US sets comms tower safety standards

The US has finalised new safety standards for those who build and maintain communications towers.

A new standard aimed at protecting workers who install, alter or maintain communication towers offers the first comprehensive approach to reducing injuries and saving lives in the industry that has rapidly expanded in recent years, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).

On 3 August 2016, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved A10.48, Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and Maintenance of Communications Structures, the first voluntary national consensus standard strictly dedicated to protecting workers in the communications tower industry.

According to the US Department of Labor, 13 communication tower workers were killed in 2013 and another 11 were killed in 2014, leading to efforts by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to focus inspection resources on the industry and to work with the communications tower industry to address the risks.

Most of the fatalities were the result of falls from heights.

The new standard establishes minimum criteria for safe work practices and training for personnel performing work on communication structures including antenna and antenna supporting structures, broadcast and other similar structures supporting communication-related equipment.

“A10.48 is the culmination of 13 years of work by ASSE and hundreds of other industry volunteers who identified safety best practices in putting this standard together,” said Richard King, chairman of the A-10 committee that developed the standard and saw its approval by ANSI.

“A10.48 brought some of the best minds in the industry to tackle a serious problem for the telecommunications industry,” he added.

“We broke down each activity related to working on a communications tower and provided safety measures that we hope will reduce injuries and fatalities.”

“The final version of the A10.48 Standard is a by-product of over six years of hard work and diligence by a group of dedicated organisations and subject matter experts,” said National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) A10.48 Subcommittee member Don Doty, Regulatory Compliance Advisor with FDH Velocitel.

“The release of the A10.48 Standard is one of the most significant developments to have occurred in my 43 years working in the industry,” added Doty.

“The A10.48 Standard will provide the ultimate road map for companies and workers to adhere to in order to raise the bar on safety and quality in the industry,” said NATE A10.48 Subcommittee member Kathy Stieler from ERI Installations.

“This transformative standard will fill a huge void that currently exists right now in the industry,” added Stieler.

“NATE is proud to have played a crucial role in establishing the standard and helping get this valuable resource across the goal line,” said NATE Executive Director Todd Schlekeway.

The new standard will go into effect in January 2017. For more information on A10.48, see http://www.asse.org/publications/standards/.

ANSI is a private non-profit organisation that oversees the development of voluntary standards for United States industry through a process that allows all stakeholders to participate in a carefully followed process that builds consensus towards standards that can govern products, services and industry processes like the protection of workers from safety and health risks.

ASSE is a Standards Development Organisation managing voluntary standards developed through ANSI to help industry manage workplace risks.

NATE is a non-profit trade association in the wireless infrastructure industry providing a unified voice for tower erection, service and maintenance companies. Today the association boasts over 805 member companies in 15 countries, including Australia.

Image courtesy Oregon Department of Transportation under CC BY 2.0