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02/01/2006
Safety & Education Committee Update
Weather Conditions and Site Surveys
Weather Conditions
Weather is a major consideration when you are climbing steel structures. When accessing weather hazards one cannot be distracted by pressure from customer or self- imposed deadlines; employee payroll or lack thereof, as safety is the only issue to consider.
Keep in mind the responsible person who decides if work will proceed may not be climbing. The reality of the work is that while weather conditions may not be apparent when beginning the climb they may develop during the climb or while working on the structure. It will be the responsibility of climbers to relay changing weather conditions, keeping the responsible person on the ground informed of any changes. Communication between ground personnel and climbers is essential.
Weather conditions to consider are:
• Wind exerts forces on the structure, materials and the climber and may vary at different elevations. While I have never been able to find a reference to an exact wind speed to determine what is safe or unsafe one
must access each type of work according to its hazard level. Meters are available to determine wind speeds to assist in the hazard assessment.
• Cold weather is a fact many of us deal with for several months every year. In the pursuit of “staying warm,” properly layering your clothing is critical. Crews working in cold weather climates should be knowledgeable and watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite. Please refer to my November 2004 Cold Weather safety article for details on signs of varying stages of hypothermia, frostbite and cold weather clothing.
• Snow hazards should be determined by consistency. Although snow is a form of ice, its characteristics may be such that it may not be slippery. Climbers should keep a close watch for ice formation when snow is present and again keeping the responsible person informed of any changes in weather conditions is essential.
• Ice creates several problems to working on structures. Ice is slippery and could cause falls; it is heavy and can create unknown loads, possibly reducing breaking strength to anchorage points for fall arrest; falling ice may damage equipment and cause injury to climbers. We no longer climb when ice is present.
• Fog can create condensation on the tower creating slippery surfaces and if the temperatures are low, black ice can form. Dense fog can make visual contact between ground personnel and climbers almost impossible. Waiting until fog burns off may only delay your workday a couple of hours in the morning. Remember, delays are a great opportunity to expand your safety meetings or inspect personal protection equipment.
• Lightning is a direct personal safety hazard and climbers should not be on the tower when lightning conditions are visible or if you hear thunder. If you are on the tower when lightning or thunder develops, climbers should exit the structure immediately. There are meters that can assist in deter-mining if current conditions are conducive to lightning and will assist in hazard assessment.
• Sunshine and warm temperatures require skin protection from burns using an appropriate SPF waterproof sunscreen, sunglasses to protect eyes and plenty of water for hydration. Extreme heat may require rest breaks during the hottest times of day to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Your local OSHA office can provide you with laminated cards outlining signs and symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. We post these laminated cards in the First Aid station so they are visible to all personnel.
Ultimately it is every tower hand’s responsibility to be aware of conditions and to relay any weather changes or unsafe conditions to the responsible person on the job.
Site Survey
Many of the structures we are asked to work on have been in service for many years and unfortunately many have had little or no maintenance performed. A simple site survey is required at each site and should be performed by the responsible person. If it is your company’s first visit to an unfamiliar tower it is a good practice to ask the tower owner when the last inspection occurred and if there were any noted problems. Reviewing a copy of the last inspection prior to climbing will assist in making informed decisions.
A sample of items to include on your site survey should include:
• Directions to the site for emergency personnel should be posted. Keep in mind some rural area emergency personnel may not have GPS units so recording only longitude and latitude will not be sufficient.
• Communication should be available through cellular or landline and emergency personnel phone numbers need to be posted.
• Weather conditions should be assessed and noted.
• Guys and anchors should be visually inspected for signs of problems.
• Climbing and rigging paths should be established and evaluated for hazards.
• Everyone on site should have a radio and communication channels should be established with batteries charged.
• During ascent, climbers should visually check structure for areas of concern.
This is only a brief description of information that should be contained in every site survey. Completing and discussing with crews at each site keeps everyone in-formed and your job site safer. Taking pictures of any areas of concern are recommended and should be shared with the tower owner.
Establishing simple routine safety practices at each job site is not time consuming and will not only make your crews more knowledgeable, but should increase job performance and of course reduce safety hazards.
Clay Cowart is a member of the NATE Safety & Education Committee and is the Owner of Phoenix Tower Service, LLC in Horton, Kansas. He can be reached at 785-486-2711 or phoenix@rainbowtel.net
Clay Cowart
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