Date post: | 13-Feb-2017 |
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Government & Nonprofit |
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Tower Climber Safety
• A look at the tower worker industry.• What has been done and what has
not been done
Climbing with Tree BeltsBefore 1995 Reforms
Waist belt with a saddle to sit and rest in
Adjustable Rope Lanyard 3-6 feet
100% Tie-Off • Implemented in 1995• Safety Standards in the tower industry
led to organization of National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)– Response to burden put on tower
companies to become compliant–Most companies had to buy expensive
equipment that was sometimes not suited for tower work
Full Body Harness 1995
Fall Arrest Connecting Ring connected to antenna boom with a Shock Absorbing Lanyard
Leg Straps
Shoulder straps to prevent coming out of belt when upside down
Fatality Statistics –Wireless Estimator has been keeping
track of fatalities since 2003 but many still only apply to those in communication business
02468
101214161820
13
10
7
18
1012
3
Fatalities by Year from Wire-lessEstimator.com
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Prior to 2003 NIOSH studies estimated 188 deaths between 1992 to 1998- The estimate was considered a
minimum and averages 31.3 fatalities yearly over this period
There are no studies to date of tower climber injuries
• More and more antennas are being placed on crowded towers
• Increases the likelihood of injury to workers
Wireless Demands
• In 2008, one half of the Fatalities were linked to AT&T Mobility expansion
Wireless Industry Boom
- 100% of the deceased climbers had proper fall protection but did not use it properly
• April 2008- 5 climbers died within a 12 day period!
Work Speedup• Incredible demand is placed on tower
companies to begin work on carrier sites– They want workers on the ground even
when supplies for jobs are not yet present• Crews are split up while climbers are
sent to other jobs to climb alone (often at remote sites)
– Increases frequency of Free-Climbing in order to finish jobs faster
Work speed-up leads to worker error
• Damaged, overused, and improper equipment
• Not rigging safety lines on horizontals
• Men pushed to work without proper gear
Rigging ErrorsRigged with one choker in the center of the ladder (steel was fracturing here)
Weld was broken by the weight of 120 feet of T-line Ladder
Other Factors- Rigging with lanyards, not chokers- Homemade Blocks and Tackle
Fire Station Monopole Oswego, NY 2003
Steve Yablonski
Working Long Hours• Climbers have to
work on Broadcast towers at night
• Cell Switchovers also occur at night
Work often goes on during the day at other sites
Extreme Weather
- Getting caught in thunderstorms- Extremely muddy conditions- Excessive heat on compound stones- Sites are not prepared for climbers in advance (usually there are no buildings or shelters to get out of the weather)
Remoteness of Sites• Four wheeled
vehicles are needed to reach most sites
• Occasionally, helicopters are used and equipment is hauled up by Log Skidders
• Many are located on mountain tops with winding, washed out roads
Structural Concerns- T-Booms
- Many T- Booms are NOT designed to support the weight of a climber
- Some companies built towers with warnings on the climbing ladders that it may not support the weight of a person
- Climbers have died hooking into the top of these pipe mounts, which have rotated from their weight causing them to slide off the mount
WirelessEstimator.com
WirelessEstimator.com
At least he has a hard hat
WirelessEstimator.com
Oversight & Accountability• The fatality rate hasn’t changed much
over the years• Many companies claim to comply with
the OSHA blaming their problems on “The other guy”
• Fatalities get the media attention but many more workers are badly injured from falls, crushed limbs, and repetitive strains
Watertown Daily Times 2007
This gentleman was polite enough to pose for a news photographer and not the slightest bit concerned about being fined by OSHA (he wasn’t, it went unnoticed)
How many ways could he be risking his and the lives of other workers?
OSHA Violations!1. Broken Safety Gate on
hook2. Hook connected by
Cable Clamps instead of a Wedge & Socket
3. Man and Tagline hanging from Insulator Shackle
4. Tree Climbing Harness5. No Fall Arrest line
while riding a winch line
6. No HardhatWho knows what lingers elsewhere on the site?
Culture of Free-ClimbingThis man is using his Fall Arrest to pull down the winch line coiled on the ground
Taken November, 2005 in Pulaski, NY
July, 2008
Positioning Lanyard
Fall Arrest DeviceStill hooked on the harness
Rigging the tower to lower the microwave dish below. Free-climbing, no hard hat.2008 Pierrepont Manor, NY
Worker below working untied taking off hangers for the transmission line.2008 Pierrepont Manor, NY
RF Radiation
Loaded Towers
Climbers may be unaware being over exposed to RF
Climbers are not always notified of “Hot FM Antennas” (FM Broadcast) and are told that the antenna is dead when it is notI climbed this tower in 2001- We turned off our RF monitors because they were beeping as soon as we turned them on
Washington State Takes Action
http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=307560
- After losing two climbers in 2008, a news station investigation exposed ignored warnings within OSHA
- North Carolina & Michigan have successfully implemented communication tower safety standards in an attempt to improve worker safety
What else should be done?
What Next?