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ALERT
Preventing Injuries and Deaths from Falls during
Construction and Maintenance of Telecommunication
Towers
July 2001
DHHS (NIOSH)
Publication No. 2001-156 |
Disclaimer
Preventing Injuries and Deaths
from Falls during Construction and Maintenance of
Telecommunication Towers
|
WARNING!
Workers involved in
construction and maintenance of telecommunications towers are
at high risk of fatal falls.
|
WORKERS should take the
following steps to protect themselves from falls during tower
construction and maintenance:
 | Use 100% fall protection when working
on towers at heights above 25 feet.
| Participate in all training programs
offered by your employer.
| Follow safe work practices identified
by worker training programs.
| Use OSHA-required personal protective
equipment and make sure you are trained in its proper use.
| Inspect equipment daily and report any
damage or deficiencies to your supervisor immediately.
| | | | |
EMPLOYERS
should take the following steps to reduce the risk of worker
injuries and deaths from falls during tower construction and
maintenance:
| Comply with OSHA Compliance Directive
2-1.29.
| Ensure that hoisting equipment used to
lift workers is designed to prevent uncontrolled descent and is
properly rated for the intended use.
| Ensure that hoist operators are
properly trained.
| Ensure that workers use 100% fall
protection when working on towers at heights above
25 feet.
| Provide workers with a 100%
fall-protection system compatible with tower components and the
tasks to be performed.
| Ensure that gin poles are installed
and used according to the specifications of the manufacturer or a
registered professional engineer.
| Ensure that tower erectors are
adequately trained in proper climbing techniques, including
sustaining three-point contact.
| Provide workers with OSHA-required
personal protective equipment and training in its proper
use.
| Ensure that workers inspect their
equipment daily to identify any damage or deficiencies.
| Provide workers with an adequate
work-positioning device system. Connectors on positioning systems
must be compatible with the tower components to which they are
attached.
| Supplement worker training on safe
work practices with discussions of FACE case reports.
| Know and comply with child labor laws
that prohibit hazardous work by workers under age 18.
|
For additional information, see
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Injuries and Deaths from Falls
during Construction and Maintenance of Telecommunication
Towers [DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-156].
Single copies of the Alert are available free from the
following:
NIOSH--Publications
Dissemination
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998
Telephone:
1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674)
Fax:
513-533-8573
E-mail:
pubstaft@cdc.gov
or
visit the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/www.cdc.gov/niosh
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Preventing Injuries and Deaths from Falls
during Construction and Maintenance of Telecommunication
Towers
|
WARNING!
Workers involved in
construction and maintenance of telecommunications towers are
at high risk of fatal falls.
|
The National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests assistance in
preventing deaths and injuries from falls of workers during
construction and maintenance of telecommunication towers. Recent
NIOSH fatality investigations suggest that employers, supervisors,
workers, tower owners, tower manufacturers, and wireless service
carriers may not recognize or appreciate the serious fall hazards
associated with tower construction and maintenance. As a result,
they may not follow safe work practices for controlling these
hazards. This Alert describes seven deaths resulting from falls
during construction and maintenance of telecommunication towers. The
Alert also includes recommendations for preventing similar
incidents. The seven deaths were investigated by the NIOSH Fatality
Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE)
Program.
The widespread use of wireless communication
services has resulted in the construction of telecommunication
towers to hold transmitting devices for cellular phones, personal
communication services, and television and radio broadcast antennas.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that at least
75,000 telecommunication towers have been constructed in the United
States, and industry groups indicate that more than 1,000
telecommunication towers are erected each year [Chiles 1997]. The
Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-104) is expected to
promote more tower construction to meet the increased demand for
wireless communication services [OSHA 1998]. Telecommunication towers may be of several types and
range in height from 100 to 2,150 feet or more [OSHA 1998]. Three
general forms of telecommunication towers are
monopoles that consist of tapered steel
tubes that fit over each other to form a stable pole,
guyed towers that are stabilized by tethered wires,
and
self-supporting towers that are free-standing lattice structures
(Figure 1).
Figure 1. Tower
Types
Telecommunication towers are generally manufactured as
sections and constructed onsite by hoisting each section into place
and bolting sections together. Some models of shorter towers are
self-erecting. For most towers that are constructed onsite, cranes
and gin poles attached to the tower being erected are generally used
to hoist each section into place. A gin pole is a device unique to
the telecommunication tower industry. The gin pole is used to raise
successive sections of steel, equipment, or workers into position.
This temporary lifting device uses cables and pulleys to allow
enough head room to accommodate the length of the next tower section
or equipment being installed (Figure 2).
The exact number of workers involved in tower
construction and maintenance is unknown. Workers are categorized in
a variety of occupational subgroups for which employment data are
collected. These groups include communications workers, painters,
steel erectors, and electrical and electronic equipment repairers.
This type of work also occurs in several industrial subgroups such
as the following:
| SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
623Water, sewer, pipeline, and communications
and power line construction (subcategory--radio transmitting tower
construction)
| SIC 1731Electrical work
(subcategory--telecommunications equipment installation)
| SIC 1791Structural steel
erection
| SIC 1799Special trade
contractors not elsewhere classified (subcategory--antenna
installation, except household type) | | | |
In addition to telecommunication towers,
transmitting devices for wireless communication services are often
mounted on the roof perimeters of buildings, exposing workers to
fall hazards. However, the mounting and maintenance of these devices
on buildings require fall protection measures that are not addressed
in this document.
Figure 2. Gin pole attached to
communication tower.
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)
is a multisource data system maintained by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics to identify work-related deaths in the United States. A
NIOSH review of the CFOI data identified 118 deaths associated with
work on telecommunication towers from 1992 through 1998. These
deaths included 93 falls, 18 telecommunication tower collapses, and
4 electrocutions. However, the number of deaths identified here
should be considered a minimum because identification methods are
not exact [NIOSH 2000a]. Estimates vary
greatly about the number of workers in telecommunication tower
construction and maintenance. In 1993, estimates ranged from 2,300
to 23,000 workers in this field [OSHA 1998]. These estimates suggest
fatality rates of 49 to 468 deaths per 100,000 workers--nearly 10 to
100 times the average rate of 5 deaths per 100,000 workers across
all industries.
OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) safety standard for fall protection in the
construction industry [29 CFR (Code of Federal
Regulations) 1926, Subpart M] excludes
steel erection activities on nonbuilding structures such as towers.
Subpart R of the OSHA fall protection standard in construction [29
CFR 1926] has a proposed effective date of September 18, 2001, and
does not apply to transmission towers, communication and broadcast
towers, and tanks.
Compliance Directive
To address hazards associated with
telecommunication tower construction and maintenance, OSHA formed a
multiagency Tower Task Force in August 1997. The Task Force (with
representatives from Regional and Federal OSHA offices, the Federal
Aviation Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NIOSH,
the U.S. Navy, and others) has worked with the National Association
of Tower Erectors (NATE) to develop a compliance directive to
protect workers from hazards in the tower construction
industry.
The OSHA compliance directive (CPL 2-1.29,
Interim Inspection Procedures During Communication Tower
Construction Activities) became effective January 15, 1999 [OSHA
1999]. The directive addresses fall protection and safe tower access
during construction. Specifically, the directive does the
following:
| Establishes uniform policies and procedures
for OSHA compliance officers when conducting inspections of towers
under construction
| Describes best practices for use by the
industry
| Requires telecommunication tower workers to
maintain 100% fall protection when working 25 feet or more above
the ground (this requirement applies to workers ascending,
descending, or moving from point to point)
| Specifies procedures and allowable conditions
under which workers may access the tower by "riding the line" (a
practice in which workers are directly lifted up a tower by a
hoist line) | | | |
Prohibits riding the line for work at heights less than
200 feet above the ground. Requires instead that workers access
workstations at these heights using conventional methods such as
climbing with fall protection or use of a personnel
platform Permits up to two tower erectors at a time
to ride the line for work at heights more than 200 feet above
the ground when (1) towers are erected with gin poles, (2)
conditions preclude the use of a personnel platform, and (3) other
conventional methods of climbing using a ladder or other approved
climbing devices might create a greater hazard from fatigue or
repetitive stress
| Specifies minimum requirements for allowing
workers to be hoisted on the hoist line, such as the
following: |
Worker training
Use
of hoisting equipment that has been approved, certified, and/or
inspected by a registered professional engineer or other
designated professional
Trial lift and proof-testing procedures
Pre-lift meetings
Documentation of procedures used
Continuous communication between hoist operator and
workers being hoisted Consideration of
environmental conditions
Specifications and maintenance for hydraulic hoists and
gin poles
Addendum on the Use of Gin Poles
The OSHA Tower Task Force may
develop an addendum to the OSHA compliance directive (CPL 2.129) or
a new directive specific to the use of gin poles. Such a directive
would draw on guidelines that already exist or are under development
[NATE 1998, 1999]. For example, NATE has developed industry
guidelines for the use of gin poles. In addition, the
Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries
Association (TIA/EIA) is developing a gin pole standard [TIA/EIA
2001]. OSHA is considering components from both the NATE gin pole
guidelines and the TIA/EIA standard for use in any future compliance
directive addressing gin poles.
At a minimum, any future directive on gin poles
would require that a registered professional engineer's drawing be
available at the site. The drawing must
show the gin pole and its track (if any) and indicate
lifting capacity and the manner of attachment to the tower,
indicate track attachment to at least two places (top
and bottom), and
indicate how high the gin pole can be raised above its
uppermost attachment to the tower.
In addition, any future directive would require
inspection records, documented worker training, and an anti-two
block device (a device that prevents contact between the lower load
block or hook assembly and the gin pole head assembly).
Fair Labor Standards Act
and Youth Employment The Fair
Labor Standards Act (FLSA) [29 USC (United States Code) 201 et seq.]
includes work declared hazardous for youth by the Secretary of
Labor. Hazardous Order No. 7 Power Driven Hoisting Apparatus
Occupations prohibits workers under age 18 from work in all
occupations involved in the operation of a power-driven hoisting
apparatus, including riding on a manlift. The Act defines the term
manlift as "a device intended for the conveyance of persons which
consists of platforms or brackets mounted on, or attached to, an
endless belt, cable, chain, or similar method of suspension; such
belt, cable, or chain operating in a substantially vertical
direction and being supported by and driven through pulleys,
sheaves, or sprockets at the top and bottom."
The cases presented here were investigated by
the NIOSH FACE Program. The goal of this program is to prevent
occupational fatalities across the Nation by (1) identifying and
investigating work situations that involve high risk for worker
injury and (2) formulating and disseminating prevention
strategies
Case 1
On December 3, 1999, the 40-year-old owner of a
tower-painting company, his 16-year-old stepson, and a 19-year-old
employee died after falling 1,200 feet to the ground. The company
had been at the site for 2 weeks repairing the beacon light at the
top of a 1,500-foot radio broadcast tower, painting the tower, and
installing rest platforms. On the day of the incident, the owner had
planned to work on the beacon light at the top of the tower while
the other two workers continued painting the tower. A 3,000-foot
length of Ύ-inch nylon rope and a 1,000-pound-capacity portable
electric capstan hoist were used to raise the workers up the outside
of the tower. Three loops were tied into the hoist line
approximately 6 feet apart. The workers used these loops to help
them ride the hoist line. The stepson was first on the line,
followed by the 19-year-old, and then the company owner. Using a
length of woven rope, the workers had attached one of the rest
platforms to the end of the nylon rope 62 inches below the last
loop. The company owner's wife was operating the capstan hoist using
a foot pedal located on the ground. As the wife was hoisting the
workers up the side of the tower, the hoist line began to slip
around the capstan. The wife was unable to hold the rope and the
workers fell to the ground. The hoist used in this incident was not
manufactured or rated for lifting people. In addition, the load was
likely to have exceeded the lifting capacity of the hoist [NIOSH
2000b].
Case
2 On December 8, 1998, a
21-year-old male tower erector died after sliding approximately
1,000 feet down a supporting guy wire. The victim and coworkers
were attaching dampeners to the tower guy wires when the incident
occurred. The tower being constructed was a 1,040-foot,
high-definition digital television tower. When the incident
occurred, the victim was at the 1,000-foot level and was wearing a
positioning safety belt with a T-bar attached to the D-rings on his
belt. Attached to one end of the T-bar was an adjustable-length
lanyard with a large hook as its terminal device. Attached to the
other end of the lanyard was a large hook. The victim placed the
large hook over the guy wire but did not attach the adjustable
lanyard to the tower before sliding out on the guy wire. Although he
had one foot draped over the wire, he could not keep himself from
sliding. The victim slid rapidly down the wire, striking the anchor
point of the guy wire. He was pronounced dead at the scene [Missouri
FACE 1998].
Case
3 On November 13, 1998, a
41-year-old male tower erector fell 240 feet from a 260-foot
telecommunication tower while attempting to install a new phone
service device on the tower. The victim and a coworker attached
their lanyards to the cable climb positioned on one leg of the tower
and climbed to the 240-foot level of the tower. The owner and a
third tower erector remained on the ground. Both workers wore two
6-foot lanyards attached to the side D-rings on their body
harnesses. The terminal devices on the coworker's lanyards were two
large pelican hooks. The terminal device on one of the victim's
lanyards was a large pelican hook, but the other lanyard had a
smaller snaphook as a terminal device. The victim began to attach a
coaxial phone cable to an antenna arm while the coworker, with his
back to the victim, was attaching cable tray components to the
tower. A short time later, the victim fell, unwitnessed, from the
tower to the ground. The coworker stated that two pelican hooks were
necessary because the smaller snaphook could not be attached to the
larger tower components [NIOSH 1999].
Case 4
On July 16, 1998, a 23-year-old male tower
erector died after falling 200 feet from a telecommunication tower
while attached to an 80-foot section of cable tray. He was a member
of a nine-man crew erecting a 240-foot, three-sided
telecommunication tower. The crew bolted a 140-foot section of the
tower together on the ground. Next this section was set in place by
a crane. The workers then erected the final 100-foot section on the
ground, and three tower erectors climbed the 140-foot section. The
final section was set in place by the crane, and the workers bolted
the two sections together. The crane then lifted an 80-foot section
of cable tray to the top of each side of the tower. As each section
was lifted into place, an erector began to attach it to the tower
using four J bolts every 10 feet. The victim began working down the
tower, attaching the cable tray and tightening all bolted
connections as he descended. After approximately 1 hour, the victim
was at the 200-foot level of the tower. The victim then repositioned
himself and connected both of his lanyards to the partially attached
cable tray. Shortly thereafter, the section of cable tray gave way,
falling to the ground with the victim attached [NIOSH 1998a].
Case 5
On December 8, 1997, a 32-year-old male tower
erector was working with a crew of two others on a 160-foot cellular
phone tower. The crew had completed the tower erection and was in
the process of lowering the gin pole (the lifting device used to
hoist tower sections into place) to the ground. The tower erector
had removed two choker cables securing the upper section of the gin
pole to the tower and was attempting to ride the hoist cable down to
the two lower chokers. The terminal device on the victim's lanyard
was a pelican hook with a 4-inch-wide by 7Ό-inch-long interior
opening. The terminal device on the hoist cable was a 3-inch clevis.
Either the victim tried to hook to the cable and missed or the
larger opening of the pelican hook on his lanyard slipped off the
hoist cable. He fell 130 feet to the ground [NIOSH 1998b].
These incidents suggest that employers, workers,
tower owners, tower manufacturers, and wireless service carriers may
not fully appreciate or recognize the serious hazards associated
with the construction and maintenance of telecommunication towers
and the need to follow safe work procedures that include the use of
100% fall protection.
FACE
investigations identified the following contributing factors in
fatal falls from telecommunication towers:
| Hoist failure
| A hoist that is not rated to hoist
workers
| Truck-crane failure
| Inadequate fall protection
| Failure to attach the lanyard to the
tower
| Terminal devices on the lanyard that are not
compatible with tower components
| Attachment of lanyard to unstable tower
components
| Failure to ride the line under prescribed
conditions
| Inadequate worker training
| Potential fatigue and repetitive
strain
| Failure by employers, workers, tower owners,
tower manufacturers, and wireless service carriers to address
these factors could result in future fatalities.
| | | | | | | | | | | Failure by employers, workers, tower
owners, tower manufacturers, and wireless service carriers to
address these factors could result in future fatalities.
NIOSH recommends that employers and workers
comply with OSHA directives, maintain equipment, and take the
following measures to prevent injuries and deaths when constructing
or maintaining telecommunication towers.
Employers Employers should take the following steps to reduce the
risk of worker injuries and deaths during tower construction and
maintenance:
| Comply with OSHA Compliance Directive 2-1.29
Interim Inspection Procedures During Communication Tower
Construction Activities. OSHA inspectors use these guidelines
in tower inspections. Employers should ensure that workers follow
these guidelines.
| Ensure that hoisting equipment used to lift
workers is designed to prevent uncontrolled descent and is
properly rated for the intended use.
| Ensure that hoist operators are properly
trained.
| Ensure that workers use 100% fall protection
when working on towers at heights above 25 feet.
| Provide workers with a 100% fall-protection
system compatible with tower components and the tasks to be
performed.
| Ensure that gin poles are installed and used
according to the specifications of the manufacturer or a
registered professional engineer.
| Ensure that tower erectors are adequately
trained in proper climbing techniques, including sustaining
three-point contact.
| Provide workers with OSHA-required personal
protective equipment and training in its proper use.
| Ensure that workers inspect their equipment
daily to identify any damage or deficiencies.
| Provide workers with an adequate
work-positioning device system. Connectors on positioning systems
must be compatible with the tower components to which they are
attached. (Note that a work-positioning device system does not
constitute 100% fall protection.)
| Supplement worker training on safe work
practices with discussions of FACE case reports to help assure
that workers fully appreciate the serious hazards involved with
their tasks and the need for strict safe work practices.
| Know and comply with child labor laws that
prohibit hazardous work by workers under age 18. An example
of hazardous work is any task involving power-driven hoisting
apparatus.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Tower Owners and
Manufacturers Tower owners
should take the following steps:
| Use contracts requiring that workers adhere
to OSHA-required safety measures (including Compliance Directive
2-1.29) while construction or maintenance is being performed on
your towers.
| Require contractors to have a formal safety
and health program relating to tower construction and
maintenance.
| Include a provision in your contracts for
frequent and regular jobsite inspections by a competent person who
has expertise in tower erection and worker fall protection.
| | |
Both manufacturers and tower owners should
install fall-protection fixtures for workers to use as anchor points
on tower components during fabrication or erection.
Workers
Workers should take the following steps to
protect themselves during tower construction and
maintenance:
| Use 100% fall protection when working on
towers at heights above 25 feet.
| Participate in all training programs offered
by your employer.
| Follow safe work practices identified by
worker training programs.
| Use OSHA-required personal protective
equipment and make sure you are trained in its proper use.
| Inspect equipment daily and report any damage
or deficiencies to your supervisor immediately.
| | | | |
The principal contributors to this Alert were
Virgil Casini and Dawn N. Castillo of the NIOSH Division of Safety
Research, and T.J. Lentz of the NIOSH Education and Information
Division. Cases presented in this Alert were contributed by the
NIOSH FACE Project and by Thomas D. Ray of the Missouri State-Based
FACE Project. Additional reports from FACE investigations are
available at the NIOSH internet site:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/faceweb.html.
Please direct comments, questions, or requests
for additional information to the following:
Dr. Nancy A. Stout, Director
Division of Safety Research
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health
1095 Willowdale Road
Morgantown, West Virginia 26505-2888
Telephone: 304-285-5894
For further information about occupational
safety and health topics, call 1-800-35-NIOSH
(1-800-356-4674), or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh.
We greatly appreciate your help in
protecting the safety and health of U.S. workers.
Kathleen M. Rest, Ph.D., M.P.A.
Acting Director
National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
CFR. Code of Federal regulations. Washington,
DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal
Register. Chiles, JR [1997]. We got us
some sky today, boys. Smithsonian 28:44-52.
Missouri FACE [1998]. Tower construction worker
dies following 940-foot fall from television tower. Jefferson City,
MO: FACE Investigation No. 98MO161.
NATE [1998]. NATE Gin Pole Procedures. San
Diego, CA: National Association of Tower Erectors. February
6.
NATE [1999]. NATE Large Gin Pole Procedures. New
Orleans, LA: National Association of Tower Erectors. February
19.
NIOSH [1998a]. Tower erector dies after falling
200 feet from telecommunication tower--North Carolina. Morgantown,
WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE Report No.
98-20.
NIOSH [1998b]. Tower erector dies after falling
130 feet from hoist cable to ground--Pennsylvania. Morgantown, WV:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, FACE Report No. 98-5.
NIOSH [1999]. Tower erector dies after falling
240 feet from a telecommunications tower--North Carolina.
Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE Report No.
99-01. NIOSH [2000a]. NIOSH analysis of
the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Morgantown, WV: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research.
Unpublished.
NIOSH [2000b]. Three tower painters die after
falling 1,200 feet when riding the hoist line--North Carolina.
Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE Report No.
2000-07.
OSHA [1998]. Profile of the wireless
telecommunications industry and the telecommunications tower
industry. (Contract No. J-9-F-4-0013, Jack Faucett Associates,
Bethesda, Maryland.) Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA [1999]. CPL 2-1.29 Interim inspection
procedures during communication tower construction activities.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and
Health.
OMB [1987]. Standard industrial classification
manual. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President, Office of
Management and Budget.
TIA/EIA [2001]. Draft Standard,
TIA/EIA-PN-4860-Gin Poles. Structural standards for steel gin poles
used for the installation of antenna towers and antenna supporting
structures. Telecommunication Industry Association/Electronic
Industries Association, TR 14.7 Sub-committee, Safety Facilities
Task Group.
USC. United States code. Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office.
| This document is in the public domain and may
be freely copied or reprinted. |
DISCLAIMER
Mention of any company or product does not
constitute endorsement by NIOSH.
ORDERING INFORMATION
To receive documents or other information about
occupational safety and health topics, contact the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at
NIOSHPublications Dissemination
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH
45226-1998
Telephone: 1-800-35-NIOSH
(1-800-356-4674)
Fax: 513-533-8573
E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov
or visit the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
DHHS (NIOSH)
Publication Number 2001-156
July
2001
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