FCC, OSHA Team For Tower Worker Safety Guide

0

“As more Americans use mobile devices to call, text and stream content, the safety of workers who maintain and construct communications towers is more critical than ever.”


Those words open a joint statement on communications tower safety released Thursday (6/1) by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Deputy Asst. Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dorothy Dougherty.

These words can also apply to communications tower workers who serve radio and TV broadcasters, and each day these workers face what Pai and Dougherty call potentially deadly hazards if not performed safely.

To help reduce injuries or place tower workers in life-threatening situations, the FCC and OSHA today released their jointly produced “Communications Tower Best Practices Guide.”

The guide is a result of the long-standing commitment of both agencies to ensuring the safety of tower workers, Pai and Dougherty note.

“In the spirit of good government and cooperation, our agencies have hosted workshops with input from industry stakeholders to identify and establish accepted practices for performing communication towers work safely,” they note. “The guide is an important step to reduce the tragic number of fatalities involved in communications tower work.”

Among the key subjects in the guide are the verification of subcontractors, safety and health programs, and management leadership.

To download a PDF of the packet-size report, please click here.