CORONAVIRUS DRIVING A COUPLE OF SPECIALISTS OFF US CELL TOWERS

 Some tower companies have been constrained to pull their workgroups off the job as a result of the advancing pandemic. 

Further, some tower specialists are mentioning personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and face shields to keep from further spreading the COVID-19 disease. They’re also battling that they should get hazard pay as they travel to and go after 4G and 5G cell towers.

There are signs that the spread of COVID-19 has impacted everything from cell tower technicians to the city specialists who must endorse cell site licenses.

Work on the network wouldn’t be disturbed much by COVID-19 since cell tower specialists will be able to appear at worksites in different vehicles and lead their work isolated from each other, accordingly avoiding the spread of disease.

1. Safety climb systems for tower controllers:

Safety climb systems are principal to 100% fall protection and protecting tower specialists while working at height.

Suggestions to employees: 

• Never assume. Take a look at the system security notice before moving to confirm system capacity, cable size, and other relevant information. 
• Ensure the cable is properly tensioned, and check all watchmen to make sure the cable is securely snapped in. 
• Never allow a cable to contact an obstacle or be crushed under a bracket. A link may run behind an obstacle and, as needs be, block a climber’s path. 
• Regardless, the climber almost certainly developed tie-off points to move beyond the obstacle and install a non-releasing specialist to shield the cable from arriving at the obstacle. 
• Name the system, ‘Don’t use,’ should it fail any part of your audit. 
• Never deal with a current system when placing in new items on a tower. Make an effort not to cause obstacles if they can be avoided.

2. ‘Birds of Prey’: Safety Guidance for tower experts:

Birds, for instance, hawks, ospreys, ravens, and crows roost more than 7,500 towers over the United States. 

It is recommended to workers to think about the two things. The points of government legislation to affect their technique. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 denies workers from the rising towers with hawk’s nests without a permit. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, workers can take a shot at towers with nests as long as they don’t disturb purposefully the eggs, the young, or the adults.

For Cell Tower Technician Organizations:

1. Workforce shortages 

Those in the cell tower technician industry have been forewarning for considerable years that there aren’t enough skilled experts prepared for climbing cell towers in order to place in new 5G equipment. 

This is a critical issue. 

There is a ton [of work] that is coming. 

These jobs that will be made will be mind-boggling paying occupations, such work will be required for the next 15 years. 

There are around 29,000 tower experts in the US today and featured estimates that the sector will require another 20,000 more all through the next ten years. Ericsson’s three-year-old tower training program has already affirmed 600 tower climbers.