Communication towers sprouting up by the dozens in the past decade have resulted in a troublesome increase in worker injury and fatalities – and OSHA has responded to the situation by revamping its safety standards specifically designed for these high-risk structures.
Communication towers are especially susceptible to worker injury because workers are often hoisted to heights in excess of 1000 feet. OSHA reports that more fatalities occurred in this industry in 2013 than in the previous two years combined. OSHA’s original directive concerning communication towers only addressed workers on the new construction of cellular towers. The revised directive outlines standards for workers for the maintenance and new construction.
The report following a fatality in 2014 revealed the following safety shortcomings: lack of training, defective equipment, and misuse of, safety equipment:
• The worker did not receive proper training on the ladder safety device he used.
• The pawl of the sleeve was defective. The defect prevented the device from activating properly to stop a fall within 2 feet of its occurrence. This was identified in a safety notice issued after the incident and as a result of OSHA’s investigation.
• The weight of the worker, his tools and equipment was more than the 310-lb rating of the body harness.
• The safety sleeve was connected to the harness at the chest D-ring instead of the navel D-ring as specified by the manufacturer of the ladder safety device.
• The body harness was not a component of the manufacturer’s ladder safety device.
The National Association of Tower Erectors (www.natehome.com) offers several online resources for safety training, including a printable equipment checklist that can be used on a daily basis for increased record-keeping.
The importance of training and proper equipment, while so vital in projects of this nature, can of course be applied to all worksites where fall protection is needed. More information is also available on OSHA’s communication tower webpage. www.osha.gov/doc/topics/communicationtower/index.html.
