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02/01/2005
Safety & Education Committee Update
Well, it’s time to pack the bags and get ready to go to this year’s NATE conference. As you’ve checked over the schedule of educational sessions you’ve probably noticed something different from the past years. The sessions have been divided into two “tracks”, one track is designed to appeal to the people from the field that attend the conference and the other track is for the management people among us. You are not required to attend the courses of each track based on your job description; anyone may attend any of the sessions. Personally, I’m very excited to see this addition to the educational sessions and can’t wait to attend the Tower Hand Track sessions.
My own experience in tower work may be different from yours, but I’ve met and talked with many tower hands who are good, competent workers but who only have a cursory knowledge of some of the aspects of the work. You know that particular piece of the tower shouldn’t be removed without an engineered brace, but you are not really sure what its true function is in the tower structure. Is this guy wire EHS or Bridge Strand? There is a lot of anecdotal information out there based on things handed down from someone who may have actually talked to someone who really knows. So get your questions written down right now, and get ready to hear information directly from an expert in their particular field. Here’s a quick rundown:
Engineering Basics Minus the Math • So what is it, EHS or Bridge Strand? Is it better to check plumb with two transits or three? What’s a moment? Why do towers come down to a point? How does a tower react in a strong wind? What do cross rods do? Gather up all your guys before you go and get a good set of questions and listen for the answers from a real tower engineer. It should be fun.
FAA Obstruction Marking Requirements • Get all the answers from a pilot who knows all the rules. Is that little battery operated traffic flasher good enough to mark the top of the 1300-footer you’re stacking until the real strobes get installed in two weeks? Why didn’t the local air traffic controllers know about the 2000-footer you were building until it started showing up on their radar screen? Inquiring minds want to know.
Hoists and Hydraulic Power Systems • The hoist is a real point of interest if you use it for man lifting. The OSHA man will want to see some stuff. And how does that planetary double locking, self-braking, man-rated wachamajiggy work anyhow? Get your mind ready to explore the ups and downs of your hydraulic hoist.
RF Safety • I once had a friend who said that all tower hands are not normal. Could that be due to over exposure to RF energy? Hey, I’ve climbed some pretty hot TV antennas back in the day, and I’ve had six kids since then and they all have one head each, so what’s the worry? Well, the government says you may not be overexposed. Find out why and how to comply.
Aerial Device Safety • Some things that we use every day and take for granted can become a huge disaster if not treated with care and respect. Boom trucks and man lifts definitely fall into that category. Come to this session to make sure you don’t become a case study and a slide on “Construction Disasters” safety presentation.
I look forward to seeing you all again at the conference and I know that the two tracks for the educational sessions is going to be a great success and will make the meetings a lot more meaningful for the hard working tower hands that come to the show.
Todd Thorin serves as Chairman of the NATE Safety & Education Committee and is the Director of Safety and Training for Sioux Falls Tower and Communications of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He can be reached at 605- 331-6972 or todd@siouxfallstower.com
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