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08/01/2001
OSHA Relations Committee Update
As the Telecommunication Tower Industry gets closer to a new set of OSHA regulations, employers should be questioning themselves on how they can make sure they will be in full compliance with the new regulations.
The North Carolina Department of Labor Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration is confronting this issue head on by planning to hold "Tower Safety Awareness" courses through local community colleges at no charge to the employer.
In this way they hope to eliminate some of the confusion and lack of knowledge in the industry by providing a forum in which the employer has easy access to all of the new requirements. Once set up, these classes will be conducted by NCDOL-OSH Training Specialists that have gone through special instruction by the National OSHA Training Institute.
Ivette Mercado-Bijkersma of the NCDOL-OSH has already been to the National OTI and believes that the course, which lasted a full week, was invaluable to her knowledge of the industry. She hopes to get these new classes for employers up and running by April of next year or shortly after the new standard has been adopted.
Although these classes will only be available to North Carolina employers or companies doing business in North Carolina, the National OSHA Training course is available to OSHA personnel nationwide. Therefore, you can contact your Area or Regional Director for information on similar courses of instruction in your area.
Another avenue for employers will be the OSHA Partnering Program, which is currently being developed. This is where OSHA representatives will visit an employer’s workplace and educate the employer on potential violations. During these Partnering visits no citations will be issued and the employer is given the opportunity to correct any non-compliant issues. Please look for more information on this program in future issues of Tower Times.
Don Doty serves as Vice Chairman on the NATE Board of Directors and is Senior Vice President of Technical Services for SpectraSite Broadcast Group. He can be reached at 972-550-9504.
By: Don Doty, Committee Chairman
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