[TowerTalk] TowerTalk Digest, Vol 113, Issue 46 - Cell Tower Broadcast

[Dan Cisson]

OBSERVATION----I watched the program also. I have been doing commercial 
tower work for 29 years. I do
NO cell phone tower work. There is a HUGE difference from cell work, and 
from all other tower work.
The cell tower industry is high pressure to get it done ASAP-Yesterday !! 
Therefore, when the need for
adding help to climb and do the work,, the same applies-get someone NOW. 
This is the first disaster,off the
street non-expierenced workers. And it shows with the records of deaths,, 
all young inexpierenced "kids".
    The next thing that jumped out at me was that they claim that all climbs 
are "secured"..Thats HOGWASH !!
Secured climbs are not always possible. Well, if you call climb up a step 
and snap off, up a step and snap off
a secured climb, yes thats possible, but it would take quite a while to go 
up 100 ft.  VERY FEW towers of
law enforcement and broadcast have an anti-fall cable in place, therefore, 
most will free climb it. Again, you
could snap off one step at a time, and do a secured climb, but who would  ?? 
Free climbs are the norm,, about
all modern cell towers have fall arrest cables,, so from their industry, 
they are generally clipped off while climbing.
    As far as my group,, my son and I are the only ones that climb,,I have 2 
others that can climb safely when the job
size demands it.
    The gentleman from N.C. has got it right,, most towers are worthless 
unless you are qualified to get it down,
and its value is greater to someone that hires out to get it down. 100 ft of 
Rohn 25G is almost worthless now
if it is standing...Unless you can do it safely yourself.     Dan Cisson,, 
GNR Tower,, Toccoa, Ga.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Brown" <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 4:32 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] TowerTalk Digest, Vol 113, Issue 46 - Cell Tower 
Broadcast


> On 5/24/2012 12:27 PM, Ro Grrr wrote:
>> First is the government and all its stupid regulations.
>
> Actually, what the report showed was that the government (OSHA) was
> doing NOTHING about the problem, and that inaction was a major
> contributor to the problem.
>
>> Second is the GREED of most if not all the contractors and sub 
>> contractors.
>> Third is the KIDS like the one standing on top of the tower, arms 
>> outstretched.
>
> Yes on both counts.
>
> The news program, Front Line, has a long established reputation for very
> solid reporting.  It's great that YOU are a smart enough businessman to
> run away from jobs like this, but many in this country are both too
> hungry and too ignorant to do the same.  I pay good money to the guys
> who climb my trees and towers.  They are professionals, I don't try to
> tell them how to do their jobs, nor do I push them to do it faster, but
> I do watch from the ground and see that they are following safe practices.
>
>> However, some of the OSHA inspectors have no business being OSHA 
>> inspectors. They know LESS about the job they are inspecting than the 
>> pizza guys who are doing the job. It's called UNFAIR and STUPID.
>
> Yep. BUT -- a major reason our government agencies are so weak is that
> they have been intentionally weakened by those who demand "less
> regulation" and "small government."  Some of them are full of political
> appointees and lawyers/managers, and most of them have no budget for
> enforcement -- remember, we're trying to reduce the national debt.  The
> FCC has had these problems since around 1980. Those same problems led to
> the mining disaster in WV and the oil spill in the Gulf a few years ago.
> The OSHA guy interviewed in the piece came across as a particularly
> unfeeling and irresponsible person.  I agree -- next to useless.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
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