Listen, one thing I didn’t do properly was log my high time. When I was climbing I didn’t log my drive time nor my high time. That is the one thing that most climbers talk about but no one logs it. I think that it’s a good idea to keep a log of your time in the air and to log how high you climb.
I was thinking about this for quite a while. We often don’t look at the climbing history of the climber after the project is done. If there is an accident we look at their age and resume. What about when the climbers are in the air for 12 hours a day for 5 days straight? Does anyone look at what the climber was doing for the last 2 weeks? At their current health? It doesn’t appear anyone shares that with OSHA.
So I think that it’s time that climbers log 2 things, their drive time and their high time. If a climber is driving for 10 hours, he really shouldn’t be climbing, but many do. If he spent all day in the air and then get’s called out at night to climb again, can his body handle that? I know that mine did, but was I being safe or looking at the schedule?
When I was climbing I had severe tendonitis, to the point where I could not go bowling with my kids. I would take them and watch. I was in the air 5 to 7 days a week, climbing anywhere from 100’ to 700’ for that stretch. I wish I had a record of the hours of high time and of drive time. I can only imagine it was well over 50 hours in the air each week and maybe around 16 hours of drive time. That makes for a long week. I know that many of you are doing more than that now, but if you don’t log it, then no one knows.
I created a simple spreadsheet for you to log your time, use this as a template. If the $1.99 is too rich for your blood, then create one on your own, record what and where you’re working, the hours a day in the air which I call high time, the highest height you climbed, and your drive time.
Although simple to set up and do, it is hard to log because you probably feel there is no time. No time to record what you do daily. You already do so much paperwork, right? Then this should be a no brainer! This should be something that you should do to let yourself, your boss, and your customer know how hard you work and how much time it really takes to complete the task. If you won’t do it then have one of the ground guys do it as part of their duties or maybe the foreman or PM. Just do it! Do it and you will see how much high time and windshield time you really have in a week. After all, it’s your body you need to keep track of. I think that this may really help you understand the physical strain you are putting on your body and the mental exhaustion that you are feeling from driving so much.
I recently put a post out aboutunionizing tower climbers. The main response from the many people who were against unions, (many using the auto industry as the standard), coming into the tower industry told me the industry should police itself. I agree, it should. Is that happening? Apparently not, 12 deaths this year and who knows how many near misses and injuries. Isn’t that what the industry is doing now, policing itself? Apparently not, OSHA is policing the industry. Shouldn’t part of the responsibility fall on the carriers and the customers? I would think so but when something happens no one really investigates the end-user or the tower/monopole/water tank owners. Maybe the tower owners who say they are going the extra mile to make sure their towers are safe, but when an accident happens they are not looked at either. Apparently it is up to the climbers to police themselves. Some tower crews do an outstanding job while others don’t. That’s the way it is. OSHA is doing all they can. The FCC is helping. PCIA is setting training standards. Vocational schools are starting classes. The FCC and DOL got together to createTIRAP, a voluntary program defining anapprenticeship programto follow. I think it’s a great idea, setting a standard for all to follow. You know, like the voluntary wearing of seatbelts. I mean, did they really need to pass a law to make people wear seatbelts? Oh, right, yes, a law was passed because no one cared about wearing a seatbelt until it was a law and the police could pull you over for that reason. Did drivers police themselves in that case, no, and it didn’t cost near the money that tower climbing safety training and gear does.
How many people have to die before there is more intervention? Apparently more than 12 a year. Listen, no one wants anyone to die or get hurt. We really want everyone to be safe. I know that equipment fails and accidents happen and that will continue to happen. I would like to think that we are doing everything we can to be safe. However, I still hear about the horror stories of the industry where companies will initially get everyone trained until they get all the contracts from the carriers or turf vendors. Most companies start with good intentions. Then to save money they do on the job training (OJT) and skip the formal training. So is this the way we are going? Saving money by doing the minimal amount to get by? No first aid or CPR or ongoing rescue training, just the bare essentials to get approvals and then just hire whomever to make more money. This is where they should have in-house training so they can tailor the safety program, but so often this can be corrupt as well. In house programs can be great, I have seen some awesome trainers but by the same token I have seen companies pull the plug on the in-house program because of time and money. This is whyTIRAPwas set up, to set the standards for training, OJT, and apprenticeship as to prepare the new climbers for the career ahead of them. It costs time and money, two things that the climbing companies have a hard time getting. Look at MasTech, they trained a whole group of people only to have AT&T pull the plug and force MasTech to lay them off. Who do you hold responsible for that debacle?
Something to think about, the carriers are spending over $44 Billion to buy spectrum. There will be so much work coming up in the next 3 to 6 years. Much engineering work has been automated but crews are still needed to hang equipment on towers, poles, monopoles, and water tanks. Wouldn’t it be nice if we trained people properly and if they got the ongoing training they needed? Would it be great if they got paid for the work that they did? Getting paid is part of safety because safety is not cheap, training and safety gear costs money. If you don’t get paid you may have to cut back. Who is monitoring the payments to the contractors? It doesn’t appear to be the end customer.
So is the industry policing itself? In some cases, yes. There are business owners that run the company like they care. They train and they support their workers. They fire customers that don’t care about safety and put the schedule ahead of a life. They select who they wish to work with and for. They take the time to show that the business of safety and training is a culture, not an annoying practice to follow because the customer told you to.
I know many climbers and foreman and project managers that care, they know that a life is valuable. I also am hearing about more and more that don’t care because they have a schedule to keep. Everyone looks at an accident to see how to prevent it, but who is looking at the industry to make sure it’s policing itself? It should be every climber out there who has a foreman or PM that asks you to put the job ahead of their life. The reality is that a select few, (some climbers, some crew owners), and OSHA. They are trying to prevent this from happening in the first place. The FCC is assisting. The problem with relying on the government entities is that they are overwhelmed and understaffed.
So I would like to ask Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile to put safety and site audits in their budgets for the upcoming growth. They really not only need to be following up on the contractors and the Turf vendors but dropping in to see the work happening unannounced. They should be talking to random installer during and after the installations to check the pulse of the industry. That is something they could do to make sure the GCs are doing their job. They should be hiring trained and competent crews. They should also follow-up to see that those crew are getting paid! I think that is why AT&T wanted to deploy with someone like MasTech, my opinion only! I believe AT&T would like to see the industry improve. I also think that Verizon Wireless really wants to make sure the deployments are safe and paid for.
By the way, do you know why people don’t stay in wireless? It is usually because of the business practices and getting paid. It is so hard to stay involved in this business. People that stay in wireless do it because it is a passion. How does the industry reward them? By torturing them with horrible schedules, low pay and poor business practices. For instance, if you get hurt on a job, you may not get paid because they will bring someone else into complete it. So you are injured, out of work, not getting paid, and the customer just moves on, status quo, business as usual. Meanwhile, the hurt climber and their family are left alone to deal with the legal issues that ensue. Who is there for them?Hubble Foundationand that’s about it outside of friends and family. The lawyers are there, but they may be looking out for one of the companies involved, not the person.
Be smart, be safe, and pay attention. You should have a plan in place even though you may need to improvise. After all, you need to have a guide to follow for the project and for safety.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays. I pray that you are all with your families and having a wonderful holiday this year. Please appreciate this time with your families and loved ones.
Next time you are asked to climb when you don’t’ feel the weather is right or things are going wrong or if you have a gut feeling that something is wrong. Next time you know something is wrong, please put your life first.
I put this together to remember the ones we lost this year. I don’t want the families to relive bad memories, if they do I apologize. I only want you all to remember and say a prayer for these families on this day. I am doing this to honor their memories as the hard workers they were and that they will not be forgotten. I am doing this to make a point that things need to get better. I know many climbers don’t want change because they may be getting a steady paycheck right now. Just remember that in just a few seconds that could all change.
I would like you all to appreciate your time with your families this holiday.
Special thanks to Facebook friend, Nick Fiedler for sharing this on Facebook and giving me this idea.
Please verify the information and let me know if anything is wrong.
I would like to wish all of you the Happiest of Holidays! A very Merry Christmas! May you all be home and blessed over the Christmas holiday with loved ones!
So, this may seem like a strange subject. I mean most of you are thinking that the AWS-3 auctions will lead to more work, but how and when? Well, that is why I am here. I want to break it down for you so you have an idea what the auction is and how it will affect the industry. Let me start by saying this is my opinion and I am putting this out for informational purposes only. I read a lot about this and thought you may want to know how to plan for future work.
I hear all the time about people that aren’t getting paid, do you know what would help? Understanding that the SOW can be the document to get you paid! I have a free PDF that gives an overview of the SOW,free eBook,aSOW Overview. If you think it helps, then go ahead and make the investment for the SOW training package. Remember how important it is to get paid, define your work, and understand the change order process.
Let’s start with what is going on. The FCC release more air, that is bandwidth to raise money for the treasury and for FirstNet. Remember that FirstNet intends to spend $7 Billion, with a B, for their deployment. Now, this is a tremendous amount of money, but it probably won’t be enough to do what they want to do but I will get into that later. Let’s go over some acronyms. AWS = Advanced Wireless Services, pretty simple, right. EA = Economic Areas. CMA = Cellular Market Areas. Now, let’s break down the frequency allocation.
Block
Frequency
Bandwidth MHz
Area type
# of licenses
A1
1695 to 1700MHz
5
EA
176
B1
1700-1710MHz
10
EA
176
G
1755-1760/ 2155-2160
10 (2 channels X 5MHz)
CMA
734
H
176-1765/ 2160-2165
10 (2 channels X 5MHz)
EA
176
I
1765-1770/ 2165-2170
10 (2 channels X 5MHz)
EA
176
J
1770-1780/ 2170-2180
10 (2 channels X 10MHz)
EA
176
The FCC was hoping to raise $10 Billion but the bidding is over $40 Billion so far. This is good for the USA and paying some debt down as well as funding FirstNet without tax payer money. However, who is paying The carriers, they need to dish out this kind of money before sticking one antenna in the air. The government will get that money up front and then more money in the form of taxes on your cell phone bill, and they are higher than ever. (Once again, the government found a way to double dip, but that is another subject. But I am getting off point, sorry.) There are 70 companies bidding on this. This is the first auction since 2008. There is an incentive auction scheduled after this one.
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So, this is the knowledge you need to understand what it is, but how does it affect wireless deployment. Well, that is obvious, because the carriers will want to build ASAP. This will happen but not until the OEMs, like Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and maybe others get the product together, the testing takes place, and then devices have to be made. So that would probably be 6 months to a year after the build. Then the fun begins, site acquisition and then deployment. So when this deployment happens it will likely be LTE Advanced. I am not sure if they will wait for 5G. So then the deployments happen with all of the Remote Radio Heads (RRH) being put on the towers. This is a lot of loading. I would imagine that 2G networks will be decommissioned soon. So that will definitely happen o make room for this. Then the 3G networks will start to be decommissioned, but that will take a long time, maybe 5 or more years. To put this into perspective, the carriers are mostly finishing up their current build. Sprint is still building out their Sprint Spark initiative but Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile should finish up in 2015. Then in 2016 I would expect things will start to heat up again. Remember that the carriers need to make the money back to show return on their investment. They also need the bandwidth because data is being used at an amazing rate. All customers ask for is more, more, and more. So how will they make their money back? Customers will need to pay for it and the deployment. It won’t be free to build but they must have a business plan to in place for payback. Just remember that the first place they will look to lower costs once again will be the climbers, fair warning.
Oh, by the way, FirstNet will also be ready to deploy early 2016, I hope, to get their network constructed. They have a huge task ahead of them because they committed to covering the continental US and all territories. That is a huge area. They also will be looking for partners. Will the carriers help out, who knows. What about Google? I think that would be the perfect partner because they could become a wireless carrier in a short time. Just my opinion! When FirstNet does build, it will be a lot of work all across the nation with the LTE build and the backhaul. The backhaul will be a combination of wireless and fiber, maybe both for redundancy.
So there it is, in about 18 months there will be deployment, beefing up towers, testing, optimizations, and more. Just in time to hear about the introduction of 5G. Then the upgrades will begin. Chances are the OEMs will be ready with mostly software updates but the antennas may have to be changed. Then 3G will be decommissioned.
So there should be plenty of work. Will the industry be ready to comply? Will the climbers have standard safety compliance? Will the schedules be reasonable? Will the tower crews get paid? We will have to wait and see.
Also, in audio and eBook formats get your copy ofTower Climbing: An Introductionso you can listen while you’re driving or too busy to read!
What are you thinking?
Listen, this is the time to support theHubble Foundationbecause they are looking after climbers and their families that can’t take care of themselves. When a climber gets hurt, they want to help. When a climber is stranded and needs help to get home, they are there. When a climber gets stuck somewhere because they won’t get paid, they are there. Would you want someone to help you out if that happened?
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Update! The man was working with a 3 man crew, he was about 105 feet up, he was from Sumter, SC. His name was Allen Lee Cotton, 44 years old. Neither of the other workmates saw the fall, one was above Allen working and the other was in the truck on the laptop. The accident happened just before noon on December 18th. The men were all employed by Central USA Wireless. No details on what happened just yet.
OSHA has been notified! OSHA will investigate with State law enforcement.
Another climber fatality has happened! This time in Greene County, TN. Late this morning there was another fatality. I just found out from Liz Day! The man fell 100 feet according to Robert Sayne, local EMS director, on West Vann Road.
Happy holidays everyone! Make sure you go to my Wade4Wireless products page where I have products to help tower climbers and deployment teams. Want to learn more about the SOW? I would like to give you the free eBook,aSOW Overview. If that helps you out then I have a tutorial outlining how to write and read a SOW in the SOW training package, The SOW defines how you get paid! It may outline how change orders are done. Remember, it’s your bottom line that matters! This is a business.
Also, in audio and eBook formats get your copy of Tower Climbing: An Introduction so you can listen while you’re driving or too busy to read!
So many people complain about not getting paid in this industry. One main point of contention is the change order. So how do you get paid for change orders? Well here are some ideas. By the way, I have some dialog in my podcast about the last post, Is It Time to Unionize Tower Climbers? that I didn’t write about here, just in case you’re interested. I had some things to say about the feedback I got.
Planning is key. You need to be sure you understand what your job is going to be. By this I mean the scope of the work. When you submit a bid, read the RFP or discuss the work with the customer. Read the SOW and modify it to match your assumptions and exclusions. You will need to match the desired outcome of the customer with the services you plan to do. Then you may move forward. Remember, you are in this to get paid for the work that you do! If you get paid for 20 hours of work but your crew works 40 hours, chances are good that you’re not making money, or at least making the margin you deserve.
Happy holidays everyone! Make sure you go to my Wade4Wireless products page where I have products to help tower climbers and deployment teams. Want to learn more about the SOW? I would like to give you the free eBook,aSOW Overview. If that helps you out then I have a tutorial outlining how to write and read a SOW in the SOW training package, The SOW defines how you get paid! It may outline how change orders are done. Remember, it’s your bottom line that matters! This is a business.
Also, in audio and eBook formats get your copy of Tower Climbing: An Introduction so you can listen while you’re driving or too busy to read!
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For the change order, the first thing you need to do is make sure the work being requested is outside of your scope of work (SOW). I just happen to have a tutorial on how to write and understand aSOW available here. Anyway, what you need to do is understand what work is defined in the SOW, and then you need to decide how far outside the boundary of that work you will go. For instance, if the customer asks you to do an additional 4 hour task, you may do it because they are a good customer and you want to help out, right. Brownie points go a long way in future work. That is if they don’t just put it out to the lowest bidder. If you work with customers that always put the work out to the lowest bidder, then there is no reason to do any work outside of the SOW. Then it will all be a change order.
If you can, put the change order process in the SOW. If not make sure you understand the customer’s change order process. You need to follow protocol so you get paid. If the change is something that is a one-off or very different from what you are used to, make sure that you know what the desired result should be so the customer can sign off on it and you get paid. If it is something that you do all the time then it should be straight forward, like if you need to install or move a dish and complete a link. Simple stuff, right?
I have had customers that really push the limit and ask for so much work that is out of scope. So what happens? If you do it then they expect it on all the jobs. That may be good if they throw you a lot of work. However, suddenly a 20 hour job may be 30 hours and you will lose margin and time on site. All things to be considered if you commit to do the work.
On the other hand, I have seen contractors that have a business plan of going in cheap and then requesting as many change orders as they can to make up the money they lost by being the lowest bidder. Many customers get sick of this, so there is a balance of what you could ask for and what you will get. It is better to prepare the customer up front rather than nailing them along the way with change orders they didn’t expect.
So, define the work and define, to your team, what you will do outside of the scope. That is priority one!
Then, define the change order. If the customer gives you a verbal, ask them for an email or PO so you have some proof that they authorized the work. If they want a paper document, then make sure you know that. You should have authorization. Who may authorize the work for the customer and the contractor. Just because you are on site doesn’t mean that you have the power of authorization. If it is something that they want done while you are at the site, define the work, determine or estimate the pay. Chances are if you need to do it while at the site you know what to do. Just make sure that someone gets more than a verbal authorization. An email is usually enough but a PO is even better. Many customers do not appear on the site for the job except to complete the punch list and inspections. They may pay time and materials, (T&M) this is quick and easy but in today’s world most people want a not to exceed number.
If the customer has a change order process, make sure you and the field personnel understand what that is. Make sure the customer has someone who can authorize the change order! All job site leads should know what the change order process is. If you have a process, make sure they understand what to do for that customer! Each customer may have a different process. It would be a good idea to understand that prior to starting the work.
When the work is completed, how will it be inspected? You will need to determine how to get paid. If you are installing something then they may not pay until the unit is tested and operational. If you are turning up a point to point link, then it is easy, the link is up and tested, then you send a bill. If it is a cell site, you have to wait until they integrate and test it. That may be in a week or in 3 months depending on the roll out. It may be beefing up the tower so they may need to see a complete closeout package. So then you should determine how long you need to wait for your money. Remember that the original Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) may apply. Make sure that when you write the SOW, you include a change order process or if the customer has a change order process get a good look at it and determine how the payment will be made. Making sure how to mark the job complete is how you will get paid, so then you will need to determine what marks the job as completed.
So make sure that you understand the change order process for your company and from the customer. Payment is what keeps you in business! You should get paid for the work you do and you should get paid for the additional work you do. Time is money, change orders take time, and you should get paid for them.
Be smart! Be safe! Pay attention! Make a plan, follow the plan, improve the plan and you should do fine.
Let me know, did this help? What do you think I should talk about next?
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So one thing that is often mentioned on in the Facebook groups is the question, “Should Tower Climbers Unionize?” I am not sure what you think but it would be a good way for the tower climber to be protected. I will get into the question below.
Would an existing union accept the tower climbers in force? The confusion that happens with the current unions is “which one would accept the climbers?” It used to be the Ironworkers when climbers built towers, but the climber does more that steel work in today’s world. Maybe the Communications Workers of America seems like a fit but they are looking at lighter duty jobs with less risk. I thought the IBEW would be a good fit since I know climbers that are already part of that union but it really is for wiring professionals, electrical and communications. I am not sure they would have the climbers join them in full force. I am reaching out to the IBEW for more information.
Happy holidays everyone! Merry Christmas to all! Go to Wade4Wireless products page where I have product links and an audiobook for the eBook. If it helps, download the free eBookfor aSOW Overviewfor more information.The Scope of Work training for $24.99, SOW training package, I made for you to understand how the SOW will affect getting paid and change orders and your bottom line as well as the customer and safety requirements. The SOW is your key to getting paid and to defining change orders! Because you asked for an audio book I put the Tower Climbing: An Introduction in audio so you can listen while you’re driving or too busy to read! Hey, sign up for my newsletter over there on the right. > > >
Should climbers unionize? To be honest there are tower climbers in different unions. I know several in the IBEW. The people I know that are in the unions were coming from another profession, electricians or communications or Ironworkersor someone like that. I am not aware of any union that a tower climber can go into without another trade attached to it even though climbers need to know several trades to do their job. I thought that to unionize is something that many people talk about, but not many people know what to do next.
Here is a list I came up with based on what I read. These are pros and cons, but it is up to you to decide which is which. I am only going to state what I think will happen. Feel free to leave me your opinions!
Pro – The tower climbing apprenticeship programs would be implemented. There would be a structure to how the Greenhorn is brought in and trained.
Pro or Con – The tower climber pay would be structured and set. This is something that you may or may not want. Tower climbing has been commoditized in the past years where many companies just hired young people to do all the heavy lifting. This has really hurt the industry because safety and talent suffered. It takes training to do the tasks they are required to do. The original thought was to have the green guys work around one experienced guy. Well, that is not working out so well because if the experienced guy has a problem, who will help them?
Pro – There would be structured training outside of climbing training. What I mean by that is that an organized union has more training available and makes it required to stay current. Also, when a company or crew would search the union for people, they would look at the climbers resume and certifications. So the union would make sure that your certifications would go with the climber and not stay with the company.
Pro –Mandatory repeated training! Big time positive thing here because many climbers get trained one and don’t practice. Practice makes us better at what we do, from sports to testing to work. When you have the opportunity to save a life, being prepared is being ready, and that involves practice, practice, and more practice.
Pro – Certifications would matter! What I mean by that is that the union would have the resume of every climber in it and if someone came to the local union hall looking for a climber that has specific fiber skills and can weld, that is what they would get. Skills would be out there for all to see and companies would hire for specific skills. That is how I see the IBEW do it today.
Pro – Certifications would stay up to date. The local union hall would make sure of that.
Con – Strikes would happen. Not everyone would agree, but if the union called a strike on a carrier, you would need to strike to show solidarity. Everyone sees this as good until they have to stay off work for more than a few weeks, think about it.
Pro or Con – Prices would go up for the customer because pricing would be consistent for an area. Prices would increase in many areas. There would still be competition from non-union shops. Remember that some area are already union only, Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, and more.
Pro – If you were in the union, you would be recognized as well-trained and as a professional. I think that most people would view a union electrician as a professional by default. I am not putting down other non-union electricians, but they would need to have a good reputation from their customers whereas a union electrician is expected to be a true professional.
Pro – The union would have pull in the government. That means the tower climber would have serious representation in the federal and possibly the state governments. This would balance out the way it is now. Who represents the tower climbers now? NATE, yes. The FCC and DOL, yes. They are doing all they can but in the end the lawmakers respond growing their campaigns. There are heavy taxes on cell phones, and there are lobbyists for most carriers, and the tower climbers aren’t represented in any of those groups.
Pro –If you put your name in at the union hall, they would call you when they had work if you met the job requirements.
Con – You would need to pay union dues, but that may also have your vacation pay and your retirement built-in.
Pro or Con – You would need to sign into the local union hall wherever you worked, this may require a local rep to work with you or oversee your work.
I wanted to put some feedback in here from some people who realize how bad things can get out there.
Comment: It has definitely become an us against them atmosphere, right down to our own pm’s and cm’s that’ll push-push-push, work 14×7 [14 hour days by 7 days a week] until the projects over then” we’ll call you when we need you “,or until you quit just to get some sleep. All the money in the world isn’t worth it if you destroy yourself to make it.
Response: I hear this from so many people that it is crazy, but not fair. It becomes all about the work.
Comment: I agreed with Dave Anthony on nearly every point. If he treats safety the way he said he did, I appreciate that sort of leadership. Unfortunately, the majority of employers out there today, make Dave an aberration. Someone pays for this cost of doing business. My question is; who pays the price? Ask any family member who has lost a loved one. Ask any worker, confined to an adult home, wheelchair, or any career ending injury. I have seen far too many families and extended families supported by a climber, turn with no other options to public assistance, in the event of a catastrophic injury or death. One clear fundamental difference I have from Dave, was his call for industry change, from the “top-down”. That has been attempted by NATE and wireless industry interests for decades. All of NATE’s policy agendas have been blaming the dumb cowboy who refuses to tie off. Need an example? Look at any of their posters from the “Tie or Die” initiative a few years ago. More recently, their two public service announcements earlier this year, promoting their “24/7” campaign. Listen closely to WHO they are talking about. The shifty tower contractor? Carriers and turfers? Nope! That employee who throws caution to the wind and free-climbs because he doesn’t follow the rules. They, are the focus of the industry fatality rate. You make some good points about the way the industry does business Wade. But I feel more can be done than just accepting things the way they are, and getting used to the way business is done. TIRAP, is another industry gimmick. Just another top-down approach to train more workers. Few details have emerged about this wonder of the industry. You can go to the link Wade provided and see what they are intending to do. The few graduates who complete this program are expected to enter the field with immersion in industry trainings and certifications. Yes, MORE CERTIFICATIONS! These certified experts are expected to START in this workforce as “top hands”, “CM’s”, and “PM’s”. Not well seasoned or experienced climbers. Do you see some friction, when these men hit the field and see the way work is shoved from the top-down, into the climber’s throats? How do these certs make these graduates, any more prone to industry pressure to get the work done without proper gear, planning, material, or design? Especially climbers who have many years experience, watching classroom climbers being hired, instead of them! Unions! Union apprenticeships have been a well proven way to get workers “real-time”, “hands on” work experience under a mentor who is a master tradesman. This goes to every rank and file member! Apprenticeships are a proven method to experience workers to a safe level of competence. Over a period of years, with work and classroom experience that is standardized BY THE WORKERS. I don’t see the entire industry warming up to this idea right now. But I offer a “bottom-up” approach that reaches out to every rank and file climber, instead of these elite, classroom climbers who are going to take management positions. Not climbing positions! Wade, I appreciate your critique of the industry pressure cooker that is responsible for filling holes in the ground with bodies. I would rather see climbers realizing their potential and take pride in future climbers coming in. As I said, the climbers have not seen this for themselves yet. So we will see more of Dave Anthony’s top-down safety solutions by this industry (I mean no disrespect to him). His points were mostly spot-on! In the meantime, NATE will proclaim how they are saving lives. More mothers and fathers will bury their children. Widows, widowers, and children will cling to some hope, that the call they just got about their lost loved one is just a horrible dream. That their loved one will come walking through the door any moment. Just before reality sets in and they feel the burn in their guts. As Kurt Vonnegut used to put it, “And so it goes”.
Response: Thank you! This has hit a lot of points and is hard to clarify all of them but that is why I wrote this post.
OK, OK, OK, just some food for thought. Tell me that you think!
Be smart, be safe, and pay attention. Create the plan, follow the plan, deviate from the plan to find success.
Please, please, please help the Hubble foundation. Don’t you want to support an injured tower climber’s family? Here’s how, click on the Hubble picture below and look for the donations button and give today! Thank GOD for the Hubble Foundation!
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Interested in products I have created for the tower climbers and wireless deployment, click on the pictures below to find out more!
I wanted to let everyone know that I will be at theIWCE conference in March, 2015. I will be on the“Tower Safety and Regulatory Compliance”panel on March 17th, 2015, starting at 1PM local time. It is in Las Vegas at the convention center. Click on any of the BLUEwords for more. There will be an impressive group who I am honored to share the stage with. I will be up there withCory Crenshawof Crenshaw Communications, Charles Ryanof Concept To Operations, Inc,Dr. Denis Boulais of Bytecan Pty Ltd, andRobert Johnsonof Narda Safety Test Solutions. My track will be sponsored byAGL Magazine. If you can make sure you go to see what is happening with today’s wireless communications systems. I feel honored to be selected to be on the panel. So if you can think of anything I should be talking about, then let me know below.
Go to Wade4Wireless products page where I have product links. and an audiobook for the eBook. If it helps, download the free eBook for aSOW Overviewfor more information.The Scope of Work training, SOW training package, I made for you to understand how the SOW will affect your payments and bottom line as well as the customer and safety requirements. The SOW is your key to getting paid and to defining change orders! Because you asked for an audio book I put the Tower Climbing: An Introduction in audio so you can listen while you’re driving or too busy to read! Hey, don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter over there on the top right. > > >
Comment: I appreciate the comment about working on the beacon on top of a mast. Like so many other precarious situations on a tower, a small rail around the mast to stand on and one around the beacon to hook off on is easily designed and manufactured—-unless it is required to support a 5,000# load as OSHA requires. On the drug issue, there are a very high percentage of tower hands that use drugs. There is an even higher percentage that drink excessively, but not on the job. If accurate statistics existed, which they don’t, they would reveal that there are very few fatalities caused by someone being high or drunk. There are more accidents attributed to stupid than intoxicants, and there are a lot of hands that are stupid even when they are sober. I watched the video of you with Kelly Hill and I totally disagree with you on the use of capstans on a tower job. To begin with, you have to use a fiber rope with a capstan, not a wire rope. The statistics will show that there are numerous fatalities caused by ropes breaking, but not wire ropes. Fiber ropes are good for a tag-line or a trolley, but certainly not for hoisting loads up and down a tower. I can cite four accidents where ropes broke that caused the death of twelve people. The accident you referred to where the five men were killed was the 2,000′ Senior Road project in Houston. The men were riding the top half of the FM mast dressed out with the panel FM antenna. I think the load got too close to the tower and hung up which caused the picking channel across the face to fail. The load fell and hit the guy wire causing the whole tower to come down. I was hired as an expert witness by the firm representing Harris is why I am so familiar with this accident. Riding the winch line is safe!!! Much safer than free climbing and every job that requires the hoisting and lowering of antennas and/or mounts should be rigged with a wire rope.
Response: I called this guy and he is amazing. He is a big fan of winches, but only if you use cable versus rope. That is where I got the idea for the blog “Rope Versus Steel Cable for Hoists”. We also talked aboutmy video with Kelly Hill of RCRand he mentioned that the thing he disagreed with was the way I mentioned the safety of the winches. I made it clear that only a larger hoist should be used for man loads and he agreed. Now, as far as the accidents go, he knew so much about many of them. I plan to talk to him more in the future.
Comment: Wade; Scheduling is most definitely a problem, and a serious one. Unless you have been there and suffered in extreme conditions, you cannot fully comprehend the difficulty in working in subfreezing temperatures in a 15 or so mph wind. When you are in the midst of work on one of these days, you cannot help but wonder why this job wasn’t scheduled two months earlier or two months later. And you are not receiving any additional compensation for your suffering, and if you so chose, you could be at home in a warm house with your family—-maybe sort of like the bodily orifice that scheduled this project. When that anger starts building up inside, it doesn’t take much of a reason for a man to suggest to his boss to “just take this job and shove it.” If you don’t have a foreman with great leadership skills to keep this project under control, which means leading, not pushing, this job is going to go bad real quick. And when it stalls, nobody ever thinks of blaming the scheduler, they always blame the contractor and the crew. I learned early in my career the difficulty of working in extreme conditions and I have always made every effort toavoid putting a crew up north in the winter. I have a famous quote that I use when scheduling jobs, it’s “If you’re gonna be stupid, you gotta be tough.” I could write for hours telling stories about winter in the north without informing anyone of anything that they didn’t already know. I don’t really think the professional people who organize and schedule the jobs even care.
Response: Been there and done that, it is a tough job! I would bet that so many people have stories where they didn’t know how much they could take in the weather until they did it.
Comment: Thanks for this article with a high level approach to analyzing costs and benefits of small cell deployment. It raises more questions for me ultimately, and that is a good thing! I appreciate your work and insight, thanks!
Response: Thank you sir!
Comment: #4 small cell = small power demand. Depending on the load, duty cycle and site location an off-grid solar electric system could be the small footprint economical power solution rather than the minimum 100A service expense.
Comment: Enjoyed the article. It is very timely for me. Having serious problems getting paid. Company/worker loyalty in an unbiased format would be a good article also if not already done.
Response: Thank you! It’s a shame that even today people are not getting paid for the work that they do. Why is it that loyalty to the people working so hard can dissipate so quickly?
Comment: Just left a company 2 months ago for lowering my per diem from $600 to $500 per week. And had us on a 40hr. Week salary working 60 – 80 + hrs. A week. And only got home every 2 or so months.
Response: This is often the case when they try to make tower climbers salary. So many times the way companies raise margin is to screw the worker. That is very common in the industry. If it happens to you I would look elsewhere like this guy did, it is only a matter of time until they start making more cuts.
Response: Good point! Solar would be awesome! If the physical footprint would remain small with the batteries I see it as a viable solution.
Comment: Wade, Reminds me of the stories we hear constantly with tower tech’s where they had to finish work started in the early morning and ended after dark. The real part of the story is they had to drive 5 hours before and after the climb! This is plain dangerous! Completion bonuses, etc, etc, are nice to get your sub’s to hustle but would you like to explain to a jury why you had people in dangerous jobs working these hours?
Response: I agree, sometimes the worker put in such long hours and no one cares because they feel the work is more important and the customer may not know what the worker is going through. The workers need representation in the company.
Comment: Very good Mr. Wade, hope we get a Congressman to help us. The situation should be better for a person who chooses to work in this field! Thank you!
Response: I think that the FCC working with DOL should help by creating TIRAP. It is still voluntary but it’s a start. This is a chance for the government to recognize the seriousness of the climbing industry hazards.
Comment: I have been in the industry for 12 years, each year it get worse for tower hands… this industry makes more money than it knows what to do with and what they need to realize is this technology isn’t going to put itself up on any tower, water tank, or roof top without the tower hands that do it… appreciate your employees and treat them better… give better pay, appropriate per diem, and most of all better hours… the majority of tower workers have families, think about that when you go home to yours everyday and you have several crews that only see theirs 8 weeks out the year…… if that…….. so when you get on your cell phone to make your next call think about the guys that sacrifice so much for you to be able to enjoy that luxury and think about what they endure to provide you that luxury
Response: Like I said before, so many companies think that to raise margin they need to cut per diem and employee salaries. It is common. I guess the CFO that is sitting in his office that gets to work from 9 to 5 and go home every night to his family makes the decision that the tower crew who leaves Monday and won’t get home Friday night should skip meals. I guess they forget that physical work as well as engineering might burn a few calories each day. I guess they determined that they can always find more grunts. Good luck with that strategy. I have learned that it pays to take care of your employees, but there are so many people who just stay at a company because it’s a job and they don’t want to leave, no matter how bad the company treats them.
Comment: We have been blessed to be able to work with customers and vendors that have created a loyalty around what we do. We for the first time have really felt the issues of low bidder and the companies that go out of business one day and start again tomorrow. We hope that our customers will determine that it is not a low bid industry and will continue to give us a chance to do work and be profitable. The 3rd party companies and now the equipment providers have created hard times for the small company trying to keep up with increased pricing pressure and hard to find quality staff. They know they can stop us from taking work by buying a competitor and lowering their prices to push us out. Small business can only grow with the help of our customers. We need them to demand companies to have experienced employees and not just how many crews you can come up with. We have to stop the companies and owners which have failed multiple times but keep doing work. We know these are the companies that have made the industry unsafe and less profitable for the hard-working small businesses. Have a safe Thanksgiving.
Response: Thank you and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well. This is a great thought, I would like to think this is where the industry is headed, quality over quantity. Some helpful links below.
Please, please, please help the Hubble foundation. Don’t you want to support an injured tower climber’s family? Here’s how, click on the Hubble picture below and look for the donations button and give today! Thank GOD for the Hubble Foundation!
Get on iTunes for Wade4wireless then subscribe and write a review now! Just click on any ICON below!
Interested in products I have created for the tower climbers and wireless deployment, click on the pictures below to find out more!
Do you know what efficiencies can be driven from deployments with proper planning? Maybe I am asking the wrong question, let me ask you this, did you ever have a PM (project manager) or foreman call you and beg you to do a job or a task that you didn’t know about at the last-minute? Oh, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Schedules and last-minute changes can kill workers physically and mentally. You know what I mean! Why is it that the customer’s emergency becomes your problem? Probably because something got missed or changed at the last-minute. It happens quite often.
We all complain about how screwed up deployments can get, especially when we are on the receiving end of a schedule change or a last-minute install. We also hope to get paid for these emergencies that are caused by someone’s poor planning. So looking at this up front, what can we do to help the situation out? We can look where we can save time and money with WDE.
OK, planning is very important and most of the time the poor planning is pinned on the contractor when in reality the PM or the customer just missed something or didn’t listen to the people who do deployments all the time. Sometimes the customer pivots to get something done that they didn’t foresee. Other times permitting frees up in one market unexpectedly.
If you pointed something out prior to the deployment, then get over it. Just remember that when you say “I told you so” that it won’t accomplish much except to anger someone. So instead of saying that, why don’t you offer a suggestion on how to improve the situation? You should already know what to do. Make it a discussion, not an argument.
So what do you do? You work with your experience and make sure that your SOW (Scope of Work) has the information in it to make sure you get paid! Make sure that you are a partner in the deployment planning. Have a talk with the PM or customer to figure out the best way to deploy without breaking the budget.
Most of the time this starts up front, with the site surveys. If the survey is done properly and the planning is realistic, then many problems should be avoided. However, what other kinks can happen, like permitting delays, changes to the design post survey, and other factors can ruin efficiency.
If you can, try to make the best out of planning ahead of time. When you are bidding on a job or when you are working on the SOW, make sure you are already thinking of how to improve time to market (TTM) and control costs. What efficiencies can be found? Well, I have notice that in many deployments I have done and planned that there are savings in the following.
If the site survey is done properly and documented well then the installers will have no effort in deployment. This will include not only the installation information but building the proper Bill of Materials (BOM). Documentation really helps. Pictures that can be shared with the installers and equipment vendors can really help out the planning process. Many companies put their most experienced people on the estimating and surveys because they want it done right to avoid problems later.
If the same company doing the installation does the survey, then the transition usually goes much smoother for the actual deployment and BOM building. However, if something is missing then the installers will need to be sure that they can make up the missing parts. There is no excuse when the same company does the survey and then the installation and something is missing, unless there is a change at the last-minute. Also, the deployment team should let the estimator know if they missed something. Feedback is very important.
If the PM plans out the permitting the best they can then the installers should be able to move in an orderly fashion. That is hard to do but it may get better if the permitting process improves. Permitting can be a real problem because of the complexity of the process so the PM will need to keep everyone updated on the status.
Warehousing and staging is very important, make sure that the logistics team is aware of the schedule and works with the customer and the installer to provide constant updates. The warehouse will work with the team to provide updates on what has been delivered and staged. Include the installer on those updates to make sure that they are in the loop.
If the installers and the commissioning team are “connected at the hip”. They need to be talking and working together to schedule properly. It used to be that many PMs did not like different teams talking because they were afraid they would plan around them. Let me tell you, nothing is farther from the truth. When the installers and commissioners work together they become more efficient and deployments move faster than ever.
Deployment planning needs to be shared with the team. If the PM has a priority list then they should make sure that the installer and the warehouse is on the same page. Then let them know that they can move on the top 10 as soon as the site is staged. This is a way to let the installers know that they can move as soon as the staging is completed.
Batch sites by region, this is probably the one thing that can really save costs but the hardest to do. I have mentioned it before that if you can do all the sites in one region or city, then you save so much money on travel. It doesn’t always work, mostly due to permitting and leasing and customer expectations. I have been on projects where the customer wants to see progress and they order the installer to do one site in a region because they want to show the customer/investors that they are making progress in a hot area. They argue that they want you to install for the bulk price even though the installer costs increase when going to one area to do a single install if they are not local. Chances are you will do it to keep the customer happy but this really eats into margin causing you to raise the prices next time because the customer requests irrational planning not thinking of how the cost rolls downhill.
Understand what they big picture is. Sometimes the deployment team will get caught up in the deployment of their priority sites because they don’t think about the system. Sometimes the deployment of the sites may be ahead of either the core/controllers or licensing is ready for the turn-up. So the sites may be deployed and sit for months until brought live. Then when they are brought live problems show up. I have been through many deployments like this. It causes so many problems but this is how many deployments happen. Sometimes the customer will expect you to come back to repair something months after the installation, understand what the agreement is ahead of time, read the SOW and the contract so you can plan accordingly. Customer relationships need to be thought of as well, remember that if you piss of the customer you may lose the customer.
Have the right tools for the job. Remember to plan out the deployment. If you need a bucket truck then get a bucket truck, put it in the pricing and use it! You may need a crane or a welder or more manpower. Plan accordingly.
Plan out the overnight stays ahead of the deployment. You can save money sometimes if you are going to be in an area for over a month by finding an apartment or negotiating with a local hotel for the full month. If you can plan and work on hotel costs, it saves money.
Learn what you’re installing! This is something where you will need proper training on the equipment. Whether its beefing up a tower or installing several RRHs. Sometimes you will be deploying something new, but if this is something that has been GA’ed, (General Acceptance) then it should have a MOP (Method of Process) put out by the OEM. Remember not to confuse the OEM’s MOP with the customer’s MOP. They are usually very different. The OEM will cover the OEM equipment only but the customer’s MOP should cover all of the site equipment. If you know the proper process then it will cut down on the return visits for the punch list. Return visits cost money and time and delay payments. Make sure you do as much right the first time as possible and have the MOP to back it up.
Plan to be on site when the inspection takes place. This is really hard when you have limited people. I used to have a crew or person that would be on site when the inspection took place so that all the issues could be resolved in one inspection. This would speed payment and closure. The PM should be able to schedule this but they need to be aware of how much time this will save. One of the biggest reasons time and money is lost is because the customer and the contractor go back and forth trying to closeout a site. It can go on for weeks or even months. It is very frustrating and can be prevented by some simple planning.
Site prep is very important. If this is a new deployment, for macro or small cells, power needs to be ready. Leasing needs to be completed. Permitting needs to be completed. If you go to install something and something is not ready, it is a major problem. So if you are the PM, make sure everything is complete to prevent the second visit. Verify as much as possible.
I put a few things in here that may help you out. Most of this is obvious, but it seems that there are still problems with what I have laid out, no deployment is perfect. I see all of these problems arise again and again. Problems always arise, there are always delays due to outside issues, like weather or if the customer makes a change or if the contractor will not get paid. We always see problems that can’t be counted for. It happens.
Let me know what delays you have seen derail a deployment.
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I really appreciate all of the feedback. One of the posts that I got a lot of feedback on was “Tower Injuries: Is this the Price of doing Business?” I found out that the wireless community in general is fired up about the need for change in this industry! Not only the perception that it’s dangerous but the fact that we should be doing better. There is a not only a need for change, but the industry will get a black eye because it’s going to become a type of “US” and “THEM” mentality in wireless. What I mean by that is there will be the large customers, like the carriers, who will be the “THEM” looking to keep deployments as cheap as possible and the “US” which is the climber who puts his/her life at risk trying to get the tower completed in less time regardless of the risk.
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What we need to do is change the perception that the tower side of the industry is too dangerous to work and get it back to a highly respected profession where accidents may happen but are not common. The past 2 years are poor examples of safety. You know what I am talking about, not only the deaths but the injuries and near misses. Injury and death should not be the price of doing business in any industry. We are working harder to make this change, but it will take a team effort from all sides and especially from you! Each of you can help by spreading the word and becoming living examples of what to do the right way!
So, here is the feedback. I will have the comment and then my response. Just to be clear, all of these are responses from “Tower Injuries: Is this the Price of doing Business?” I remove the names to prevent any harassment, but if you include a company name I will print it.
Comment: Hi Wade, The comment was meant towards Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. The major companies that contract out the work so they don’t have to pay Union scale wages to their employees. But I agree as the one it was said to about everything you wrote.
Response: Thank you.
Comment: This fatalistic approach has no place in a safety culture. No level of accidents, much less deaths, should be acceptable.
Response: I agree whole heartedly!
Comment: Great article. I experience a lot of “deadlines” or “it has to be done” situations. There are better ways to send guys out in the morning without turning it into a race. I am 15+yrs into telecommunications industry. I take a laid back and still be safe point view with my crew and it works. Also the quality of work is excellent.
Response: It is great to see that someone can relax and pay attention to the deployment itself rather than the dead lines that often overcome many of us.
Comment: If you have never worked as an installer on one of these towers, you cannot understand how difficult it is to perform the tasks required to do a job. The owners, designers and producers of these towers are simply designing towers to support the antennas and lines, without any thought as to how they will be erected and maintained. (Other than step-bolts which are a major contributor to the fatalities.) In comparison, look at the U.S. Forest Service towers. Has there ever been an accident where a forest service worker fell from a tower? If there was, I never heard about it and these towers have been around much longer than communication towers. The service was astute enough to provide a safe workplace for their employees.
Response: I don’t know about the Forest Service tower injuries, I couldn’t find any, but I agree completely that the tower should be made as safe as possible. When climbing there are so many physical obstacles in the way and there are not always descent tie off points. Some people don’t understand what I mean by that but you may need to wrap the lanyard around something to get a tie off point because it may be the only thing to connect the lanyard too. It could be an oversized cross beam or a large leg. Especially since we all know that the climbing pegs are not an acceptable tie off point. I find that companies that are tower owners only seemed concerned with the tie off points if they have their people climbing all the towers. This is when it becomes a concern. 100% tie off is a lot easier when there are well planned and accessible tie off points that are clean without sharp edges.
Comment: Hi Wade. There are aspects of life this side of the pond where we have a surfeit of legislation and it suffocates us, but when it comes to H&S in mobile comms. I am glad we have tight legislation, prescriptive regulations and significant penalties for companies and individuals that do not comply. I work for a large tower co (JV between two carriers) and compliance with our Construction, Design and Management Regs is absolute and audited, and it underpins an uncompromising approach to working safe and staying safe. It is frightening in any civilized country that injuries and fatalities might even flippantly be said to be the price of doing business, or perhaps to be viewed as in some way inevitable in delivery of rollout and upgrade projects to time and/or to budget. It’s time we replaced the triangle of contention between time, cost and quality handmade it a pyramid with H&S no longer a silent factor. Finally well done on having a blog and a LinkedIn page that call this out. Regards
Response: Thank you for the comments and it shows us how not all regulation is bad. Unfortunately here in the states big companies generally set regulation until there are too many accidents.
Comment: Every accident is preventable. That is not a safety slogan but an actual fact. The problem is that safety costs more than a lot of employers and/or their employees want to pay. In this business (tower work) you don’t get off easy when you make a mistake. Serious injury and death are the regrettable results when mistakes happen in an elevated position. Take a closer look at the photo above. Do you see all of those cable connections on the bottom of the antennas and radio heads that are inaccessible unless someone suspends themselves from the tower/platform mount? How much would it cost to relocate those connections to positions above the bottom of the platform to afford a safer and efficient work position? Why continue to put good people in harm’s way to do their work? Safety starts on the drawing board of every product and every project. If not, the risk to workers greatly increases and the opportunities for serious accidents go up accordingly. It is time to re-engineer our approach to safety in the wireless industry!
Response: I could not agree more! However, it is not thought of end to end. I tried to bring this up before but it seems that there is no alignment from the beginning so it is mostly put on the climber. When I say from the beginning, we should start when new towers are constructed. They can’t be prepared for everything as technologies change, (who knew we would hang all the radio heads on the tower?), but the tie off points could be prepared better. When the equipment is hung on the tower it should be thought out so when work is done it can be easily maintained, but it is not. I worked on transmitters years ago where they were trying to get the unit to fit in a small space. It fit in a small space up until you had to work on it. Then you had to pull it out from the tight spot, hoping not to affect the connected coax and you had to practically pull it apart to work on the most common failures. Not to mention all the tools you needed, it had nut, screws that need a flat, Philip, Torx and more just to work on it. They improved that side by making everything modular at first, now they replace an entire unit when it has problems. But the climber has more and more work on the tower, in the air, at height. They have to learn fiber skills, coax skills, climbing skills, safety skills, and more. Yet, when something happens people always say, well they should have done this or that, not accounting for all the issues they have to contend with. When something bad happens, most people look at the end, not the beginning to end. How many times has OSHA said, “Well the RRH should have been mounted elsewhere” or “why didn’t the tower owner provide proper climbing tie off points”?
If you have an opinion, tell me about it!
I thought you guys may want to get more training, here is a good antenna tutorial.
