A new standard aimed at protecting workers who install, alter or maintain communication towers offers the first comprehensive approach reducing injuries and saving lives in industry that has rapidly expanded in recent years, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).
Kathy Pierce expected her son, Chad Weller, to come home on March 19, 2014, at the end of his shift as a cell tower climber. But Weller, always ready with a smile for his mother, never came back. He was sent up alone to fix a communication signal on top of a water tower in the rain while wearing a harness two sizes too big - and he lost his life in a fatal fall.
OSHA sends letter urging adherence to safety standards
February 14, 2014
An alarming uptick in the number of fatal falls in the cell tower industry has resulted in OSHA reaching out to the National Association of Tower Erectors and other industry stakeholders with safety reminders. The agency has launched a new Web page with educational resources about communication towers and distributed the following letter earlier this week: