TOWER CLIMBER SAFETY TIPS
Tower climbers and other professionals in the elevated workforce are critical to the on-going maintenance and operation of communication towers around the world. Tower climbers perform several types of jobs, such as maintaining and repairing cell phone, microwave, radio or television towers. Each type of tower involves a slightly different approach and skill set required to perform the needed work. But one item is a constant across all towers and job duties – and that’s the importance of safety.
TOP THREE TIPS
Tip Number 1: Get proper and adequate training. Basic competent climber and fall protection training is a good start. More advanced training, such as climber rescue, CPR and RF awareness is also worth investing your time in. All training programs and compliance should meet or exceed OSHA regulations.
Tip Number 2: Make sure your employer provides all proper and required personal protection equipment (PPE). OSHA regulations require all employers to provide the needed equipment for climbing the tower safely. Perhaps this goes without saying – but use all the equipment provided by your employer. Even though using certain safety devices and procedures may cause you to take a little longer, you life and safety is worth more than any time you might save by cutting a corner.
Tip Number 3: Climb with a team you can trust. Trust takes time to build and if you’re working with a new crew, make sure safety is a top priority for your employer. When you climb it’s essential you trust others who are working onsite with you – and they need to trust you as well. Falling tools and materials dropped from up high can pose an extreme hazard to those below. And in the case of an aerial or elevated emergency, the ground team will be critical to rescuing the climber on the tower. You want to also be able to trust your gear, your training and the management of the employer you work for.
CLIMBING COMMUNITY
Seek out the great tower safety communities out there. Check out the #ClimberConnection video series at the NATE (Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association) website. I love their drone footage and the experts they interview. They also have many links to climber and safety resources.
In conclusion: Training, Equipment and Team are the three keys to thriving in a safe environment as a tower climber. Whether you are climbing monopoles, guyed towers, lattice or self-support towers – safety is paramount! If you are interested in learning about employment opportunities, please reach out to us soon.
