A new report has been released in regard to the tragic death of a tower technician in July 2014. Here’s a quick summation of the incident, courtesy of the report:
The crew had already replaced 2 of the 3 antenna arrays and was in the process of setting the third in its place, when they heard a loud pop. The antenna array was 15 feet above the victim on a McKissick “Snatch Block” pulley, Model 419. The supporting shackle suffered a catastrophic failure causing the cable to snap. The antenna array crashed down striking three points on the tower, then the cables amputated the victim’s head, and right arm.
It’s difficult to even read the chain of events that lead to this tragedy. However, the good folks of at The Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program did a thorough investigation into the incident and discovered what is likely to be the probable cause of death. While workers were supposed to be certified riggers through Comtrain, there was no documentation to back this up. It’s even less likely to be true since Comtrain did not even add certified rigging classes until February 2015.
Not officially certified, so what? Well, it’s important to know the proper way, not a makeshift method of doing things. Despite the employer claiming a shackle was used on the site that day in the hoisting system, evidence found at the site indicated that it was a carabiner instead of a shackle. Safety and knowing the proper techniques are critical and can sometimes mean life or death.
In a situation with so many missteps and tragedy surrounding it, it’s natural to think hefty fines would be levied related to the incident. Initially, there were. The deceased’s employer, Fortune Wireless, was slapped with $14,700 in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration relating to the incident. This amount was contested by Fortune and in the end the company only paid $4,900 in fines related to this climber’s death.
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