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Hey Tower climbers, let me know where would you look for work?
Be safe, be smart, and pay attention!
Let me know what’s going on, Facebook, email, or comments below.
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Hey guys,
First off, we had another fallen worker this month and I would like all of you to take a moment of silence in remembrance.
Well it’s time for the world cup!Soccer is exciting to the world! In North America and Australia we both say soccer, but to the rest of the world it’s football. Either way Let’s see how we stack up against each other in tower safety. I got some information on the high risk work certifications that Australia has from Dennis Lundin. I met Dennis on LinkedIn. He was nice enough to send me a boatload of information over. Thank you Dennis!
Leave me a review in iTunes here.
Here in the USA we have a high number of accidents that result in death. I often wanted to compare it to other countries where the government regulates the tower business. Here in the USA we are more or less self-regulated. We rely on the industry to regulate itself. I know you have businesses out there that say they keep an eye on it, but how? They really just give guidelines and they rely on OSHA to follow-up. Are we being proactive in accident prevention?
Now that OSHA is coming out with updated rules I thought it would be interesting to see what Australia does. I virtually met Dennis Lundin on LinkedIn. He was nice enough to send all this information on how it works down under. Here is what he sent me. It covers more than tower climbing, it cover construction in general. It covers risk management.
So what is the USA doing wrong? I really don’t know except maybe we have more work or maybe the lack of safety regulation is hurting the climber’s safety. Don’t you wonder why we don’t have more regulation for an occupation where the percentage of death is so high? Is it that government doesn’t care about the workers that make their communications system work? Here is a critical cog in the machine and the accidents seem to be accepted, not prevented. Is it because when it happens it is out at a tower site, not close to the public? I don’t understand. What is an allowable death rate? I think ZERO is the only answer.
We have similar documentation here in the US. We should know better. So what is happening here? If you look at http://www.wirelessestimator.com/t_content.cfm?pagename=International%20Tower%20Climber%20Deaths you will see that deaths overseas appear to be lower than here in the US.
Dennis was kind enough to take the time to put all of this together so we can understand what they are doing there. They seem to have a better track record that we do.
From Dennis:
By Law, to work in Towers or on Roof Tops, etc a worker must have:
License To Perform High Risk Work
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/licensing/Licencesandcertificates/highriskworklicences/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/licensing/Licencesandcertificates/Pages/Scaffoldingrigginganddogging.aspx
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/NEWLEGISLATION2012/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Pages/factsheetfallfromheights.aspx
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Pages/WC01321_SafeWorkingatHeightsGuide.aspx
Certification To Perform High Risk Work
https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/ohs/DEE_EHU-08-1-1_Working_at_Height_Procedure.pdf
Permit To Perform High Risk Work on Buildings (Roof Tops, Platforms,etc) (renewed for every job)
A Work at Heights Permit and Induction Certification from the Building Owner and a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) which need to be Fill-Out and signed each day by the Site Supervisor and all Riggers.
Access To Perform High Risk Work on Towers (renewed for every job)
Access Permit and Induction Certification from the Tower Owner (which need to see all above Licence To Perform High Risk Work and Certification To Perform High Risk Work) and a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) which need to be Fill-Out and signed each day by the Site Supervisor and all Riggers.
Induction Certification (renewed every 2 Years)
Tower Owner or Building Owner will typical use a company like Rapidinduct to set up and run the Induction services. All above Licence To Perform High Risk Work and Certification To Perform High Risk Work) and a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) need to be uploaded to the system and approved before Induction can be permitted.
See Sample of Induction Site
https://www.rapidinduct.com.au
https://www.rapidinduct.com.au/online-induction-solutions.html
https://www.rapidinduct.com.au/contractor_Induction.html
Also a Method Of Procedure (MOP) must be in place in the SWMS
Per Dennis: As I install Microwave Links, my MOP is below Step by Step Tower Installation Procedure ;
So who wins? Let me know what you think, get me on Facebook (hit Like while you are there!)or leave a comment. The way I see it is Australia gets an A while the USA gets a D because we still have so many fatalities. D is very poor, but look at our track record. We have so many people who try to make the USA #1 in training and prevention but we are dropping the ball when it comes to responsibility within the companies. Safety is the priority and schedule should be a distant 3rd after safety budget. Let’s make the rest of the year safe and healthy and no more injuries! At least no more preventable injuries.
Also, still have my books for sale at Wireless Field Aid and An Introduction to Tower Climbing.
I have some good stuff coming up for you faithful followers. I am working on an interview with the FCC people on RF radiation, more tick talk, and some small cell deployment problems.
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So this week I have been busy trying to align some interviews with some people about the RF radiation issues I have been talking about. It takes time and I just can’t seem to get them aligned just yet. I am also reaching out to get more information on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. If you know of another subject I should be talking about let me know. I know we are all awaiting an update from OSHA on the tower climbing standards they said they would add. This is something that I personally can’t wait to see. Below I mention some things that were important to me. I put in some Amazon affiliate links to show each of you the books. You can buy it wherever you like.
By the way, let’s all thank Dr Gette Hester for the outstanding work she is doing at www.hubblefoundation.org and the appreciation that FOX 54 is showing her, http://www.fox54.com/story/25755959/local-non-profit-provides-support-to-families-of-cell-tower-accidents if you have time. I have a signed copy of her book Godwink, On the Wings of Butterflies, and I just loved it! It is not for the faint of heart, OK? It starts out with the accident and talks about her feelings as well as what happened to those people on the tower. Gette is an awesome person! Thank you Gette for your work and thank God for you! By the way, Gette looks great on TV!
Hey tower climbers, did you fill out my survey at http://wp.me/p3OC6A-hS so I know how you look for work? Let me tell you why I want to know, so when all of you come to me asking for work I can tell you what to do. Now it’s a crap shoot. None of you really ask for websites but you ask who is hiring. I can only speculate and try to find a good fit. I hope all of you get work and learn more at each job!
I know I have said it before but I am reading a good book, The Tower Builder by Vicky Kaseorg, which is now $7.99. It’s really about climbers and some classic towers and tower companies. It’s about the tower climbing industry from an outsider’s perspective but with several insiders talking her through the process and history of tower building.
I just saw a new book written by Adam Beck called 7 Knots and Hitches, Rigging Antennas & Lines, it’s a hard copy that you can take with you and it’s for the tower industry. I didn’t buy it yet, but I plan too soon. I know you guys love knots and it seems everyone needs to learn about knots.
Hey, if you’re just starting out then take a chance and read my book, Tower Climbing: An Introduction to learn what you are in for. I wanted to give new climbers an idea of what the job will have in store for them. I also came out with a Field Worker’s Aid if you’re interested.
Are you looking out for your coworker? With all of the near miss accidents that the fire department is being called. I am thankful for no tower climber deaths in the past few months, thank you for taking the time to be safe. Remember that it’s a team effort and that you need to keep an eye on each other to make sure that there is something that the other guy may have missed. Remember that God is watching but God won’t catch you! You need to make sure that the accident doesn’t happen in the first place! This is a brotherhood where all of you need to look out for each other at the job site. Watch over your coworker like his life depended on it. Would you want him or her to do the same? I know that there have been some near misses that the fire companies have been rescuing people. So here is where I need your feedback. We used to rescue people that were stuck on a tower ourselves, but lately the fire companies are the key people and I am grateful that they are here to help. I am curious if there is a change in policy that won’t allow climbers to rescue their own. Does anyone know? Let me know by email at wade4wireless@gmail.com or Facebook or in the comments section.
That’s it for this week, so be smart, be safe, and don’t be stupid!
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Hello everybody. I have something special for you today. I have an interview with someone who had RF Radiation poisoning. I wrote a blog a few weeks back that had information in it about the climber that got RF poisoning years ago. His name is Bruce Elle and he was kind enough to let me interview him and broadcast it on my Blog Cast podcast. You can listen to it here or get it on iTunes. It is over an hour so it’s not something that you can fly through.
I did edit out some swear words, the best I could. This is an adult conversation so be aware not to have children around for this. It is over an hour so make time to listen.
Bruce and I have a goal of alerting people of the hazards of RF radiation.We would like make sure you get the point that safety matters. Although we jump around in our conversation we want to drive home that the more you know the more you respect yourself. Respect yourself by looking for ways to keep you healthy, now and in the long run. You have the tools available to ensure that you will be safe barring a major failure, which happens in this business.
We start out by going into Bruce’s background as a climber and the history of the climbing business. Many people think that the way things are now is how it’s always been. Let me tell you it has come a long way. The advances in climbing and safety have been greatly advance through training and education. The thing about climbers is that they hate to change the way they do things. So the key is to show them how it will help them improve their work and be safer. It is hard to slow down a seasoned climber because they want to race up the tower and get the job done. The focus is changing now to make sure that the job is not only done right but safety is the focus.
Focus, this is one thing that we all seem to have a problem with today. When you are going to head up the tower you need to have focus. Someone needs to be looking out for you. That is why I say the crew needs to work together, so that each person is looking for something that they other person may have missed. But, back to the interview.
Bruce talks about how he climbed up the tower that day he got radiated. He was working on the antenna 550 feet up in the air. This was in February and he was sweating while sitting on the antenna. The beacon was on the antenna. For all of you guys that do cellular work may not understand that broadcast antennas were huge and the beacons were on the antenna itself. The antenna would be a huge steel structure made to be mounted on top of a tower. The engineering that went into these was amazing because it would not only radiate but it would need to be a solid steel structure, in this case 50’ high, that you could climb on and it had a beacon on top.
So he was sitting on the antenna was on low power, which in this case was 35,000 watts coming out of the transmitter. This was considered safe at that time, can you believe it? This was considered safe for someone to site on the antenna to change out the beacon. This was considered a normal day at work.
Bruce didn’t have any real pain right away, he just felt really hot for the middle of February. He didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary until he got home that night, then the fever hit. He had to take an ice bath to break the fever. This was the beginning of so many problems that he still deals with today.
Back then he didn’t have RF alert meters, RF suits, or anything like that. Today you have the opportunity to prepare for the unseen hazards of RF radiation by preparing yourself with those tools. Bruce is telling this story so that no other human goes through the pain and suffering he has endured. OK, get it, he is trying to help all of you by sharing his experience. Listen carefully if you want to live a healthy life. Quality of life matters.
Listen to the interview, Bruce lead a climber’s life, not always perfect but he learned on the way. If you are new to this business you will learn a lot about the lifestyle. You can learn from his mistakes and set yourself up for success. Come up with a plan that will work for you. Think about how you can improve your life by reviewing the safety and lifestyle changes that will make you a better person in the long run. Bruce did this to help you all live a better life, he is here to help.
Let me know what you think. I am here to get the word out. I have a book for new climbers here. Like me on Facebook!
Here are some links, old and new, that will shed some light on RF Radiation poisoning.
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OK, what the hell is a small cell? Well, let me tell you about small cells. It’s like putting the cell site where the people are, I mean right where the people using the most data. Suddenly you have a cell that can service a group of people with little RF loss and high data throughput. This is a great thing for carriers because it relieves the macro from the loading it would have from one area in its larger coverage area. That is the goal of the small cell, to alleviate the loading and add coverage. I will concentrate on the outdoor small cells for this article but the indoor may be very similar, just less up front work.
So putting a small cell in should be easy, right? I mean if any of you worked with Wi-Fi you would think you can just pop up an access point and you have an instant hot spot. Well, there is so much more to it than that. The carriers will need to do some work up front is they are to put it in their system. They need to do the RF design, loading study, and coverage analysis. They will probably study the analytics to see where the need is based on coverage and macro cell loading, (data and voice). This is prior to placing the small cells in the macro coverage area. They will look at each sector of a Macro site.
The other challenge is putting the backhaul in. It usually will be fiber, about 10 to 100Gbps backhaul provided to the router connected to the small cell. This is usually a Service Aggregate Router, (SAR). Backhaul quality is everything because you have to make sure you have quality of service. Here is where the LTE small cells have a huge advantage because they have a complete IP backbone, unlike most 3G stuff out there, LTE will be a cleaner deployment. All this is done before they decide to deploy anything.
So mounting the unit will not be too hard, but the connection of the backhaul will require fiber skills. They may have wireless backhaul in some areas, if they connect from the wireless backhaul to the SAR it will be using a fiber jumper. Fiber will be the key to most small cell backhaul connections. The one exception may be if the cable companies step up with a cable backhaul for small cells, they call this Data Over Cable Interface Specification, (DOCSIS), which should be a game changer if it becomes mainstream. Then you could use a standard cable connection for backhaul. This may or may not work because carriers seem to like a dedicated connection back to their core or to one of their cell sites. This is a dedicated connection that would give them security and complete control. It’s what most of them want to do. They don’t just tie into an internet connection like a Wi-Fi connection would. It’s just not that easy at this time. If you’re interested in LTE backhaul, there is a good overview at http://lteuniversity.com/get_trained/expert_opinion1/b/skrishnamurthy/archive/2013/04/01/why-ethernet-backhaul.aspx to explain in more detail.
So let’s look at what we’ve done, we’ve completed the engineering, defined the spots where we wanted it. We then narrowed the spot by finding a mounting location, a pole or a building top, then we found a mounting location that has a fiber connection near it, (fiber is not everywhere), now we finally have the exact location to mount it. Then we have to get a lease, this is all part of site acquisition! We need to work out all of those headaches. If you are not familiar, you don’t just go out and mount it to a pole. You need to find out who has rights to the pole or building, who you lease it through. Then you may or may not need to do a structural analysis on the mounting asset. You will need to do a site design drawing for the documentation prior to the mounting of the asset. What about permits? The local municipality or city wants to take their cut and they want to know what is mounted where. So you will need to make sure all the permitting is completed, this usually slows down the process even more and cost money because you need to file paperwork and often need to hand deliver the documentation.
OK, location found, fiber nearby, mounting asset identified, leasing completed, permitting completed, now we can mount and move ahead, right? OK, now we need to follow the engineering, install the unit, connect the fiber, power to the unit. Did you say power? Did anyone order power? This is something else that needs to be taken care of, power at the pole. So now, at a pole we need fiber and power. Both have a long lead time.
OK, pole, permitting, lease, power, fiber, so now we can mount, and connect it up. Then we’re off to the races. Well, it is mounted to the pole so we are good there. We connected the backhaul to the SAR, we are good there. We now power it up and it should work, right? Make sure the antennas are facing the proper direction and the tilt is set up properly. Now you need to make sure it is provisioned properly, that means that the SAR has to be integrated, then the small cell has to be integrated, then the carrier will want to make a test call and they may or may not want to optimize it with someone doing a walk test. Remember, if the cell has any problems it could create more problems with self interference. The engineering has to take that into consideration. Self interference is taken very seriously because it will create dead spots.
Once the small cell is up and running, life is good in that area, loading is off the macro and on the small cell. The carriers plan to put 10s of thousands of these in. I believe that if the FCC allows more bandwidth to be freed up for LTE, this will be the way that utilities will access their fixed networks. Public Safety already is carving out their chunk of LTE bandwidth. I think that they will rely heavily on small cells because they need coverage in specific areas. Let’s face it, LTE and small cells will be an amazing thing as the world of data takes over. Video will not be just for entertainment, it will be the requirement both ways, video streaming up to the network and down to a device.
OK, now I gave you a background, how does it affect the field worker? Well, you may need to be certified to mount the small cell by the OEM. Remember that the warranty will be affected if you mess something up. Also, this is going to have intricacies that may be affected by how you mount it. Antenna direction, fiber skills, and power connection could all play into this. The Power Distribution Unit (PDU) may be mounted at a different location to power the SAR and Small Cell. You need to know what you are doing to make the connections. It will take skills. Chances are good that you will need to make a test call for the integration phase, provisioning, to be completed. You may need to program the SAR by connecting your laptop to it and uploading a specific configuration file. You need skills! This isn’t Wi-Fi, it’s carrier grade equipment. If you do tower work you know the difference.
I plan to do more on small cells in the future. This is something I have been working on and I have more information to share.
Let me know what you’re struggling with out there in the field. I would like to write about something that could help. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or hitting me up on Facebook or reach out to me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/wadesarver/! I am looking for tower pictures on Facebook page! I am working on a new book, an aid for the field worker and I plan to have a new website ready soon. I have been very busy on other projects but I think that it should happen soon.
Hey, I talk about learning fiber training and I see that JDSU has free webinars on fiber, go their website here and see if you can learn more about fiber! The webinars are free!
To learn more about LTE and Small Cells;
http://lteuniversity.com/get_trained/video_tutorials/default.aspx
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/solutions/small-cells
http://www.thinksmallcell.com/
http://www.qualcomm.com/solutions/wireless-networks/technologies/1000x-data/small-cells
http://www.ericsson.com/res/thecompany/docs/press/media_kits/hetnet_infographic_vertical_04.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_cell
http://www.wilson-street.com/2013/10/how-to-deploy-metro-cells-infographic-3-part-1/
http://www.wilson-street.com/2013/10/how-to-deploy-metro-cells-infographic-3-part-2/
http://www.wilson-street.com/2013/07/public-access-small-cells-roadmap-to-successful-deployments/
http://electronicdesign.com/engineering-essentials/understanding-small-cell-and-hetnet-movement
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Hello all,
By the way, I have my Blog Cast live on iTunes now. Subscribe if you dare!
Let me ask you something, does your customer really care about you? I see that the safety initiatives are all led by the carriers, NATE, and the tower companies. Hey climbers and engineers, are you represented? I’m sure you are by the contractors out there that tell you the project needs to be done yesterday. So they have created the stand down week and the new NATE site, http://natehome.com/100-tie-off-24-7 to encourage 100% tie off campaign. That will raise awareness in most of the industry. What about the people who don’t know what you do? Well, it’s up to you as a group to raise awareness. Let’s see if this works.
Let’s make people aware, when go to a carrier’s store, ask them what their company is doing to promote tower climber safety? (Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile to start with) Do you think that most device sales people know that you risk your life to make sure that they can text their friends? Now is that time! Let them know that you play a key role in the industry. Send an email to the carriers, get the email from your bill or their website, and ask them what they, the carrier, are doing to ensure that you are safe! It’s a simple question. Better yet, ask your family and friends send an email to ask the carriers what they are doing to make sure that the people they love are safe! It’s a team effort to ensure that the world knows about the climbers and engineers that work out at the tower sites! The carriers are very influential in this industry. They spend a lot of money on lobbyists to make sure that deployments go smoothly. Let’s make sure that they know that the worker needs their support. PCIA made announcements how they were working with the governments to ensure a smooth wireless roll out by overriding additional permitting.
Broadcast workers should be doing all that they can to be sure that you are safe. The TV and radio people should all know the stations that they work for are doing all that they can to ensure climber safety! Reach out to your favorite show, by phone or by email and ask them what they are doing! Trust me, most people in broadcast have a great deal of respect for you when they know what you do.
Do you do government work? Well, are they making sure all of the climbers are properly trained and have all of the safety gear that is needed to do the job safely? Don’t call any governments, they probably have no idea about anything outside of their office. However, you could look up your congressman, but unless it’s an election year they may or may not answer you. It takes big numbers to get their attention. If congress or the house interests you then go here and here . For the president you can go here but I think he has bigger things to worry about. Now OSHA can be reached here. OSHA is who should be looking after the worker, so they would be the best contact if there is an incident. OSHA is there to help, they would be the ones I would call on for help and they are taking an interest in climbing in the USA. However, only reach out to them if you see a problem. I do think that regulation of the climbing industry will be coming. Look at all of the accidents out there. Not just the ones we heard about but the ones that are not reported. There are many. I would like to think that OSHA, EPA, and the FCC are doing all that they to make sure that people are safe. One of the problems in the USA is that crossing departments causes more problems. I think that they could learn from police task forces. I talked with several drug enforcement agencies that pulled in resources from the state police, local police, the FBI, the Coast Guard, and army so that they could work together to catch the bad guys. I am hoping that OSHA and the EPA and the FCC would create, if they didn’t already, a coalition to make sure that workers that are exposed to RF and tower dangers would be represented properly. I plan to release a post with more information soon.
OK, I have 2 books, Worker’s Aid and An Introduction to Tower Climbing.
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Hello all,
To listen in a new window go here BlogCast!
I am not sure if you are aware but David Horn wrote a blog at http://www.lbagroup.com/blog/fcc-contractor-rf-training/ about the mandate issued by the FCC, http://www.fcc.gov/document/verizon-pay-50k-resolve-radiofrequency-exposure-investigation%20 about Verizon Wireless getting slapped with a $50K fine. So now working there you are required to take RF Awareness training. Why? Because of RF exposure on 2 east coast rooftops. Look at the links, then come on back and I will tell you a story of someone who reached out to me about his RF exposure nightmare. Special thanks to Clifford Wilcox for sharing this on Facebook!
So, I was conversing with someone, (I will reveal his name if he would like me to but not until he explicitly gives me permission) on Facebook about his RF exposure experience. He was working close to an antenna, broadcast, and had major problems afterwards. I am going to quote exactly what he sent to me. He got ill and went to an expert to find out what the problem was, this is the report he got back from them. Let me point out that all of these problems happened in exposure that was less than 45 minutes. It was broadcast so it was high power and this is analog, which as far as I know is no longer used in the US, so things have changed.
Here is the edited report, I removed names and the identification information;
“I have gone through an analysis to try to bracket what I think you may have been exposed to. This is an estimate only! It would take considerably more time to model the batwing elements in detail. Hence, I have used a simple dipole element to estimate local fields near the element and what you might have been exposed to.
My assumptions: Frequency of exposure: NTSC analog TV signal Antenna: 12 bay batwing, Harris TAB-12H Power gain: 11.3 FCC licensed ERP for station at the time: 316 kW
Based on these assumptions, if the station were operating at FULL power of 316 kW ERP, this would imply approximately 932 watts of rms (average) power into each bay of the antenna. If the station was operating at 10% of normal power while you were working on it, the power would be, of course, one-tenth as much, or 93.2 watts per element.
I calculated the electric field strength parallel to a dipole radiator (I realize that the element is really a batwing design but that would take a lot more time to model) and found that at a distance of 1 foot from the element, the maximum electric field strength would be equivalent to a plane wave equivalent power density of about 46 milliwatts per square centimeter at full power or 4.6 milliwatts per square centimeter at one-tenth normal power. Please keep in mind that this is a value where the RF field will be maximum along the radiating element and at a distance of 1 foot from it. Since you were sitting on the element itself, the RF field that at least part of your body would have been exposed to would be much greater. I did not explore calculations at closer distances to the element since this would take additional time to make sure that the theoretical model is calculating correctly.
The accepted maximum permissible exposure (MPE) for occupational exposure in the channel 7 frequency band is 1 milliwatt per square centimeter. These results would suggest that at the presumed safe operating power level of one-tenth normal power, your exposure could easily have been as much as 4.6 times the MPE. Because you were actually sitting right on the element, I would expect your exposure to be substantially greater than my one-foot number but without more careful and detailed analysis, I can’t say exactly what it might have been.
Based on my own experience in climbing towers to make RF field measurements, I know that sometimes there can be miscommunications between the field guys and the tech controlling the station. While I have no information to suggest that this might have been the case, it is relevant to understand that were the station actually operating at its normal full power, the exposure would have been substantially greater, namely, about 46 milliwatts per square centimeter. This is, then, 46 times the MPE and would have resulted in very significant thermal loading on the body!
If the body is exposed to a uniform RF field over the whole body equal to 4.6 times the MPE, the thermal load imposed on the body could be about 130 watts. This power would be distributed throughout the body and while above the accepted limit of about 28 watts (equivalent to exposure at the MPE), would likely have been felt but, in my opinion, not necessarily hazardous. I say this because the MPE has a built-in safety factor of 10 in it. But, if you were exposed to the full power of the station, the thermal load on your body could have been in the neighborhood of 1,300 watts! This is a completely unacceptable value and would be almost five times the hazard threshold (i.e., the hazard threshold can be thought of as a power deposition of about 10 x 28 watts or about 280 watts – in other words, the safety factor of ten has been removed and we are now right at the hazard threshold).
The 1,300 watt thermal load figure is approximately 12 times the body’s basal metabolic rate of 105 watts (i.e., the thermal generation of your body just sitting still). This kind of thermal loading would have been distinctly felt by you as getting hot! It is my understanding that you were told that the station was operating at the so-called safe level of only 1/10th normal power. And, if this is true, then your exposure, while still above regulatory limits, might not have been sufficient to result in a hazard. But, IF, by chance, the station was operating at full power, your exposure would have not only been way, way above regulatory limits, you would have, in my opinion, been sort of cooked. I am only trying to give you some perspective on your possible exposure. Apparently, we don’t really know for absolute sure what power the station was operating at. A first start would be to get copies of the station’s log book during the time you were working on the tower to see if there is validation of what they told you about what power they were really operating at.
In summary, even at the one-tenth power operation, I think that there is a high likelihood that you would have been exposed to RF fields exceeding the worker MPE, though it might have not resulted in reaching the actual hazard level of energy absorption rate. On the other hand, if the station were to have operated at full power, your exposure would have not only exceeded the worker MPE, but it would have likely resulted in significant body heating, well beyond the level that is believed to be hazardous. Because you were exposed while sitting on the top batwing for at least 30 minutes, the issue of time-averaging is not relevant.
One other point. The exposure limits are based on limiting the rate of energy absorption in the body as a whole, what I have been discussing above, and in local parts of the body. You can think of this as though there is a power deposition limit as averaged over the whole body mass as well as a power deposition limit for any given specific point in the body. I have only addressed the case of the average over the whole body in this analysis. The issue of what the localized RF absorption rate may have been in various parts of your body is another question.
I hope this provides useful information to you in regard to your exposure while working on the tower”
USA TV broadcast frequencies [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_television_frequencies]
OK, there are a lot of “what-ifs” in this report but it doesn’t change the fact we all need to be educated and aware. So RF awareness is something we all need! You need to be aware of what is on the tower. I say it all the time, there are more risks than the fall. Wake up people! We need to work together to provide a safe work environment. Let’s learn from these mistakes and make it a safer future for all wireless field workers. Awareness is the first step! Jimi Hendrix asked, “Are you experienced?” [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg2segLZoeA ]so I am asking you, “Are you aware?” [I don’t have a video, sorry]. Aware of the risks out there beyond the fall. Wake up and be aware! This is a brotherhood and a team, together we learn and teach each other. It’s more that climbers, it’s the wireless field workers that need to work together.
After I put this together I feel we should consider having everyone wear RF alert monitors while working, especially on rooftops. I would only wear them at broadcast sites if I climbed, but I am thinking we should make them standard equipment for all workers at the tower site. Let me know what you think.
OK, shameless plug time. My new book is out, I create a Wireless Field Worker’s Aid for Tower Site Work
I am working on getting out on Amazon, not quite there yet.
PDF on Gumroad (Credit Card) https://gumroad.com/l/RSJZ
PDF on Sellfy (PayPal) https://sellfy.com/p/kxAw/
If you want to reach out to me, Facebook is the best way, Feel free to Twitter or Google+ or email wade4wireless@gmail.com to reach me as well. Or leave a comment on this blog.
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Hey all,
To listen in a new window go here BlogCast,
If you paint towers then be aware that there may be more dangers than paint dripping on your truck. There are studies out about the long-term effects of inhaling paint. The good news is you will be outside and it’s usually windy when you do it. However, the risk is there. If you can make sure you take the precautions needed so you don’t inhale anything bad. When Utility workers were surveyed who worked with painted for a long time, here is what was reported. This is from a report in PaintSquare,
“The research examined memory, attention and processing speed in 2,143 retirees who had been potentially exposed to three types of solvents in their careers:
All three solvents are widely used in various products throughout the paint and coatings industry.
The workers’ average lifetime exposure was ranked as none, moderate or high, based on company records, the nature of their jobs, and on when their last exposure occurred.
Participants took eight tests of their memory and thinking skills an average of 10 years after they retired, when they were an average age of 66. (Ninety percent of workers retired between ages 50 and 60.)
Researchers also accounted for factors such as education level, age, smoking and alcohol consumption. They did not control for factors such as cardiovascular disease, diet or physical activity and concede that these may play a role in cognitive functioning.”
Remember that there are more hazards out there than falling. Falling is obvious, it’s the long-term hazards that everyone ignores until they are in the business for 10 or more years. For me it’s my rotator cuffs that just ache, what is it for you?
For more information go to; http://www.paintsquare.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=11416&nl_versionid=4091
Hey, if you can like me on Facebook and Google+ and Twitter.
My next book is ready, I should release it as soon as I update my website. I am slow but I am trying to get you quality as well as information. Let me know what I can do to help you guys out. If you want me to talk about something, then let me know. I have more about small cells to talk about.
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Hello wireless field workers!
It’s time we go over some common rooftop hazards, specifically high rises but this could be on any building rooftop.
Welcome to my new BlogCast Podcast: If you would rather listen in a new window, here you go, listen here.
1) Poorly marked hazards – this would include missing high voltage signs or missing RF Radiation signs. All common risks on the rooftop that should be clearly marked. Sometimes there is a large cooling unit that you should stay clear of unless your antenna is mounted to it.
2) Missing safety rails around the rooftops edge – not all buildings have safety rails, but if they do then you expect all around the roof. So be aware of what is around the edge. Walk the rooftop first so you understand where the open areas are. The safety rail might only cover part of the roof or may be in very poor condition. Pay attention!
3) Poor weather conditions – what I mean by this is when you are on a roof it could be icy and windy. This is common when on a roof, and you have to walk over the ice. Wet roof tops can be slippery and if you start to slide on a sloped roof, you have problems! Oh, don’t’ forget the heat, you may be on a roof with no shade. You will need water and to stay cool. Hot and cold can hurt you! If you get heat stroke you tend to do stupid things or could lose consciousness. Let’s not forget snow! Snow adds weight to the roof and hides all of the hazards. Rain makes us hurry around forgetting to look where we are going. Lightning is also something that may strike you dead. Be smart!
4) Electrical wiring – often times there are air conditioning units everywhere. They often get worked on. I have seen more exposed wiring on roof tops than almost anywhere. I think it’s because no one goes out there unless they have to. So just be aware that a wire could be sticking out and if you rub against it then you will jump when it bites you.
5) Falling – Be aware of the edge! I know, this seems like common sense, but do you know where the edge is? Are you tied off near the edge? It is a good idea to make use your harness is tied to a secure point if you are within 6’ of the edge of the roof. If there is no safety rail you should tie off for safety’s sake.
6) Sharp objects – there are often sharp objects or beams or loose bricks sticking out on a rooftop. You may or may not need your helmet. Make sure you do a site walk and identify the hazards ahead of time.
7) Holes – maybe this doesn’t make sense, I mean these are business buildings for the most part, and yet they have holes in them. Some have overhangs that extend beyond the normal building and I have seen openings that people could fall through. Just be alert and make a note of all openings. Sometimes there is only a half roof on the roof where the cooler could be. They often put privacy walls on the roof tops where you could mount on top. Just look around when walking up there.
8) RF Radiation – here you go, you’re on a roof top where most of the RF is within 30’ of you vertically. Think about it, it may only be 10′ to 20’ over your head and 20′ away from you. Your body will be feeling the full effect of whatever is up there. Does it feel warm now? Maybe you need to put that RF Alert meter back on!
9) Trip hazards – you heard me! Think of all the crap to look down for, drain covers, sky lights, stink pipes, and electrical boxes all sticking up from the roof top. All these things can be a hazard if you don’t pay attention to where you are going. Keep your eyes open and be alert.
10) Crazy people – I did work on the roof tops of several Atlantic City Casinos, and it pays to be well aware of who is up there with you. When someone wants to jump, they generally look for the highest and easiest accessible place to go. So make sure you lock the door behind you. It pays to be careful, safe, and secure. If you have ever worked in a rough neighborhood at night, you know that leaving the building may be just as risky as being on the roof. I think most of us have had our vehicles broken into at some point, just imagine that crazy person on the roof with you. Be smart and safe.
11) Stupidity – yes, this is usually the #1 reason people get hurt. They don’t do a survey before they work, they don’t recognize the simple things like the pitch of the roof, the ice on the roof, or where the edge is. They walk backwards pulling that rope and trip over the edge. Some guys like to joke around and they slip. The roof could be a split level and someone just didn’t pay attention. Also remember to stay hydrated while working on a rooftop! So many people just forget to take water and food with them when they may be up there all day. Another thing, remember when you are cutting something, like Vapor seal or tape, to cut away from your body and not towards your body. I know so many people that got stitches, (one guy lost an eye), just because they cut towards their body and not away. Is that stupid? Have you ever done it? What is the first thing you think if you cut yourself? Boy was that stupid!
My new book is here, I created a worker’s aid so you would have a reference along with you in the field. Your internet may or may not work so make sure you either print this out or have it on your laptop. I think you need to make sure you are prepared. If you get it, please let me know what you think.
If you are thinking of entering the tower climbing field, read this first, .
References;
http://simplifiedsafety.com/blog/top-10-rooftop-safety-hazards/
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA-3513roof-snow-hazard.pdf
http://www.uwsa.edu/risk-management/safety/uwsres/presentations.htm
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html
Feel free to leave comments or reach me on Facebook.
(Twitter @Wade4Wireless)
OSHA has a heat safety app, https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html
In case you wonder why I went to 11, it’s because I was a fan of Spinal Tap, this will explain it all!
Continue reading My Top 11 Rooftop Hazards, BlogCast Episode 001.
