OSHA Considering New Regulations on Cell Tower Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sought comment Wednesday in a request for information (RFI) published in the Federal Register on cell tower safety (see 1410140172). In October, OSHA and the FCC conducted a joint workshop on the subject. Comments are due on the RFI June 15.
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At the October workshop, FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman said worker deaths aren't inevitable: “Every death is in fact the result of a breakdown in a safety system.”
OSHA said 91 tower workers died and 17 suffered injuries between 2003 and 2013, with 79 of the deaths a result of falls. There were 13 deaths in 2013 alone, nine from falls, two from structural collapses and two the result of employees being struck by suspended materials while working on a tower.
“In this RFI, OSHA is seeking information about the causes of the employee injuries and fatalities that are occurring among employees working on communication towers,” the RFI states. “The Agency is also seeking comments on safe work practices for communication tower activities, training and certification practices for communication tower workers, and potential approaches the Agency might take to address the hazards associated with work on communication towers.”
OSHA asked for comments from carriers and tower workers “and all parties involved in the contracting chain.” It posed 38 questions. The RFI indicates OSHA is considering new regulations. “What would be the advantages and disadvantages of an OSHA standard that covers both construction and maintenance activities on communication towers?” the agency asks. “If OSHA does not initiate a dedicated rulemaking for work on communication towers, what other types of regulatory actions might be necessary and appropriate?”
“We are actively engaged with the Department of Labor and Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) in working to find ways to ensure that workers are better equipped to perform under the safest conditions possible,” PCIA said in a statement. “We want to help create the wireless workforce of the future with the best training available to those who are deploying wireless infrastructure.”