OSHA seeks public comment

Earlier this week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a statement asking for public comment on best practices for tower climbers and reducing the number of accidents. According to the OSHA statement:

OSHA is aware of employee safety risks in communication tower construction and maintenance activities and is requesting information from the public on these risks. This [request for information] requests information that will assist the Agency in determining what steps, if any, it can take to prevent injuries and fatalities during tower work.

The fascinating piece of wording in this statement is the “if any.” It’s strange that this agency would request suggestions on how to improve safety if they thought it might not be possible to take any further steps. Anyone familiar with the situation knows there are a litany of things that could happen to improve safety, particularly in the area of subcontractor dealings and bids being based on the ability to do the cheapest quick-and-dirty job possible. Whether that’s anything OSHA can have an impact on remains to be seen.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association had this to say about the request for comment in the form of a written statement.

“Workforce safety and improved network quality are critical issues for PCIA and our members. We are actively engaged with the Department of Labor and Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) in working to find ways to ensure that workers are better equipped to perform under the safest conditions possible. We want to help create the wireless workforce of the future with the best training available to those who are deploying wireless infrastructure. PCIA welcomes the opportunity to work with OSHA and other government leaders on this critical effort.”

Great to hear PCIA is on board too. Now, you may be asking, how can you provide them with comments? There are several ways. Remember! There are also 38 questions, some with many subsections, that OSHA wants answers to.

Electronically: Type up a comment and submit it to this address: http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=OSHA-2014-0018-0001

Fax: Commenters may fax submissions, including attachments, that are no longer than 10 pages in length to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648

Old-fashioned snail mail: Submit a copy of comments and any additional material (e.g., studies, journal articles) to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2014-0018, Technical Data Center, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210

The website warns that if you mail in comments, there will be an extended delay in getting to them, so just do that as a last resort. If you’re reading this, it means you can click that link and write up a comment. Please do so! Let your voices be heard. Help do your part to make the life and profession of tower climbers better by submitting your comments. Go!

Tips to qualify subs

Sometimes subcontractors must be hired to get work done, but you don’t want just some geek off the street. Tower industry blogger Wade gives you tips on how to qualify your subs.