into 17.
    • Laurie said that safety is paramount and it needs to be the culture at all levels from the climber to the contractors to the engineers to the carriers. Everyone needs to accept that they have a role in safety. For the culture change we need to stop focusing on the money and focus on each other so we all are safe for the next time.
    • Jonathon said that we are in a special industry, wireless broadband that improves not only our lifestyle but for public safety. This will make changes by creating jobs and providing safety. We need to align the safety with the growth and the demands for mobile data. We need to do it right.

Then Kathy Pierce, a volunteer with the Hubble Foundation, gave a moving speech about her loss. Her son died 2 years ago and she was so emotional when she spoke of her son, Chad Weller who died working on a water tank about 2 years ago on March 19th in 2014. She was very emotional and it was so sad, it is very hard for her to talk about this. Kathy talked about how you need to climb with a clear mind. Safety isn’t someone else’s responsibility, it is yours. Everyone involved needs to be held accountable. It is not just one person’s fault. She brought up how her son made a difference in that company and she found it very sad that it took her son to die for that company to realize that they need to improve safety. Why does it take anyone’s family member to decide that they need to be strict on safety? She said that her son made a huge impact on their lives when he was here and now he is making a big impact on others now that he is gone. Kathy asked us all too truly commit ourselves to make a change to make the industry safer for all involved.Then Michael gave the closing thank you to all that attended and to his team.

IMG_3404 (1)I would like to thank the DOL and OSHA and the FCC for doing all that they do to help this industry become safe and professional.

The thing is I have met some of the absolute best people I have ever know in this industry, but I have also met some of the worst people I have known in this industry. I would like to see everyone in this industry become the best they can be and see the level of IMG_3401 (1)professionalism rise to the top of all industries. I pray I get to see that day. Let’s all work together for a safer and happier future in wireless. Let’s work together to make this happen. I spend a lot of spare time writing about this and not everyone likes it, but for all of you that appreciate it, thank you!

Remember that the FCC and OSHA are here to help. They are our friends in the endeavor to overhaul the industry. Sooner, the professionals will run the industry and the other will fall behind and out of this industry. It’s more than a dream, we IMG_3400have all the people that were at this panel working to make sure that it happens. I see great things for the future. I see the value added to each task added to this industry with a pride that wasn’t always there. I am honored to take that step with each of you that want to see a successful and safe wireless deployment into 5 G and beyond.

Remember that the FCC and OSHA are your friends! They are working hard to help you become better at your job and safe!

Get the Wireless Deployment Handbook today!

You need to download the Wireless Deployment Handbook eBook that covers professional carrier end to end deployment of LTE small cells, CRAN, and DAS to show you the proper way to plan for deployment then execute, planning and action without the mistakes.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

I am asking the carriers to provide numbers for workers to call to report payment issues and contractor issues. I didn’t hear from any of them yet, If you know it let me know at wade4wireless@gmail.com, but for now, call OSHA!

OSHA cares, don’t be afraid to call the number below and explain to them what is wrong at the site when you feel the work site is not safe! CALL OSHA to report unsafe work conditions!

To report an emergency, fatality, or imminent life threatening situation please contact our toll-free number immediately:

1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

OSHA is asking for public comment on Safety and Management,  click here..

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Video of the workshop and information found here.

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Give to the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? Who supports Hubble? The wireless workers and the tower climbers, that’s who! So it’s up to you! What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?

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FCC DOL Tower Safety Workshop Panel 1 Breakdown

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Hello everyone. On February 11th I went to 445 12th St SW, Washington DC, which you may know better as the FCC headquarters. What was I doing there? I was invited to participate on a panel of the Tower Safety Workshop. First off, I think that it’s great that the FCC and DOL/OSHA got together to do something like this for the tower industry. Not only for the tower industry, but for the wireless industry! The FCC shows that they care enough to host this and OSHA is making every effort to understand the problems out in the field. They are working to support all efforts to prevent death and injury at the tower site. It will take a team effort to make this happen. Who is on the team? The FCC, DOL/OSHA, wireless carriers, tower climbers, wireless contractors, and everyone working in the wireless and broadcast industry. This means you! It needs to be a team effort. I consider myself part of that team, do you?

Thank you FCC and DoL/OSHA for putting this together, for taking the time to show you care about making this a better industry.

Video of the workshop and information found by clicking here.

First off, let’s look at what the problem is. Tower climbers die. They die working on tower when they fall. There are many reasons for the accidents. They could be due to a poorly trained climber or crew, a climber got complacent or lazy, shortcuts were taken, or maybe it was just an accident. Sometime accident happen or equipment just fails. When someone falls from over 80 feet off the ground it usually ends in a fatality.

If you think it isn’t a big deal, you don’t understand how a death can affect a family. So let me ask you to visualize something. You’re at a site watching the climber go up the tower. You see them put all their gear on, you see them attach the safety gear and perform 100% tie off. Or, maybe you don’t pay attention to what they are doing at all, maybe you’re worried about your job. Then look again, and imagine that it’s a child, your child, going up the tower. Imagine that your child is making a mistake or not tied off properly. Imagine you see your child slipping off that tower from only 50 feet up and there is nothing you can do! Now how do you feel about that climber, knowing that it could be your child falling. That they will die if they make a mistake? It really puts it in a different light knowing that someone’s child, possibly your child, could die. Many people lost children because of this over the years. This is why we will prevent as many as we can. We would like to prevent all of them if possible. Nobody wants to lose another family member.

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There was so much covered at the workshop. So much more that I can really cover. I intend to cover most of it and point out things I agree with, disagree with, and things that were missed. I really can’t get it all in one article.

Video of the workshop and information found by clicking here.

There were 3 panels and several speeches. I don’t want to slight anyone but I would like to cover the parts that really stuck out.

I don’t want to discount the opening speeches that were made by some very important people in the industry.

  • Tom Wheeler, (FCC Chairman and if you don’t know who he is, IMG_3371wake up), opened it up with a speech on the loss we have seen in the industry and as long as we have one death, it’s too many. There were 3 recorded climbers that died this year, the only acceptable number would be ZERO!
  • Roger Sherman, (Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau,
    IMG_3374FCC), who brought us up to speed with all of the work that has been done so far. He thanked everyone for making progress. He thanked Kathy Pierce for all that she has done to show us how the loss affects families. He pointed out how in today’s world most American’s smartphones are more than a convenience, but a way to get work done and a part of our everyday lives.
  • Eric Seleznow, (Deputy Assistant Secretary, ETA, DOL), IMG_3379oversees the national apprenticeship programs. He was happy how far TIRAP has come in the past year and a half. He was very happy that the FCC and DOL could work together for this effort.
  • Matthew Colengo, (Chief of Staff, DOL), talked IMG_3382about the progress that has been made and gave a special thanks to Kathy Pierce for all that she is doing to improve work conditions and the treatment of tower climbers. He also brought up Ernie Jones and gave Ernie credit for all that he has done in the industry and how sad it was that we lost him.

First off let’s cover Panel 1, (my panel), that covers the changes that need to be made to the FCC/DOL Guidance for Best Practices for improving Safety. If you’re watching the video, this starts at 26 minutes in.

  • Moderators
    • Claire Wack, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC
    • Jessica Douma, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
  • Wade Sarver, (me!)
  • Jason Becker, National Radio Operations Branch, BLM
  • John Parham, Jacobs Engineering Group
  • Don Doty, National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)
  • Kevin Schmidt, National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA)
  • Angela Jones, Union Wireless, who is a structural engineer, project engineer, and certified climber.

Questions:

  1. Jessica asked how should company’s go about creating an environment where climbers can report unsafe conditions or a dangerous situation without fear of reprisal from their direct boss or up the company chain?
    • I brought up that companies need to have an open culture. The climber should not only be able to report it to his boss but if they have an issue then take it farther up to someone else in the company. Angela mentioned how their company being smaller, allows the climbers to be able to do that. John pointed out that NATE’s magazine has article in Tower Times by Tom Bunk about how the culture should be open and geared around safety. Jason talked about how they have reports daily for the climbers to review ahead of time.
  2. Jessica asked about contractual controls since there could be so many contractors between the carrier and the climber.
    • Kevin brought up that the carriers will implement training requirements. Don said that this is already common place for the most part and that we need better supervision and oversight. That is when I brought up that we need a way to audit the safety at the sites and that the climbers on site need to have a number to call to report incidents of climbers without credentials. Reporting to the boss won’t cut it, there needs to be a better way to report problems. Then Don mentioned they a credentialing system is being implemented to require all climbers on site to have the proper credentials and a way to verify them. He said that it will become mandatory at some point and required by the carriers.
  3. Claire asked John his thoughts about the contracts
    • John brought up that the contractors language will help but he also mentioned that it’s up to the tower crew companies to have the proper culture, that even policing may not be enough. He said that you can’t subcontract safety, and he it has to be in the culture of the company. He pointed out that OSHA has a hotline that people can call to report incidents directly to OSHA, the 800 # for them to call.
  4. Claire then asked Kevin about how contracts are packaged for bidding and how that would affect the climbers at the bottom of the bidding chain.
    • Kevin mentioned that the tower work is subbed out in bulk quantities to larger subs which then goes out to smaller subs who in turn may sub it out to even smaller subs before it gets to the climber. He then pointed out that at the top of the food chain no one really knows who is out at the site, specifically the carrier. Now that the new certification program coming it will raise the standards. John brought up that complacency is a real problem and that we need to keep the climbers alert on their job because one oversight or mistake could be the end. He said that the climbers need to have good discipline. He stated that all the workers need to be on the same page as far as a common safety message. I mentioned that it is a good idea but how do you instill this into all the tower companies spread across the country. Then Jason pointed out that the work has to be done in the beginning of the contract and to report the close calls and problems on site to record all issues that the climber ran into on site, reporting is very important. Then Angela pointed out that the tower needs to have proper anchor points, that many are not designed the way they should be for safety. John agreed and pointed out that often training is done with a perfect scenario but in the field there are more situations that they don’t encounter in training.
  5. Jessica asked Angela what more we should do on the tower to improve safety.
    • Angela brought up that towers need to have dedicated tie off points and that they need to eliminate dangerous mounting situations like the T arms on monopoles often called the widow maker. Then she brought up that TIA-222F and 222G has many of the requirements. TIA-222G actually has a chapter on proper rigging. How experienced climbers know how to handle some of the situations. John added that the site supervisor should be qualified to supervise and climb, to have the experience to lead the climbers to do things the right way.
  6. Claire then asked a question from the audience. Does the accredited ANSI program void their current ComTrain certification?
    • The answer was written on the card, which said it’s a supplemental certification so it will not void the certification.
  7. Jessica followed up with the structural discussion about what can we do for the existing towers, can retrofitting be done to make them safer and address dangerous towers out there.
    • Angela told us that you could improve the towers out there, not all but many could be improved and made better. She said if given the choice they would prefer to build a new tower.
  8. Jessica then asked Jason what occupational medical surveillance is required say for physical fitness and fit to climb and should it be addressed.
    • Jason answered with the medical check that they need to pass prior to getting hired, and they are looked at annually. Now, out in the field there’s a safety meeting checklist for the tailgate meeting where they not only ask for credentials but ask about medicine and general health. Don said that physical fitness matter and that they should make known any issues that could affect their climbing, mentally or physical or chemical. Don mentioned how STAR was a good program to address these issue and he brought up the safety culture plays a part in this.
  9. Jessica asked me about how the traveling and long days affected the climbers.
    • I brought up that it’s up to the crew leader to make the call about work. I brought up that many crews put in 14 hour days when they are busy, they work extra hard to get home. Therefore the planning needs to be worked out ahead of time to include travel time so that the climbers get the rest they need and that the foreman or crew lead needs to make the call and it would be a better call when the planning is done better. Awareness will make training a requirement and make the contractor look at the drive time as well as the work time.
  10. Claire followed up with a question to John about how to structure bids so that everything is taken into account and that the crews that you hire are in a good financial position to complete the work.
    • John said safety is up to the crew but can be helped with proper planning. When planning out a deployment it takes a lot of work. Now his company works with partners who they select ahead of time. Then, along with that contractors, they plan the work out ahead of time, 60 days, 6 months, and 12 months in advance. Then they can look at the time allocated for each job. They also try to balance the work so that the cash flow to the climber is steady and keeps the workers working. I commended him for doing that and pointed out how much work it was to do that up front and how that was not done in the past. John then said how the upfront work saves time on the backend. Jason brought up the model that the Navy has to lay out the preplanning looking at all of the resources, the time, and the tasks. Then I brought up that the partners program is a good idea because if you work with a partner you know them, what they can and can’t do as well as more about that company than a blind bid. John then said that they work very closely with their partner and have them work in their offices.
  11. Claire then asked Kevin how do you start the partnership programs and how do you know that they have qualified climbers and technicians
    • Kevin said right now there is only the paperwork but when NWSA comes out then you can look up the NWSA number to make sure they are all certified properly. Then Jason mentioned that for the inspections that need to be done at the towers and that there has to be oversight on the climber’s performance, they need to be trained to think about how they tied off and lay out the risks. Don mentioned how the tower is installed once and will be climbed hundreds of times and they anchor points need to be planned out. Angela then talked about OSHA tiers for safety to see that the towers are engineered for safety.
  12. Jessica then asked about how newer companies that need to train a skilled workforce, how would they plan out the work and keep the trained workforce?
    • Don mentioned how broadcast went through the downturn with the transition from analog to digital and how the work dried up. He then said that he was able to transition broadcast workers into wireless workers and how they have to transition the workers if they can. I then said if there is not work, what will you do? If there is no work then you can’t pay the people. So would they come back to this industry after what they have been through? I don’t think so. John agreed and pointed out that work does slow down and pick up. He mentioned that maybe the government could help with zoning and permitting to allow work to move ahead at a better pace.
  13. Then we wrapped up, Claire asked us each for our best practice ideas.
    • Angela said that make sure that the tower is engineered properly top to bottom for safety by having the proper anchor points at the right locations.
    • Don said that NATE is working with ANSI on A10.48 to release the criteria for safe practices with the construction and maintenance for towers.
    • Kevin said that the contractors should train properly and make sure everyone on site is certified and then each climber should tie off 100% and stop the work if there is a risk to anyone on the crew.
    • John says planning is the main thing is planning.
    • Jason said they should always climb as partners, work together, climbers are interchangeable and they all are prepared for any problems that might arise. They also provide safe practices.
    • I said that there has to be a way to report unsafe towers to someone other than the tower owner. I also said that the climbers need to get paid for their work, it is the #1 complaint that I get.

Order Tower Climber Logbook Today! Log your job, your high time, your drive time, and track your crew’s work!

Then we closed and Jessica said that they will revisit the best practices document to make updates based on what they learned in this session. This was the end of panel one.

I will have more on panels 2 & 3 in later articles.

Video of the workshop and information found here.

So here is the breakdown, it went well and we discussed a lot of good ideas. Now they need to be implemented. The culture needs to change. The change needs to come from the tower company’s leadership. If you are a climber, then I would ask you to change the culture of your crew as best you can. Take safety seriously, listen to each other, and work together. Don’t be afraid to point out problems and issues and call the OSHA hotline when you have to. Learn from each other about the best way to do things and have discussions not arguments. Remember that there is no perfect way to do things but if someone has a better idea then maybe listen to it. If your way is better, don’t just say it’s better, explain why and what you have done in the past. We need to make a safety culture.

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Now, the reality is that most climbers won’t care. That is why I believe that the culture needs to start at the top. We really need to work as a team with a common message. I also would ask all climbers to keep a log of what they do each day. If you track what you do then you have a record of what you’ve done. I talk to so many people that think that their time sheet is all they need, but it is not your time sheet is it? It belongs to your boss and you don’t have a log of what you’ve done, who will they believe? I think it’s a good idea to protect yourself. Most of you won’t because it’s just a job, until someone gets hurt. Then all you have is regret. Remember, if you keep a log then you can come up with ways to improve each week.

The main theme we have here is that we’re helping this becomes a career, not just a job. We want the tower industry to be full of professionals. Professionalism will start with you and the way you do your job. Certifications are necessary, but your attitude is also something that could help improve the image of the tower industry. Let’s work together on this.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

I am asking the carriers to provide numbers for workers to call to report payment issues and contractor issues. I didn’t hear from any of them yet, If you know it let me know at wade4wireless@gmail.com, but for now, call OSHA!

OSHA cares, don’t be afraid to call the number below and explain to them what is wrong at the site when you feel the work site is not safe! CALL OSHA to report unsafe work conditions!

Panel 1 ends at 89 minutes.

To report an emergency, fatality, or imminent life threatening situation please contact our toll-free number immediately:

1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

OSHA is asking for public comment on Safety and Management,  click here.

Video of the workshop and information found here.

OSHA Complaint web site for non-emergencies

Complaint information and whistle-blower protection explained

How to file a safety and health complaint

OSHA contact page to report unsafe working conditions

SOW Training CoverScope of Work tutorial for the contractor.

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Give to the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? Who supports Hubble? The wireless workers and the tower climbers, that’s who! With no support from the carriers or NATE, so it’s up to you! What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?

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The FCC and DOL OSHA Tower Safety Workshop

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Yes, it’s time again for the FCC and DOL tower safety workshop. Of course, when I say DoL I really mean OSHA in this case. The agenda can be found here.  I am going to be on a panel for the workshop to discuss not only the problems in the industry but also some solutions.

  • Quick notes for those of you outside of the USA
    • FCC = Federal Communications Commission
    • DoL = Department of Labor
    • OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Association which is part of the DoL

The workshop that the FCC and the DoL have put together is going to be in the Headquarters of the FCC on February 11th. The announcement is here. The FCC is in the Commission Room at 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC, 20554. The admission is free so if you can make it, if you can get the day off, I highly recommend that you show up and listen, participate by asking questions, and learn.

If you want to view the discussion remotely the go to t http://www.fcc.gov/live to see what’s going on.

This is very important, to submit questions during the conference, then send an email to livequestions@fcc.gov  or Tweet the #FCClive hashtag.

I was there in October of 2014 for the last conference where the FCC and DoL announced the creation of TIRAP. We shall see what TIRAP progress has been made in the past year and who has adopted it. What do you know and remember of TIRAP? Do any of you in the field know about TIRAP and has it made any difference in your life? Let me know by entering the information in my contact form below. To learn more about TIRAP you can go to http://www.tirap.org/ and see what they have been up to. Personally I didn’t see a major impact in the industry yet, but I really want this to be a success. I am still waiting for that major impact.

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FYI – OSHA has a tower communication safety site, https://www.osha.gov/doc/topics/communicationtower/index.html, which at this writing looks like it really hasn’t been updated in a while. It still shows the deaths from 2014, not 2015. It still has announcements from 2014 and it seems there have been no updates in 2015. In 2014 this was great, unfortunately it seems that it hasn’t been updated since then. Come on guys, let’s get with it. Tower workers are still working and deaths have still happened, but they have been lower.

  • To get more information on the workshop reach out to the following people;
  • Let’s talk agenda;
    • 9AM Opening Remarks:
      • Roger Sherman, Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
      • Dean McKenzie, Acting Director, Directorate of Construction, DOL
      • Eric M. Seleznow, Deputy Assistant Secretary, ETA, DOL
      • Tom Wheeler, Chairman, FCC
    • 9:30AM First Panel Discussion: FCC/DOL Guidance on Best Practices for Improving Safety;
      • Angela Jones, Union Wireless
      • Don Doty, National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)
      • Jason Becker, National Radio Operations Branch, BLM
      • John Parham, Jacobs Engineering Group
      • Kevin Schmidt, National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA)
      • Wade Sarver, Wade4Wireless.com
      • Moderators:
        • Claire Wack, Attorney Advisor, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
        • Jessica Douma, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
    • 10:30AM Second Panel Discussion: Comments Received in Response to OSHA’s Request for Information on Communication Tower Safety (OSHA-2014-0018);
      • Dr. Bridgette Hester, Hubble Foundation
      • Craig Lekutis, WirelessEstimator.com
      • Nick Vespa, Southeastern Towers
      • Richard Cullum, Crown Castle
      • Moderators:
        • Michael Janson, Associate Chief, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
        • Erin Patterson, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
    • 11:30 Third Panel Discussion: Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) and Telecommunications Workforce Development;
      • Chase Hammock, TIRAP Apprentice, MUTI/Sabre Industries
      • Dave Anthony, Shenandoah Tower
      • David Sams, SBA Communications
      • Jonathan Adelstein, PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association
      • Laurie Gebhardt, Verizon Wireless
      • Moderators:
        • Zachary Boren, Senior Advisor, Office of Apprenticeship, ETA
        • Matthew Warner, Attorney Advisor, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC

Here we are again looking at safety in the tower industry. There have been fewer deaths this year, thank GOD! I believe that we have had 2 slow years in a row for the industry. How many people have left the industry? From what I hear, so many. There will be an uptick in work in 2016, so we will need climbers. Will the guys that left come back? Only if they need the work and money because they know what the lifestyle is like. Travel, long hours, hard work, fair pay if you’re lucky, and then tossed aside when the work is done. Not the ideal American dream if you ask me and I have been part of this for years. I love wireless, I love RF, and I think that the wireless communications is the coolest thing in the world. However, it has problems that need to be fixed. Problems that need to be addressed.

Unfortunately, many tower climbers are not helping the situation, that’s right, this is not a one-sided argument where you are the victims. It will be a team effort to make changes. I am very optimistic, I feel we can solve the problems in the industry if we work together, if we all care enough to make change. I want to see this improve but I am tired. Remember, a quote that is NOT in the bible yet one we hear quite often, “GOD only helps those that help themselves” which something that most people say but very few people own. I believe it and I try to follow this advice along with the serenity prayer, which I know this version, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Again, not in the Bible.

I am concentrating on the deployment side of the industry lately because I really feel we can make a living deploying small cells and DAS because I love the engineering side. I still want to see the tower industry improve and I will do what I can to help, but it needs to be a team effort and one that the workers need to commit and have a voice as much as the owners and carriers. I am pointing this out because it’s easy for all of us to complain and bitch, but when it comes to doing something, that takes work, it’s an inconvenience, and something that few people do. It’s not my job but I have tried to help. If you want to learn what I think about this subject, I will put it in my newsletter, you can sign up below. Just say “Newsletter” in the notes section.

To see the replay of the 2014 session, go to https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2014/10/workshop-on-tower-climber-safety-and-injury-protection.

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FCC and DOL Safety Review

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There is a great effort in its second year, put together by the FCC and DOL to align safety nationwide in the tower industry. They have collaborated to create TIRAP, an apprenticeship training program similar to what unions and utilities use in other industries. The next meeting will be Feb 11, 2016 at FCC Headquarters. I plan to be there. They are going to align the communications industry with the workforce rules, meaning that the FCC knows the tower industry and the DOL has OSHA who knows safety. The 2 departments of the US government are aligned to create a model for safety in the USA. One that we should be proud of. I believe that collaboration is the key and that OSHA doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. They are trying to align their rules with the tower work that needs to be done.

The Wireless Deployment Handbook, LTE Small Cells, CRAN, and DAS edition.

It is never a good year for the tower industry when we lose even one climber, and this year we lost several, including Ernie Jones who did more for the tower industry than almost anyone.

So this was a bad year but the losses were lower, and what is the theme? Pay attention! We lost a few veterans and someone new who if the people training here would have been paying attention they would have had her on a rope grab. This was a tough year even though the losses were less than previous years. Any lost life in the industry is terrible.

So how can we help each other out? By working as partners! We give each other grief when the other screws up, so make sure that you have someone watching over you and pointing out your mistakes. Be proactive! This is why the boy scouts have the buddy system, for support and to keep each other in line. Don’t think it will happen to you? That’s what Ernie. A seasoned veteran who got distracted just for a minute because he was busy. We really should be working in pairs as partners.

We also have NATE who created the NWSA to create a standardized certification program. While there isn’t much available yet for the climber there are rigging certifications from the crane industry that are paving the way for climbing certifications. This is quite an undertaking for this group. They have been trying to get more and more out there for the climbing technician.

If an accident happens, there is support for the injured workers and their families. There is support for the families of the fallen climbers. We have the Hubble Foundation and the Tower Family Foundation who do all that they can to support the victims of these horrendous accidents. They don’t ask too many questions but they are available to support whoever it would be, the families or the injured. Once someone has a detrimental accident chances are good they will never work the same again. If they are fallen then their families will never truly recover, but they need financial aid, which both groups do, because the banks don’t really care why the families can’t pay their bills. These financial problems can snowball as families have to pay for medical bills. It’s even worse when they have to pay the funeral bill. I see the fundraisers on GoFundMe.com when families need help.

So what can you do? If you are in the industry you can do several things. First, be safe and pay attention by looking out for yourself and your workmates, don’t’ let your smartphone distract you when climbing or driving. Second, give to the charity of your choice on the websites for the TFF or Hubble. Finally, let’s support the FCC and DOL as they come together to promote safety for the wireless worker at tower sites.

And now, some notes and history, helpful and reminders.

Tower climber risks:

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/02/20/hazardous-poop-look-out-dangerous-bird-and-bat-poop/

http://wade4wireless.com/2015/05/29/osha-rfi-response-for-hazards-and-incidents/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/08/20/do-or-die-are-you-in-over-your-head/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/08/06/trucks-ropes-heat-and-near-misses/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/05/28/my-top-11-rooftop-hazards/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/05/17/rf-awareness-are-you-aware-seriously-are-you/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/08/13/near-miss-stories-lessons-learned/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/09/09/feedback-3-near-miss-drugs/

Injured Tower climber Support

http://wade4wireless.com/2015/11/02/when-a-climber-falls-who-cries/

http://wade4wireless.com/2015/11/09/tff-dont-blame-dont-judge-just-help/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/07/11/interview-part-1-with-dr-bridgette-gette-hester-founder-of-the-hubble-foundation/

My IWCE presentation on YouTube about Tower Climber Safety. If you want the PowerPoint slides, just ask. I presented this in early 2015 at IWCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFzad7zjjdQ

That’s all for this week, be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

I hope this helps, for more get the eBook! Find out where to get the eBook here. 

By the way, the carriers need to free the small cells! Find out more by clicking here. 

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Tower Safety graduates could get a tablet with all of my books on it!

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Tower Safety and Instruction, how often do you hear that as a sales pitch? Well, you know you need it to work in this industry. Even with NATE pushing NWSA certification at you, with the help of AT&T, you know that your climbers need to be trained. My sponsor, Tower Safety, (480-313-0678) is more than just someone who helps me out! They are an Arizona accredited school, which is more than most schools can say. They are approved by the state as a real school in Arizona. Yes, not a fly by Night Company but a certified school that is also currently a member of NATE. I don’t know how much longer that will last because NATE is making it clear that the schools are not as important as the NWSA certification is, but I am getting off point.

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Tower Safety is going to train you for all you need to get started in tower training. If you are getting out of the military then you can get some help here. They can help you get the help you need to get trained properly and be prepared for you new career. This is something that all tower site workers need. Not only the tower training and rescue that goes without saying, but also the OSHA 10 hour and the First Aid and CPR training.

Crane guys hanging around

Tower Safety has the facility to train you at their location, although they will come to you. They have just added 2 antenna booms for you to train on. How cool is that? They have a 150’ tower crane to let you practice on, again, really cool! This is the place to be for the training. They are co-located with a crane training facility so if you want to coordinate the training, it may be an option.

Don’t settle for less than the best, get what you need and get a well-rounded education. Remember, this is going to be your career, not your hobby. Do it right the first time!

They offer rigging class, capstan training, and ropes training by a rescue veteran that has instructed people around the world. Someone well-rounded who trains in mountain rescue, confined space, even water rescue. Someone who has trained lineman can help. This is someone you can count on for training and a few good stories.

Tower Safety isn’t going to stop or slow down, oh no! They are adding drone training because that will be a major part of inspections and the close out packages for the future, more on that below. They also are adding a crane rescue course.

The other thing that most training companies miss for the tower climber is the fiber skills. This is something that is coming to Tower Safety because they know that the carriers require fiber skills.

You see, Tower Safety understand the needs of the tower worker., It’s not just tower work you’re doing anymore, fiber work, rigging, climbing, safety, first aid, CPR, and everything needed to make sure that you can do your job and be prepared to save someone when necessary.

The training covered by Tower Safety is all about safety and doing the job right. Education is more than just reading. When working on a tower you need to prepare for the more than latest certifications, you need to have hands on experience. This training will provide the tower climber with the training needed to do their job. The certifications will provide the tower climber with the proof that they are certified. Most customers don’t just ask if you are trained but they require proof, certifications matter.

The training provided is around tower work. The Tower Safety tower and rescue training is to provide the tower climber with the skills to work on the tower safely and to rescue a fellow worker in trouble. This training is required and should be renewed annually because changes in the industry are happening on a regular basis.  The tower safety and instruction meets ANSI Z359, NATE CTS, and OSHA standards. The instructor will work with the student to insure that they have a good understanding of tower work and safety techniques.

20151202_130357 celltowercertificationscomtrain

Don’t worry, when the NWSA standards are released, this will be incorporated into the program to make sure you are prepared for the certification test.

Let’s not forget that the OSHA training will be required by most customers. Tower Safety offer both OSHA 10 hour training and OSHA 30 hour training. The requirements are different based on what you job duties will be at the tower site. The key is safety training when working at a remote tower site! Make sure you are prepared with CPR and First-Aid training. Why? Because the tower crew could be at a tower site where first aid will be needed before help arrives.

Hazards are a key factor at the tower site. There are hazards you don’t see, like RF. So make sure that tower site workers have RF Awareness training.

This school goes deeper than normal training. The introduction to new equipment and why are we not using a lineman’s favorite harness, or ANSI rated aluminum carabiners, polyester vs. nylon rope is explained at this school.  There is a pick-off stick to rescue someone off a boom, why is that not part of our rescue bag?

There is always the possibility of risking the life of a rescuer while getting to the victim. As you know It is best practice for the rescuer to get above the victim, but what if they attach a carabiner and rope to his D-ring by this rescue clip and carefully descend him to the ground.  It keeps rescuing simple and takes the thought out of rigging and pick off.

Rescue Clip with 14 foot, high strength pole. Made of 7075 extruded aluminum tubing which resists bending. Collapses to 4 feet to easily fit in a truck compartment. Comes with three stage auto lock carabiner and attachment sling. See if the is video link helps:

Just wait, there’s more that Tower Safety offers that other don’t! I now that you are thinking, is this it? There is so much more that sets this school apart! With every Climber course Tower Safety will be giving a free tablet to every student, with extras from yours truly Wade4Wireless.com, all my books will be available.  These tablets show the forward thinking of Tower Safety and the availability for a Google hangout or live on meerkat with a Tower Safety Tablet (TST).  The usefulness of the TST to have instant access to knots, ropes, safety, OSHA, ANSI will be an asset to the tower worker and contractor.

What do they offer, read below!

Training for the tower worker included:

  • Authorized Climber – 16 hours of training
  • Competent Climber – 16 hours of training
  • Authorized Rescuer/Train the Trainer-24 hours of training
  • OSHA 10-hour Construction minimum 10 hours of training
  • OSHA 30-hour Construction-minimum 30 hours of training
  • RF Awareness- 4 hours of training
  • First Aid/CPR- 5 hours of training

Tower Safety has branched out, following the lead of NATE, to offer crane and rigging training. Before NATE announced working with the NCCCO, I had moved in with Tech Testing, a NCCCO crane school and knew the two industries worked together but separate and then it was announced. Not sure how we can phrase that but I would prefer if we lead instead of followed NATE… ego J. Working with the NCCCO for crane operator training. This certified crane operator, (CCO), training is offered at Tower Safety as well.

Crane operators are offered the following courses:

  • Crane Operator Training
  • Lift Director Training
  • Rigger Training
  • Signal Person Training
  • Forklift Certification Training
  • Inspection Training
  • OSHA

Tower Safety, being an accredited school, offers career services for students to utilize. They believe that the best defense against unemployment is to provide specialized career training and professional support. This service will provide the student with a good start in finding employment. Offering an employment services will give the people who are new to the workforce or new to the tower industry a way to connect with tower companies that are looking for trained people who have the necessary certifications.

They are developing the Drone training program. Drones are up and coming in the tower industry. They may be used for tower inspections and close out packages. However, to use drones for professional services will require training and certification. The FAA is still putting together the requirements for workers to use drones in the tower industry. Once these details have been worked out the training should be released shortly after.

For more on Tower Safety go to https://gem.godaddy.com/p/4f2c07?fe=1&pact=1-128862005-8483621508-0192074836d5a110d8038b85708da76f3fa4ccca

Check out my credentials with a QR Reader –> http://app.qredentials.com/Credential/Index/39

Buy your tower logbook today to log your time properly!

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Give to the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? Who supports Hubble? The wireless workers and the tower climbers, that’s who! With no support from the carriers or NATE, so it’s up to you! What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?

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More Tower Accident Lawsuits

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OK, so here it is, more lawsuits are popping up. First the one in Nutter Fort, WV where the firefighter’s family is suing and now the deceased tower climbers families have filed suits against SBA and FDH Velocitel and 3 other subsidiaries. The new lawsuit is stating that faulty methods were used to shore up the tower while the guys worked on it, which we all know by now. Very sad that it happened but I will be interested to see what the outcome of this will be. That is if we ever know the truth, these lawsuits tend to be settled very quietly and with gag orders. Let’s see what happens this time and let’s see if we can learn from it. The industry can always learn from mistakes to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

Make sure that when you get assigned a job you review it and ask questions. Make sure you know what the risks are and that you understand the problems before stepping foot on the tower. Your experience should guide you.

http://www.theet.com/news/local/more-lawsuits-filed-in-deadly-harrison-cell-tower-collapse/article_f160c2d2-3208-51be-888b-b32b458db646.html?mode=jqm

http://www.theet.com/news/local/lawsuit-filed-in-firefighter-s-death-at-cell-tower-collapse/article_e50aa496-3764-5201-b48a-78d6378c3733.html

http://www.wboy.com/story/24608973/update-wrongful-death-lawsuits-filed-involving-2014-cell-tower-collapse-in-summit-park

https://insidetowers.com/lawsuit-filed-in-2014-tower-death/

http://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2015/%EF%BB%BFlawsuit-charges-contractor-tower-owner-and-its-engineer-are-liable-in-firefighters-death/

Ω Click here to learn more on Wireless

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention!

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Where the best get better! 480-313-0678

Special thanks to Tower Safety for their sponsorship! Tower Safety, where the best get better.

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OSHA RFI Response for Contracting, Oversight, and Economics

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Click here to learn more about Tower Safety! Where the best get better!

Update on the RFI response: Thank you everyone who responded to OSHA tower climber RFI. Less than 500 people in the US that really want to help OSHA recognize the importance of tower safety in the wireless community. Congrats! For the rest of you, don’t worry, I realize I am beating a dead horse with no hope of getting him to move. So I will let it rest for a while. I was just so shocked that so many of you complained about safety but so many of you refuse to let OSHA know what their problems are. I just don’t understand, that’s all. I should have remembered my dad’s old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”. In this case I can’t help those who won’t help themselves, even if they spend their spare time complaining about this very problem.

Here is my full response in a PDF. Click here to download it and look it over. This is what I sent to the FCC.

To update the RFI with your answers click here to go to Wireless Estimator or click here to go to the FCC site. You can submit anonymously if you want to. Deadline is June 15th, 2015!

Special thanks to Tower Safety for their sponsorship! Tower Safety, where the best get better.

Contracting and Work Oversight

  1. Describe your role in the contract chain and the key safety-related provisions typically included in your contracts. How do contracting parties oversee or enforce those provisions?
    • Currently I help put together large offers that will require contractors to deploy large communication systems. Usually with larger companies a project manager will manage the contractor and follow through the work with them from inception to close out.

What are the consequences if a party fails to fulfill those contractual requirements?

  • If they do not present the certifications and safety plans they do not get the work. If they send uncertified people out to the site and the contractor hears about it they are not paid.
  1. What characteristics of past safety performance does your company use in selecting potential contractors and subcontractors?
  • Review contractor’s safety record as well as the required material.

What safety-related criteria does your company use in this selection process?

  • Ask for certifications up front but that is it. We should be asking for the safety and rescue plan as well.
  1. Are safety-related factors considered in determining whether to remove a contractor/subcontractor from an ongoing project or from future selection processes? If so, what specific factors are considered?
  • Yes, safety record and feedback from the end customer, landlord/tower owner and the PM. The subs employees are usually very honest and their feedback is also taken. If the feedback is very negative, then they are removed.
  1. What are the ways in which the multi-leveled contracting environment (i.e., where entities such as the carrier, tower owner, turfing vendor, subcontractor, and contractors hired by the subcontractor all have some role in the project) impacts employee safety at communication tower work sites?
  • As margins are added, the price that the actual crew doing the work is very low. It takes money to provide training and PPE to employees. It also adds delays to the schedules because the work required passes through many hands before it is released to the company doing the work. Compressed schedules cause the installers to rush increasing the chances of making mistakes.
  1. What practices might companies in the contracting chain adopt to encourage communication and coordination among employers at tower work sites? What obstacles stand in the way of communication and coordination between different parties in the contracting chain?
  • Many contractors are afraid to let the end customer or master contractor talk to the end worker but this should not be the case. There should be NDAs in place that allow the turf vendor or contractor to act as a placement company and open communication showing the certifications from the people on the field to the end customer. The obstacles are fear that the other contractors will steal the sub contractors. The other fear is that there could be confusion with all of the information being shared. There needs to be a way to streamline the information from the end customer to the work crew. Then, streamline the information from the field back to the end customer. It all comes down to program management.

Economic Issues

  1. The Agency seeks information on the number and size of firms that are engaged in communication tower work and on the number of employees employed by those firms.
  • The companies that I deal with are mostly 30 to 50 employee companies.
  1. The Agency seeks information about wage and turnover rates for employees who work on communication towers. The Agency is also interested in information about the experience possessed by workers currently doing communication tower work. Are they usually experienced in this type of work? Are there many new or inexperienced employees working on communication towers?
  • Experience – From what I see the experienced crews are doing the tower building and structural upgrades. The tower crews doing antenna and line installations are usually the less qualified people. These crews are usually less experienced and paid less. There are many inexperienced crews doing cell deployments and there will be again when the work picks up.
  • Payment – for carrier deployments they usually get paid from $15 to $30 an hour. For heavier tower work they generally get paid over $35/hour depending on experience.
  • General – I have personally talked to many tower techs that have worked in the business for less than 2 years, they are just learning the job and the issue is that they often are on a crew with the same experience and that is not the structure that we should have in the field.
  1. What types of equipment are used in tower work and how often is this equipment repaired and/or replaced?
  • Tools, winches, PPE, rope, cranes, vehicles, so much more.
  • It should all be maintained, repaired, and replaced as needed.
  1. The Agency seeks information from all employers in the contracting chain about the extent to which employees directly engaged in tower work are covered by workers’ compensation and/or an employer liability insurance policy.
  • I have worked on all sides. Insurance is handled by HR or finance. I do not have the best insight into this issue.

 Tell me what you think!

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End to End Safety: The Site Safety Audit

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Why is safety so important? If you need to ask it’s because we need to all that we can to make sure that the workers come home alive. Elevated work is very dangerous, look at this article in Paintsquare and listen to what FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said. Worker safety is job #1. Complacency is a killer, as is the killer schedules. The FCC knows it, OSHA knows it, and you should know it. But what’s easy to do is easy not to do, and safety can be easy to do, but just as easy not to do. I am going to give you an idea of what can help in mass deployments.

Special thanks to Tower Safety for their sponsorship! Tower Safety, where the best get better.

First, let me talk about how the end customer can make a difference in safety. I have it figured out. A way we can track the poor contractors, the dangerous workers, and poorly equipped climbers. This is something that the end customer, let’s use the carriers as an example. I am talking specifically about AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, and even FirstNet. Any end customer that will listen. Here is a way you can play an active role is saving live, eliminating bad contractors, and securing a good work force. It is to do safety audits on all regions you are deploying. I don’t mean all sites, pick a percentage randomly, but make sure you send someone out to do the audit while the contractor is still on site. This is not a close out package! This is an audit of the workers and what they are doing. You learn a lot when you show up unannounced.

It will cost money, I won’t kid you. You will need to make sure you build a budget for this, outside of deployment, and you must not have your GC or OEM or master integrator do it because they might cheat. You must do it as a separate project that runs simultaneously with the deployment. This is how the end customer/carrier can play an active part in deployment safety. Not just for the tower crew but for all of the workers in general.

While I think this is a great idea because 1) it will keep all of the contractors honest, 2) remove the incompetent crews, 3) keep all the crews on their toes for safety. Plain and simple, it’s a plan that will help you maintain the integrity of your deployment for safety and competence. An added bonus is it will show that you are serious about tower worker safety, right? If anything, this should alleviate you of accident liability because you are doing all that you can. This is a form of quality control!

Why wouldn’t you do it? To remain hands off so you can point the finger and stay at arm’s length to controlling safety. You probably won’t want to spend the money, which you will point to the shareholders and say they won’t let you do it. Meanwhile, what did you pay for safety people for support and what did you pay CTIA, PCIA, and NATE to resolve this issue? While they appreciate the support you can have more control here. This will look great in the eyes of OSHA and the FCC!

So what would the plan be? Here it is in a nutshell. Your next deployment will be planned out and you will hire the crews, the contractors to manage and run it and the OEM to supply the equipment. That will give you the schedule and the contractor’s names. So simultaneously have your safety people working on their project, independently, to create another separate RFP to do 10 to 25% random safety audits at the sites while the crews are on-site. This will have to be done independently of the tower work and GC because if you use them then they will warn the tower crews that an inspection will take place. Do not hire any of the deployment companies! That defeats the purpose.

Plan to put out a separate RFP to other vendors, ones that are not involved in your deployment or maybe safety teams. They can be safety vendors. Make the scope all about inspections of the tower workers while they are on the tower site working. Make the inspections random. Make it one guy that visits the sites to keep costs down. Plan on a percentage of sites, say 10% to 25% of the sites in that region. I will write the SOW if you need me too.

So when the guy goes to the site here is the high level scope.

  • Give the safety contractor a region.
  • Give the safety contractor a schedule of deployment, your PM should know what is going on. Make sure the safety contractor knows which sites the climbers will be working at.
  • Have the contractor go near the site to watch and record what it happening.
  • From afar, take video and picture for 30 minutes of the site, if possible. Log the workers actions from a safety standpoint.
  • Then have the contractor go on site, identify his purpose and show ID. Make sure to talk to the foreman or lead crew member. Ask for his and all crew members credentials and ID, record all names. Ask for all certifications but chances are good they will not have them along, so ask if they can email them to the safety contractor. Get all names, ask for each person’s ID if possible. Take notes while on site to log all activity, record all notes about work and safety. Wear all necessary PPE, like a hard hat.
  • This person visiting the site should not climb! Not his job, one person can do this. They need to take pictures and videos. If possible, use a drone to get the tower pictures and videos of the climbers in action with the foreman’s permission. Do not climb! Take plenty of notes, complete a form to log all safety information.
  • The person on site should compile the report and send to the office for completion, close out, and billing.
  • The office can compile the pictures and put in a deliverable format for the customer, end customer, and make a rating of the crew based on safety with the evidence of video and pictures and ID information. Include all names, ID information, and copies of certifications.

So there it is, if you are interested in learning more, I am writing a white paper on this subject. Let me know if you want a copy, I can send it to you if you leave me a message below. I think that we need to do something. This will serve many purposes. If you sincerely want to see the qualified contractors do the work, this is a good plan. I am sure you will tell me all the problems with this plan so feel free to comment!

Related blog posts: Large Scale Wireless Deployments, Are you in over your head?

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention to what you are doing. You need to arrive alive at the end of the day or week. You have family and friends and crewmates that want you around!

Here is my full response in a PDF. Go ahead and download it to look it over. This is what I sent to the FCC.

Tell me what you think!

Listen to  iTunes or Stitcher for more commentary! Podcast Download
https://youtu.be/pRY84DgXvsw

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Less Than 5% of Wireless Workers Contributed to the OSHA RFI!

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That’s right, less than 5% of the wireless industry contributed to OSHA’s Tower Safety RFI! I am talking actual contributors.

I originally was counting all the comments when I reported the earlier numbers. Someone pointed out that I was counting dog-tags_clearbackgrondcomments, not individual submissions or individual contributors.

You see before I was counting all the comments. A comment is what is just the response, not the contributor. On the FCC website, actually at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketBrowser;rpp=25;po=0;dct=PS;D=OSHA-2014-0018;refD=OSHA-2014-0018-0001 where you can see and count each comment. This would be one answer or an answer for all 28 questions, just one submission. So I went through and looked at the names individually. Don’t worry if you submitted anonymously. I didn’t actually see your name, just that someone submitted.

To update the RFI click here to go to Wireless Estimator or click here to go to the FCC site. You can submit anonymously if you want to. Deadline is June 15th, 2015!

So, on there were actually 32 submissions, of that 26 of them were accepted and actual submissions, 1 was a proposed rule and 5 were supporting material. I counted each anonymous as a separate entry because they could be unique. So out of the 26 there are 22 unique entries, so 22 people submitted comments on the FCC page.

Now, on the Wireless Estimator page, found here, http://wirelessestimator.com/osha-rfi-2015/#!/. This took a little longer to build a list of unique names. It took me awhile but I came up with around 195 unique submissions, really a best estimate based on cut and paste and excel and asking around.

Learn more on Wireless Ω

So let’s add this up, 195 (Wireless Estimator) + 22 (FCC) =  217 people who submitted responses. That is probably high because some people, like me, submitted on both sites. So that would lower.

217 people in the industry were willing to help OSHA understand the danger associated with tower climbing. In the tower industry there are over 10,000 people, allegedly, working at tower sites, training, running crews, etc. So let me do a quick calculation, 195 of 10,000 would be 2.17%. So either the number for the workers is way too high or only 2.17% of the people want OSHA to understand what is going on in the industry.

If you want to make a difference, then go to Wireless Estimator or to the Regulations.gov websites and give your 2 cents. Let them know what is really going on. Read what others in the industry want to change.

Or do nothing, it appears that over 90% of the industry would rather just get up and go to work, keep the blinders on.

Ask yourself, are we better off now, or before OSHA existed? Nobody seems to care until someone gets hurt.

God only helps those that help themselves. Here is a chance to help the industry, or do nothing and see what happens.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

Here is my full response in a PDF. Go ahead and download it to look it over. This is what I sent to the FCC.

 Tell me what you think!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRY84DgXvsw

Listen to  iTunes or Stitcher for more commentary! Podcast Download

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention!

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To become a certified project manager you need to take your Project Management Professional Certification test. Then will be a certified PMP, Project Management Professional. If you are studying or preparing for it then my partner can help. Click Here!

When working in project management it really helps to have some templates to get started. I have a partner that has the toolkit you need! If you need some tools then I think this will help. Get some templates and tools that would help you improve your PM work. Click Here!

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