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15UTC-Q4-v1_sn

Fred Teichman
Fred Teichman

Tower climbing is one of the most dangerous jobs in America due to workers scaling high towers without proper safety equipment. While 19 tower climbers died in 2006, the industry has since improved safety through initiatives like requiring fall protection training and certifications for all climbers. There are now over 29,000 tower climbers in the US, a 290% increase from 2006, but deaths have decreased by 80% due to a stronger industry-wide focus on safety compliance and standards. Current safety practices like always using fall protection equipment and improved tower infrastructure have made tower climbing safer than ever before.

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UTC Journal | 4th Quarter 2015 35 FEATURE T he head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) once called tower climbing the most dangerous job in America, and for good reason. Its been estimated that tower climberstypically subcontractorshave an on-the-job death rate nearly 10 times that of other construction workers. What makes tower climbing so dangerous? Workers scale towers to perform inspections and tests, handle repairs, and install equipment ranging from antennas, ampli鍖ers, and 鍖ber optic cable to lighting systems. Aside from the fact that their work takes place hundreds of feet off the ground, tower climbers must also haul, up and down a tower, all the tools and equipment needed to perform their job. As one might imagine, the more wrangling a climber must do with equipmentespecially free climbing, i.e., working without fall protection gearthe greater the risk of a fall. After 2006, when 19 tower climbers died, OSHA brie鍖y partnered with the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) to encourage heightened awareness of dangers and safety issues. Although the partnership dissolved in 2009, a heightened focus on tower-climber safety has remained throughout the industry. Where are we today? In 2012, there was only one indus- try fatality. Yet in 2013, there were 14 deaths, and 10 deaths in 2014. Whats going on? Are we backsliding on safety and heading in the wrong direction? Far from it. Numbers rarely tell the whole story. This article explores why tower climbers today are safer than ever before and takes a glimpse into what the future holds for this quickly populat- ing industry. Exploding Growth In 2006 when the 19 deaths occurred, there were approxi- mately 10,000 tower climbers in America. Fast-forward to today, and there are more than 29,000 climbers across the nation. Comparing fatalities from 2006 to 2015, this repre- sents a 290 percent increase in workers, with an almost 80 percent comparative decrease in deaths. Simply put, more people in the air will always mean theres more risk of injury or death. Yet, the fact that there have been comparatively fewer injuries as the number of workers on elevated structures has grown exponentially means more attention is being paid to safety, both on the ground and in the air. This is good news for everyone. Leading the Charge on Safety How did this emphasis on safety come about? It would be nice to say everyone veered altruistic and banded together to save lives, but the reality is that litigation played a substantial role in bringing about change. Before 2012, cell phone and tower carriers were more or less isolated from charges of liability, with the burden falling on the subcon- tracting companies who provided the workers. After the 2006 partnership with NATE, OSHA began tagging these cell phone and tower companies in lawsuits. At the same time, a number of associations offering safety training and safety certi鍖cations began to appear across the nation. For example, NATE unveiled the NATE STAR Initiative that rewards participants (tower companies) who adhere to requisite levels of safety, training, accountability, and reli- ability. In addition, the NATE Tower Climber Fall Protec- tion Training Standard (NATE CTS) put forth minimum standards to which tower climbers should be trained for Authorized Climber, Competent Climber, and Competent Rescuer certi鍖cations. As a result, every major customer and even most smaller power companiesnow make it a requirement that only documented, certi鍖ed climbers be permitted on the jobsite. 100%Tie-Off Initiative In 2014, the Wireless Industry Safety Task Force introduced the 100% Tie-Off Awareness 24/7 Campaign. While the ideal of 100 percent tie-off has been around for years, enforcement in the past was lax. The recent campaign has pushed the fact that 100% Tower Climbing:WhyThe Most Dangerous Job in AmericaHas Gotten Safer Continued on page 36 ByAllenPowell
UTC Journal | 4th Quarter 201536 SaferTower Climbing Continued from page 35 Tie-Off is the law and must be adhered to at all times by any and all personnel working on a tower site. Fred Teichman, director for the central region of Tower 16, a subsidiary company of S&N Communications, said that workers who have been climbing towers for years often resist efforts to tie-off 100 percent of the time. Call them old salty dogs, Teichman said. Theyve been free climbing for years, and they may feel like its more work to have to tie-off every time they move. Its kind of like when seatbelt laws came into play. People who had been driving for years without them resisted, even though every study shows that youre safer using them. These guys are the same way. Theyve been doing their job just 鍖ne for years without being tied off, so in their minds, why make more work for themselves? It then becomes a leadership challenge to convert them to a safety-鍖rst mindset. Barring that, companies just have to have people on-site to ensure 100% Tie-Off is being enforced. Teichman carries a half-dollar sized coin in his pocket stamped with the words 100% Tie-Off. He uses the coin as a reminder of the commitment that he, his company, and his workers have made to safety. Were the hands-on people who are doing the work up there, he said. And make no mistakeit is dangerous work. I show climbers this coin and remind them that its because of our adherence to safety that we get to come home at night. BetterTowers, Better Equipment, Better Safety Todays climbing equipment is much more functional than in years past. Tower climbing equipment was originally used just to carry tools or secure climbers at a certain point where they were working, said Teichman, who has 30 years in the industry. Todays equipment has changed. Its designed to allow you to carry tools and still be 100 percent tied off. It secures workers so they can climb and work with both hands. In other words, no matter if a worker is climbing, stationary, or moving into position, he or she is always secured. Towers themselves have improved. Almost all towers across industries have been upgraded with a safety-climb device (a steel cable that runs from the bottom to the top of a tower). The safety climb cable allows for climbers to be tied off 100 percent of the time. For the few towers that dont offer the cable, 100% Tie-Off is still an option; it just requires securing a safety line that workers manually clip on and clip off. Behind Closed Doors:The Boardroom Prior studiesnot to mention common senseshow that injuries and fatalities in the past were related to workers taking shortcuts to meet tight deadlines and goals. If climb- ers were working for a company that didnt emphasize safety, there was a danger in speaking up or in being that guy who slowed production because he insisted on clip- ping in and out. These shortcuts and fatalities cant be laid solely at the feet of workers. Management must bear the burden of responsibility for allowingand even pushingwork- ers to operate under unsafe conditions. Thankfully, with compliance laws, management across industries are now proactive in not only encouraging, but demanding workers adhere to the highest levels of safety. A few tips to make your workers and sites safer: Conduct announced and unannounced site visits/ safety inspections. Look at more than just tie-off. A safety inspection should run the gamut, from hardhats and safety glasses to easy access to paperwork proving worker certi鍖cations. Encourage partnership among 鍖eld workers. Empha- size during site visits that your goal is to make sure everyone is compliant, not to 鍖nd fault and point 鍖ngers. Institute a safety award program and reward those who practice safety and have the courage to call out unsafe practices to management. Offer small bonuses or rewards for employees who go above and beyond in their safety certi鍖cations. Offer safety tips at staff meetings, in newsletters, through e-mails, etc.
UTC Journal | 4th Quarter 2015 37 At S&N, safety has always been at the forefront of what we do. Long before certi鍖cations were mandated, we were holding training classes, shadowing programs, and enforc- ing tie-offs among workers. Whether then or now, training doesnt come cheap. It can cost $1,600 for tower training for a single employee and upwards of $5,000 to train the trainer. But when you consider that the majority of all tower-climbing fatalities in the past were directly related to free climbing, manage- ments role in enforcing safety standards becomes clear. What the Future Holds Over the years, the requirement of having only certi鍖ed climbers has raised dramatically, which means the need for certi鍖cation and documentation has escalated, Teichman said. He offered the example that if he hires a new techni- cian who was trained only months ago by another com- pany, that worker immediately gets slotted into a timetable for when he or she must be recerti鍖ed by Tower 16 in order to remain current. Were seeing progress every day with standards and certi鍖cations, Teichman said. Thats only going to keep growing. He also said that as the salty dogs age out of the industry, workers who have never known anything except the current safety standards are replacing them. I think the industry as a whole has moved from this kind of get it done cowboy mentality to much more of a tower-technician mindset, he said. The industry is coming together and agreeing to standards, making it much easier for workers who may change jobs to know that what they learned in one company will apply at another. Helping ease the way for subcon- tractors to enforce standards is the fact that end customersutility and cell phone companiesare insisting on safety standards and compliance and refusing to work with companies with poor safety records. This is a good thing. Safety is never the sole responsibility of a worker or a company. Instead, its the prerogative of an industry. Tower climbing is still dangerous. But thanks to new industry standards, its gotten much, much safer. David Allen Powell brings more than 28 years of industry experience in the facility locating and excavation business to his role as President and CEO of North Carolina-based S&N Communications, Inc. Powell manages and leads an experienced team of 1,000 in-house professionals providing all aspects of aerial, buried, underground, and locating for communications, electric, and gas customers. Our technology and communications consulting services include: CONSULTANTSFULL-SERVICE Utility-wide Strategic Communications Planning Aged Infrastructure Replacement Roadmapping Technology Assessments: Private vs. Commercial Business Cases Wireless Spectrum and Tower Acquisition Design, Procurement, and Deployment of: LMR, Microwave, Fiber, and Last Mile Communications Visit our website for more information on all of our services: www.powersystem.org or call 866-825-8895 Serving the industry since 1974.

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15UTC-Q4-v1_sn

  • 1. UTC Journal | 4th Quarter 2015 35 FEATURE T he head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) once called tower climbing the most dangerous job in America, and for good reason. Its been estimated that tower climberstypically subcontractorshave an on-the-job death rate nearly 10 times that of other construction workers. What makes tower climbing so dangerous? Workers scale towers to perform inspections and tests, handle repairs, and install equipment ranging from antennas, ampli鍖ers, and 鍖ber optic cable to lighting systems. Aside from the fact that their work takes place hundreds of feet off the ground, tower climbers must also haul, up and down a tower, all the tools and equipment needed to perform their job. As one might imagine, the more wrangling a climber must do with equipmentespecially free climbing, i.e., working without fall protection gearthe greater the risk of a fall. After 2006, when 19 tower climbers died, OSHA brie鍖y partnered with the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) to encourage heightened awareness of dangers and safety issues. Although the partnership dissolved in 2009, a heightened focus on tower-climber safety has remained throughout the industry. Where are we today? In 2012, there was only one indus- try fatality. Yet in 2013, there were 14 deaths, and 10 deaths in 2014. Whats going on? Are we backsliding on safety and heading in the wrong direction? Far from it. Numbers rarely tell the whole story. This article explores why tower climbers today are safer than ever before and takes a glimpse into what the future holds for this quickly populat- ing industry. Exploding Growth In 2006 when the 19 deaths occurred, there were approxi- mately 10,000 tower climbers in America. Fast-forward to today, and there are more than 29,000 climbers across the nation. Comparing fatalities from 2006 to 2015, this repre- sents a 290 percent increase in workers, with an almost 80 percent comparative decrease in deaths. Simply put, more people in the air will always mean theres more risk of injury or death. Yet, the fact that there have been comparatively fewer injuries as the number of workers on elevated structures has grown exponentially means more attention is being paid to safety, both on the ground and in the air. This is good news for everyone. Leading the Charge on Safety How did this emphasis on safety come about? It would be nice to say everyone veered altruistic and banded together to save lives, but the reality is that litigation played a substantial role in bringing about change. Before 2012, cell phone and tower carriers were more or less isolated from charges of liability, with the burden falling on the subcon- tracting companies who provided the workers. After the 2006 partnership with NATE, OSHA began tagging these cell phone and tower companies in lawsuits. At the same time, a number of associations offering safety training and safety certi鍖cations began to appear across the nation. For example, NATE unveiled the NATE STAR Initiative that rewards participants (tower companies) who adhere to requisite levels of safety, training, accountability, and reli- ability. In addition, the NATE Tower Climber Fall Protec- tion Training Standard (NATE CTS) put forth minimum standards to which tower climbers should be trained for Authorized Climber, Competent Climber, and Competent Rescuer certi鍖cations. As a result, every major customer and even most smaller power companiesnow make it a requirement that only documented, certi鍖ed climbers be permitted on the jobsite. 100%Tie-Off Initiative In 2014, the Wireless Industry Safety Task Force introduced the 100% Tie-Off Awareness 24/7 Campaign. While the ideal of 100 percent tie-off has been around for years, enforcement in the past was lax. The recent campaign has pushed the fact that 100% Tower Climbing:WhyThe Most Dangerous Job in AmericaHas Gotten Safer Continued on page 36 ByAllenPowell
  • 2. UTC Journal | 4th Quarter 201536 SaferTower Climbing Continued from page 35 Tie-Off is the law and must be adhered to at all times by any and all personnel working on a tower site. Fred Teichman, director for the central region of Tower 16, a subsidiary company of S&N Communications, said that workers who have been climbing towers for years often resist efforts to tie-off 100 percent of the time. Call them old salty dogs, Teichman said. Theyve been free climbing for years, and they may feel like its more work to have to tie-off every time they move. Its kind of like when seatbelt laws came into play. People who had been driving for years without them resisted, even though every study shows that youre safer using them. These guys are the same way. Theyve been doing their job just 鍖ne for years without being tied off, so in their minds, why make more work for themselves? It then becomes a leadership challenge to convert them to a safety-鍖rst mindset. Barring that, companies just have to have people on-site to ensure 100% Tie-Off is being enforced. Teichman carries a half-dollar sized coin in his pocket stamped with the words 100% Tie-Off. He uses the coin as a reminder of the commitment that he, his company, and his workers have made to safety. Were the hands-on people who are doing the work up there, he said. And make no mistakeit is dangerous work. I show climbers this coin and remind them that its because of our adherence to safety that we get to come home at night. BetterTowers, Better Equipment, Better Safety Todays climbing equipment is much more functional than in years past. Tower climbing equipment was originally used just to carry tools or secure climbers at a certain point where they were working, said Teichman, who has 30 years in the industry. Todays equipment has changed. Its designed to allow you to carry tools and still be 100 percent tied off. It secures workers so they can climb and work with both hands. In other words, no matter if a worker is climbing, stationary, or moving into position, he or she is always secured. Towers themselves have improved. Almost all towers across industries have been upgraded with a safety-climb device (a steel cable that runs from the bottom to the top of a tower). The safety climb cable allows for climbers to be tied off 100 percent of the time. For the few towers that dont offer the cable, 100% Tie-Off is still an option; it just requires securing a safety line that workers manually clip on and clip off. Behind Closed Doors:The Boardroom Prior studiesnot to mention common senseshow that injuries and fatalities in the past were related to workers taking shortcuts to meet tight deadlines and goals. If climb- ers were working for a company that didnt emphasize safety, there was a danger in speaking up or in being that guy who slowed production because he insisted on clip- ping in and out. These shortcuts and fatalities cant be laid solely at the feet of workers. Management must bear the burden of responsibility for allowingand even pushingwork- ers to operate under unsafe conditions. Thankfully, with compliance laws, management across industries are now proactive in not only encouraging, but demanding workers adhere to the highest levels of safety. A few tips to make your workers and sites safer: Conduct announced and unannounced site visits/ safety inspections. Look at more than just tie-off. A safety inspection should run the gamut, from hardhats and safety glasses to easy access to paperwork proving worker certi鍖cations. Encourage partnership among 鍖eld workers. Empha- size during site visits that your goal is to make sure everyone is compliant, not to 鍖nd fault and point 鍖ngers. Institute a safety award program and reward those who practice safety and have the courage to call out unsafe practices to management. Offer small bonuses or rewards for employees who go above and beyond in their safety certi鍖cations. Offer safety tips at staff meetings, in newsletters, through e-mails, etc.
  • 3. UTC Journal | 4th Quarter 2015 37 At S&N, safety has always been at the forefront of what we do. Long before certi鍖cations were mandated, we were holding training classes, shadowing programs, and enforc- ing tie-offs among workers. Whether then or now, training doesnt come cheap. It can cost $1,600 for tower training for a single employee and upwards of $5,000 to train the trainer. But when you consider that the majority of all tower-climbing fatalities in the past were directly related to free climbing, manage- ments role in enforcing safety standards becomes clear. What the Future Holds Over the years, the requirement of having only certi鍖ed climbers has raised dramatically, which means the need for certi鍖cation and documentation has escalated, Teichman said. He offered the example that if he hires a new techni- cian who was trained only months ago by another com- pany, that worker immediately gets slotted into a timetable for when he or she must be recerti鍖ed by Tower 16 in order to remain current. Were seeing progress every day with standards and certi鍖cations, Teichman said. Thats only going to keep growing. He also said that as the salty dogs age out of the industry, workers who have never known anything except the current safety standards are replacing them. I think the industry as a whole has moved from this kind of get it done cowboy mentality to much more of a tower-technician mindset, he said. The industry is coming together and agreeing to standards, making it much easier for workers who may change jobs to know that what they learned in one company will apply at another. Helping ease the way for subcon- tractors to enforce standards is the fact that end customersutility and cell phone companiesare insisting on safety standards and compliance and refusing to work with companies with poor safety records. This is a good thing. Safety is never the sole responsibility of a worker or a company. Instead, its the prerogative of an industry. Tower climbing is still dangerous. But thanks to new industry standards, its gotten much, much safer. David Allen Powell brings more than 28 years of industry experience in the facility locating and excavation business to his role as President and CEO of North Carolina-based S&N Communications, Inc. Powell manages and leads an experienced team of 1,000 in-house professionals providing all aspects of aerial, buried, underground, and locating for communications, electric, and gas customers. Our technology and communications consulting services include: CONSULTANTSFULL-SERVICE Utility-wide Strategic Communications Planning Aged Infrastructure Replacement Roadmapping Technology Assessments: Private vs. Commercial Business Cases Wireless Spectrum and Tower Acquisition Design, Procurement, and Deployment of: LMR, Microwave, Fiber, and Last Mile Communications Visit our website for more information on all of our services: www.powersystem.org or call 866-825-8895 Serving the industry since 1974.