The National Association of Tower Erectors told members to stay on top of safety in the wake of hurricane season, when emergency work orders tend to increase.
“With Hurricane Ike barreling towards the coastline, storms have caused outages for wireless, broadcast and cellular companies and their customers,” NATE“s Safety Bulletin stated. “to ensure that customers“ demands are met, these carriers have been hurriedly calling tower companies and asking for immediate assistance in tower repair work for disaster stricken areas.”
NATE told members to consider what they regularly charge for projects, then consider possible increased disaster-related costs, such as fuel, lodging and special equipment. Members were also cautioned about working in flooding, winds, rain and hail, and providing supplementary safety training if necessary.
“A disaster-relief project will unlikely resemble your typical job site--climbers will likely be placed in adverse weather conditions and pushed to work irregular hours at a rapid pace to complete the repairs quickly,” NATE said. “Do not be pushed to complete tasks faster than you can do safely.
