US TOWER STRUCTURE RELATED FATALITIES
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If you are a representative of the company that had the fatality, or are knowledgeable of the incident, and would like to provide additional information so that others can benefit by ensuring that the cause of the accident is not repeated, please contact us at: info@wirelessestimator.com
FOR INTERNATIONAL FATALITIES, CLICK HERE |
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| *Only Full Year Data Plotted |
2013 Fatalities Total: 2
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 1/30/13 |
Brockton |
MA |
54
|
East Bridgewater, MA |
70' |
50' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Bay State Erection, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
No OSHA Records
|
Total Penalties: $0
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
Owner of a small tower company was disassembling the guyed tower when a strong gust of wind toppled the structure. The technician was tied to the tower and it partially ended up on top of him.
The technician died two weeks later of complications from his injuries.
It is expected that OSHA will not open an investigation since following his death the company is no longer in existence.
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| |
| 1/4/13 |
Mount Vernon |
WA |
32
|
Maple Valley, WA |
120' |
120' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
W S Consulting and Construction |
| OSHA Status: |
Open
|
*PROPOSED Violations only
Total Penalties: $0
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
A Google map search shows two monopoles constructed to the west of the fire station.
Although the Federal Communication Commission's database does not show any structures at that location, T-Mobile's database shows they have a 120-foot monopole at the fire station. Late last year, Crown Castle International bought the majority of T-Mobile's towers.
Neither American Tower Corp., ATT-Towers, SBA Communications, nor Global Tower Partners identify a company-owned tower on N. LaVenture Rd.
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| |
2012 Fatalities Total: 1
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 6/26/12 |
Solway |
MN |
19
|
Lisbon, ND |
300' |
153' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Midwest Steeplejacks Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Contested
: 12 / 6 / 12
OSHA Details
|
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Incident Description:
A Beltrami County Sheriff's report said that another climber on the tower, Daniel Elijan, saw his co-worker had unhooked his safety lanyard and began to move to another position when he fell. An inspection of all of his safety system indicated that there were no faulty clips or other malfunctioning equipment.
The deceased did not hit the tower when he fell. MNOSHA is investigating.
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| |
2011 Fatalities Total: 7
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 12/26/11 |
Bonita Springs |
FL |
61
|
Cape Coral, FL |
733' |
733' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Broadcast Services Tower and Antenna, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
No OSHA Records
|
Total Penalties: $0
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
OSHA identified that he was electrocuted and the agency is reportedly still investigating as of March 22, 2012.
The 61-year-old man had heart problems that probably caused him to have a heart attack that either killed him or rendered him unconscious, said Dr. Robert Pfalzgraf, deputy chief medical examiner.
That event might have been caused because of the physical condition of Rouskey or triggered by an electrical current to a light fixture on top of the tower that he tried to reach to change the bulb, or by radio waves, Pfalzgraf said.
There were no obvious markings on his body to suggest that he had electrical or RF burns, Pfalzgraf said, according to The News-Press. However, callouses on his hands and tattoos may have covered up small markings.
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| 10/12/11 |
Newton |
MA |
30
|
Fort Dodge, IA |
1,253' |
1,000' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Ultimate Tower Service Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Contested
: 4 / 10 / 12
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
No details provided until OSHA completes its investigation.
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| |
| 8/11/11 |
Brookfield |
MO |
21
|
Topeka, KS |
100' |
80' |
|
|
| Company: |
Hayden Tower Services |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 10 / 29 / 12
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
Worker dismantling a 100-foot tower died after falling 80 feet from the tower.
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| |
| 8/3/11 |
Hollister |
NC |
18
|
Pinnacle, NC |
300' |
50' |
Self Supporter |
|
| Company: |
Sink Tower Erection Co |
| OSHA Status: |
Contested
: 1 / 18 / 12
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Fell from 50' level while working on the structure
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| |
| 4/13/11 |
Tippecanoe County |
IN |
29
|
Laredo, TX |
340' |
340' |
Guyed |
|
|
|
Incident Description:
Fell with gin pole as they were constructing a 500' tower.
$91,500 in fines. Click Here
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| 4/13/11 |
Tippecanoe County |
IN |
32
|
Mesquite, TX |
340' |
340' |
Guyed |
|
|
|
Incident Description:
Fell with gin pole as they were constructing a 500' tower.
$91,500 in fines. Click Here
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| 2/20/11 |
Okeechobee |
FL |
43
|
Hazlehurst, GA |
300' |
115' |
Self Supporter |
|
| Company: |
Davis Specialty Services |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 9 / 7 / 11
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Fell while installing antenna transmission lines for South Florida Water Management
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| |
2010 Fatalities Total: 7
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 8/21/10 |
Wyanett Township |
MN |
40
|
Braham, MN |
|
40' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Genesis Wireless |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 9 / 27 / 10
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Aerial lift tipped over while tower tech was on it boomed out to the 40' elevation.
|
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| 7/22/10 |
Anniston |
AL |
37
|
Albertville, AL |
200' |
40' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
McCord Communication Service, Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 9 / 10
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Truck clipped guy wire and toppled the tower
|
| |
| 7/22/10 |
Anniston |
AL |
41
|
Albertville, AL |
200' |
40' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
McCord Communication Service, Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 9 / 10
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Truck clipped guy wire and toppled the tower
|
| |
| 6/24/10 |
Philadelphia |
PA |
32
|
Deptford, NJ |
Building |
120' |
Building |
|
| Company: |
Champion Communications |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 12 / 10
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Fell over the side of the building
|
| |
| 5/28/10 |
Mountain Home |
AR |
18
|
Ava, MO |
250' |
240' |
Self Supporter |
|
| Company: |
Paul Construction Company Llc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 10 / 6 / 10
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Worker was installing new cell phone cables and antennas. He was descending the tower and fell 240 feet.
|
| |
| 5/4/10 |
Dixie County |
FL |
36
|
Hawthorne, FL |
400' |
240' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
North Florida Tower Service |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 30 / 10
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Tech was working on a communication tower and fell from the tower. Reportedly was not tied off.
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| 2/3/10 |
Benton |
AR |
51
|
Lucedale, MS |
250' |
98' |
SelfSupporter |
|
| Company: |
Dynamic Wireless |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 10 / 27 / 10
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was disassembling a communication tower when he fell approximately 98 ft. to the ground.
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| |
2009 Fatalities Total: 5
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 12/14/09 |
Town of Dix |
NY |
46
|
Clyde, NY |
396' |
60' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Demand Communications, Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 6 / 21 / 10
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On December 14, 2009, Employee #1, working as part of a tower crew, was replacing 21 guy wires, three each at seven different elevations, on a 360 ft radio antenna. They dropped the lowest set of guy wires from an elevation of approximately 50 ft. Employee #1 was at the 50 ft level and started attaching the newly fabricated guy wires. The tower buckled and collapsed and Employee #1, who was attached to the tower, was struck and crushed by falling tower pieces. Employee #1 was killed.
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| |
| 9/14/09 |
Thomasville |
MO |
26
|
Wagoner, OK |
330' |
330' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
S & S Communication Specialists Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 30 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech and his co-workers had ascended a communications tower to install antennas and to adjust the coax cables at the top of the 330-ft tall structure. Employee descended approximately 10 ft to adjust the coax cables from that height. He detached his positioning hook and fell to the ground.
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| |
| 7/18/09 |
DeKalb |
TX |
28
|
Crowley, TX |
337' |
100' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Lariat Communications |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 2 / 10
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was installing coax cable hangers down the North face of a guyed tower. He was climbing down the tower cross members installing hangers on six newly installed coax cables at approximately 47-inch intervals, when he fell between 60 and 100 feet and was killed. Further investigation revealed that he was wearing a full-body harness with a 6-foot shock-absorbing nylon web lanyard but was not using it at the time of the accident. Metro PCS install, AT&T tower.
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| 6/3/09 |
Leland |
MS |
28
|
Alexander, AR |
250' |
217' |
SelfSupporter |
|
| Company: |
Diamond K Tower Company, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 5 / 09
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 2:52 a.m. on June 3, 2009, an employee was working on a cell phone tower adding new transmission lines. The employee fell 217 feet to the ground and died at the site. Employee was wearing a body harness. The employee had not secured himself to the tower with his personal fall-arrest system equipment. He was wearing a DBI-SALA Exofit Tower Climbing, Full-Body Harness, Model Number 1108650, Serial Number 119903, Size SM. Attached to the back D-ring of this full-body harness was a "ZORBER" wye shock-absorbing dual lanyard by Elk River, twin 1-in. by 6-in. nylon web energy absorbing lanyards with a dual-action snap-hook on one end and dual-action rebar-hooks on the other ends. The employee apparently was attempting to secure his front "pelican" hook into his positioning lanyard which was secured to a vertical antenna pole. On June 9, 2009, the employee's 1-in. by 44.5-in. adjustable nylon web positioning lanyard, six foot overall length, with dual-action snap-hooks at each end, was retrieved off the tower by the Foreman. This lanyard was found wrapped around a vertical antenna pole at the west end of Alpha (1) Sector at Elevation 217, right where the employee had secured it with a carabiner back on June 3. T-Mobile Project.
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| 3/17/09 |
Lake Worth |
FL |
36
|
Lake Wales, FL |
120' |
114' |
Monopine |
|
| Company: |
Andrew Systems, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 1 / 10
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee and four coworkers were erecting a 124 ft communications tower. Employee fell approximately 114 ft and died. Tech had been working on the tower for three hours before he fell. T-Mobile Project
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Special notes for year: 2009
*A fatality of a 57-year-old Michigan was during a hamfest event. Although the man had previously installed ham towers and antennas, it was not his profession. For the past 14 years he was an IT manager at a local university. His death is not considered to be as a result of work within the defined commercial industry.
*A fatality of a 59-year-old West Palm Beach International Airport worker who fell from a decommissioned radar tower on May 30, 2009 is not listed because he was not a communications worker that regularly climbed towers.
*A fatality of a 44-year-old Tyler, TX man on April 16, 2009 is not listed because he was not employed as an experienced tower worker and should not have been taking down a tower on his property. His primary occupation was incomputer repair. |
2008 Fatalities Total: 12
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 11/18/08 |
Corona de Tucson |
AZ |
22
|
Tucson, AZ |
|
65 |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Wallen Communications Llc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 4 / 09
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
|
For details see article
|
| |
| 10/23/08 |
Ellensburg |
WA |
24
|
Wanatchee, WA |
|
|
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Cascade 1 Internet Service |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 3 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee worked for an internet service provider that had its antenna on a tower on a roof at the Ellensburg's location. It is not known if he fell off the tower while servicing equipment or was working on the ISP's equipment and fell through a skylight.
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| 9/12/08 |
Port Angeles |
WA |
33
|
Bonney Lake, WA |
50' |
40' |
Rooftop Tower |
|
| Company: |
Emerald Wireless Communication |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 24 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was the supervisor of the crew. He fell approximately 40 ft from a cell tower on an elevator shaft to the roof of a building. He sustained unspecified injuries and died at the hospital.
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| 7/20/08 |
Petersburg |
ND |
38
|
Mandan, ND |
1400' |
50' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Allstate Tower Service |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 6 / 5 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee was painting a television broadcast tower. He was found lying unresponsive on the ground later in the afternoon. He fell approximately 50 ft and died.
|
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| 7/18/08 |
Vineland |
NJ |
55
|
Franklinville, NJ |
280' |
60' |
|
|
| Company: |
Paramount Advanced Wireless Llc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 20 / 11
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was working on a telecommunication tower and fell approximately 60 ft.
|
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| 5/22/08 |
Miami |
FL |
|
|
|
|
Guyed,
Broadcast |
|
| Company: |
Structural Systems Technology, Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 22 / 08
OSHA Details
|
|
|
For details see article
|
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| 5/16/08 |
Haubstadt
|
IN |
25
|
AL |
200 |
140 |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Phoenix of Tennesse |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 10 / 31 / 08
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
May have been rappelling down a load
line
|
| |
| 4/23/08 |
Natchez |
MS |
31
|
Griffin, GA |
200' |
100' |
|
|
| Company: |
Overland Contracting |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 18 / 08
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
NONE
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was installing stacker blocks for coax cable within the interior of a cell tower between the 80 and 100 ft level of the tower. As he was working his way down, the crew leader who was at a higher elevation noticed that he was not placing the coax into the blocks. The crew leader shouted to him to come back up and install the coax into the blocks as he processes down. While the tech climbed back up, the crew leader continued with his task. Several minutes passed by and all of a sudden the crew leader noticed the coax moving erratically, and looked down and saw his co-worker fall. The crew leader tried to grab onto the coax, but could not. The tech was killed in the fall. From the investigation, the tech may have been at the 100 ft level preparing to place the coax into the first block when he fell.
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| 4/18/08 |
Frisco |
NC |
46
|
Chesapeake, VA |
|
|
|
|
| Company: |
Brook Hill Communications Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 24 / 11
OSHA Details
|
|
|
For details see article
|
| |
| 4/14/08 |
San Antonio |
TX |
38
|
|
|
200' |
|
|
| Company: |
Ransor, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 16 / 08
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
OSHA closed its investigation after two days, and no citations or penalties were assessed. It is not known whether the deceased was considered a public sector employee, and therefore federal OSHA didn't have authority to investigate his work-related death. CPS Energy, a utility owned by the city of San Antonio, hired Ransor, Inc. to perform work on their tower.
The employee and co-workers were working on a communication tower at a height of approximately 200 feet. They were removing and replacing bracing in order to reinforce the structure. The employee was tied off to a brace that he was removing. As he removed the brace, he removed his attachment point and fell.
|
| |
| 4/14/08 |
Moorcroft
|
WY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Company: |
Cornerstone Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 2 / 08
OSHA Details
|
|
|
For details see article
|
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| 4/12/08 |
Wake Forest
|
NC |
34
|
Midwest City, OK |
150 |
150 |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
MJM Group |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 26 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Fell while reportedly rigging tower
|
| |
Special notes for year: 2008
*In order to maintain separation between the telecommunications and wind power industries, wind turbine and meteorological structure deaths are not included. On November 9, 2008, a worker fell less than 8-feet when a meteorological mount on the ground fell over and crushed the wind energy technician to death. |
2007 Fatalities Total: 11
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 12/5/07 |
Bridgewater |
NJ |
45
|
Stanhope, NJ |
113' |
65' |
High Tension Transmission Line Tower |
|
| Company: |
JBL Electric, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 4 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was working from a PSE&G 113 ft tall, 230-kilovolt tower, installing support brackets for running cable to the newly installed cell antennas. He fell approximately 65 ft to the ground, and was killed.
Safety equipment was being worn, but it is not known if he was properly attached
|
| |
| 9/24/07 |
East Deer Twp. |
PA |
51
|
Triadelphia, WV |
100' |
100' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Daniel W. Plants - Self Employed |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 9 / 25 / 07
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Was working alone while dismantling the tower
|
| |
| 7/28/07 |
Centerville |
LA |
29
|
Tomball, TX |
400' |
380' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Gritz Towers, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 8 / 07
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Tower rigger and two co-workers had completed installing a gin pole on top of a tower in preparation for adding another section to the tower. The gin pole was in place when one of the coworkers descended the tower because it had started to rain. The tech was instructed to bring the cable line down after putting it in the block. He placed the cable in the block and was moving around the tower away from the other coworker, who was stationary at the time. This coworker heard a grunt, looked up at the tech, and saw that he was using his elbows and arms to hold onto the wind lacing on the tower. The coworker was halfway around the tower from the tech and watched as he slipped from the lacing and fell 380 ft to his death.
|
| |
| 7/10/07 |
Edura |
KS |
33
|
Independence, MO |
1000' |
700' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Structural Inspection, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 5 / 08
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1, the company owner, and Employee #2, a helper, both ironworkers, were replacing television transmission equipment 920 ft up on a 1,000 ft communications tower. They were riding a gondola-style man-basket pulled by a 1/4 in. wire rope up a trolley line that was anchored to a 16 ft flatbed trailer approximately 450 ft from the base of the 1,000 ft high tower. When the man-basket was approximately three-quarters of the way up, the wire rope line broke. The man-basket fell back down the trolley line, striking the ground and then the anchor point. Both Employee #1 and Employee #2 were tied off to the basket and were killed on impact. The coworker winch operator was not injured. The tower had been rigged approximately two weeks earlier by Employee #1.
|
| |
| 7/10/07 |
Edura |
KS |
54
|
Kansas City, MO |
1,000' |
700' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Structural Inspection, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 5 / 08
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1, the company owner, and Employee #2, a helper, both ironworkers, were replacing television transmission equipment 920 ft up on a 1,000 ft communications tower. They were riding a gondola-style man-basket pulled by a 1/4 in. wire rope up a trolley line that was anchored to a 16 ft flatbed trailer approximately 450 ft from the base of the 1,000 ft high tower. When the man-basket was approximately three-quarters of the way up, the wire rope line broke. The man-basket fell back down the trolley line, striking the ground and then the anchor point. Both Employee #1 and Employee #2 were tied off to the basket and were killed on impact. The coworker winch operator was not injured. The tower had been rigged approximately two weeks earlier by Employee #1.
|
| |
| 7/5/07 |
Pinola |
MS |
|
|
300' |
300' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Berryhill Tower Services, Llc Dba Hang Em High |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 1 / 08
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 1:00 p.m. on July 5, 2007, Employee #1 was on crew of five, including the supervisor, that was installing three boom-gates on a 300 ft tall telecommunication tower under construction. Using a cathead to hoist the booms, they successfully installed the first boom. Employee #1 rigged the hoist line by connecting a snatch block to the top flange of the southwest tower leg, connecting a carabiner through a bolt hole on the flange and finally connecting the load hook of the snatch block to the carabiner. The crew then moved on to the second boom. It had been lifted to the highest point allowed by the rigging configuration and Employee #1 radioed to the hoist operator to stop. To get the boom to the required installation location, Employee #1 had to use a come-along to lift it another 5 to 6 ft. Before he could connect the boom to the come-a-long, the carabiner broke and the boom struck Employee #1 on the head, neck, and shoulder, nearly severing his right arm. He did not lose consciousness, and two coworkers on the tower tied Employee #1's arm in place and helped him climb down nearly 300 ft. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital and then transferred to University Medical Center in Jackson, MS. He died two days later of head injuries sustained in the accident.
|
| |
| 6/30/07 |
Summerville |
SC |
40
|
Rex, SC |
|
170' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Snelling Communications, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 6 / 07
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Coroner said he had safety equipment, but was not tied off.
Tower tech was raising a mount for antennas on a cellular phone tower. He was using a come-along attached to a step bolt above the mount when the step bolt broke and the winch dropped several feet. This caused tech to lose his balance. He fell approximately 170 ft to the ground and was killed. It was later determined that he was not tied off.
|
| |
| 6/28/07 |
Bluffton |
SC |
30
|
Woodstock, GA |
480' |
140' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Tricon/Towerwerks, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 1 / 07
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech and his coworkers climbed a tower to a height of approximately 120 ft to begin their work. The foreman remained on the ground, engaged in related tasks. Crew members were installing bolts on the new diagonal bracing on the tower. Approximately two hours later, the foreman, a welder, and the site superintendent were on the ground preparing the welder to climb the tower when they heard someone yell and saw the tech falling. He dropped approximately 140 ft to the ground and was killed. His coworkers on the tower later stated that he had lacerated his finger and one of them gave him a piece of tape. He used it to seal the cut and then began to smoke a cigarette. He was apparently moving from a sitting position to a standing position when he fell backward off the tower. A coworker observed the tech's pelican hook and lanyard unravel within the structure as he fell. There was no evidence that the tech had been tied off at the time of the accident.
|
| |
| 6/7/07 |
Mandarin |
FL |
19
|
Mount Vernon, IN |
150' |
100' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Tower Reinforcement, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 2 / 08
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
The deceased was part of a crew installing reinforcing bars on the sides of a monopole cellular tower. He was at a height of approximately 108 ft installing rigging equipment so the reinforcing materials could be hoisted to that level.
When he climbed the tower, his safety harness was connected to a cable lifeline that was equipped with a cable sliding device. Once he reached his working level, he disconnected from the cable lifeline to reposition himself on the other side of the tower.
On the front of his safety harness, he had a pelican hook device that was used for positioning. He also had a safety lanyard that was connected to the back of his safety harness. On the other end of the lanyard there was a rope grab device, even though a rope lifeline had not yet been installed on the tower.
He apparently connected the pelican hook to the tower, as he was observed from the ground leaning back on his harness and using both of his hands to move material. It is not known if the pelican hook came loose when he connected it to one of the climbing pegs on the tower, or if he disconnected his hook to reposition himself.
He fell from the tower, landing on the roof of a nearby building. He sustained multiple fractures, lacerations and contusions to his head, neck, torso, and extremities, and died at the work site.
The medical examiner's report listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. The report also stated that he had a high level of ethanol in his blood (0.13 percent) and vitreous (0.16 percent), as well as cannabinoids and nordiazepam.
His coworkers admitted that they had drank alcohol the previous night until around midnight, but all denied that they drank or consumed drugs on the day of the accident.
|
| |
| 3/16/07 |
Shreveport |
LA |
72
|
Gilmer, TX |
150' |
150' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Service Tower Company |
| OSHA Status: |
No OSHA Records
|
Total Penalties: $0
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
Was talking on his radio to men inside building when he fell. The deceased was a subcontractor of a subcontractor.
No records are available.
OSHA may not have investigated the accident. An OSHA representative informed Wireless Estimator that they were not aware of the accident the day following the fatality.
In addition, in certain circumstances an OSHA Area Office Director can decide whether to investigate an incident.
|
| |
| 2/7/07 |
Golden Meadows |
LA |
29
|
Nocona, TX |
330' |
125' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Gritz Towers, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 26 / 07
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
A tower technician, was working on the tower installing braces, according to OSHA. He fell approximately 125 feet to the ground. The employee was treated by Emergency Medical Service on the site and then transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
|
| |
2006 Fatalities Total: 19
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 10/2/06 |
Westland |
MI |
23
|
Higgins Lake, MI |
Unknown |
120' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Skyline Antenna and Line |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 3 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tied off to antenna pipe on T-arm when it inverted and climber fell
|
| |
| 9/17/06 |
Pensacola |
FL |
|
Toccoa, GA |
Unknown |
100' |
Pedisphere Water Tower |
|
| Company: |
Utility Service Communications Co., Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 12 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On September 17, 2006, Employee #1 was a member of a four-man crew that was installing telecommunication equipment on a 200,000-gallon pedisphere water tank. Inside the water tank structure was a 107 ft tall fixed ladder that rose from the ground to an elevated catwalk. Attached to the ladder was a North Saf-T-Notch carrier rail, part of a ladder safety device to prevent falls. Employee #1 climbed the ladder to retrieve a block and tackle that had been placed at the catwalk opening to facilitate lifting equipment. He used an Antenna Products safety sleeve to attach himself to the carrier rail, but once at the catwalk level, he had to undo the sleeve from the rail. After getting the block and tackle, Employee #1 hooked it to one of the side rings on his fall protection harness. He had started to descend the ladder when he fell, suffering a blunt impact injury to his torso. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where he died. When he attached the sleeve to the rail to climb down the ladder, he may have placed the sleeve upside down; it would not prevent a fall if placed onto the rail in that way. It was also speculated that Employee #1 had not attached the sleeve to the rail, but a witness heard the sleeve sliding on the rail when he fell. North, the manufacturer of the carrier rail, states that it should be used only with a North sleeve; in this case the carrier rail and the safety sleeve had been made by two different manufacturers. The two different components had never been tested as a unit to ensure that they were compatible, and neither manufacturer had approved the use of two different components. There were differences in size between the North sleeve and the Antenna Products sleeve. Employee #1 had not been specifically trained about how to properly use the ladder safety device.
|
| |
| 6/25/06 |
Bonifay |
FL |
30
|
Evansville, IN |
1,900' |
550' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
S & W Tower Maintenance, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 10 / 31 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee was part of a crew that was removing antenna equipment from a 1,900 ft communication tower for placement on another tower. One of the workers was on the ground operating the Hydraulic Power Systems, Inc., hoisting unit.
Two workers were at a height of approximately 1,800 ft on the tower, removing the equipment. Once it was free, they would connect it to a 5/8-in. nylon rope, and the hoist operator would lower it to about the 600 ft level of the tower, where Employee was located.
He was connected to and suspended by a 1/2 in. wire rope hoist line. Once the equipment reached him, he would connect it to the hoist line, and the hoist operator would then lower him and the equipment to the ground. Employee would disconnect the equipment, and then be raised back up to wait for the next load. During the course of the operations, Employee was being raised when the nylon rope broke. The approximately 100 lb equipment attached to the rope fell from approximately 1,800 ft, as did a headache ball that was also attached to the rope.
The broken end of the rope became tangled on the rigging block that was on top of the tower. This caused the nylon rope to suddenly stop, and the shock caused the it to break again at a point just above the headache ball. The nylon rope, headache ball, and equipment fell until they struck Employee on the hoist line.
He was connected to the line with a CM chain repair link that was not designed to be part of a personal fall protection or positioning system. The link separated and Employee fell about 550 ft to the ground. He was killed. Subsequent investigation revealed several problems with the hoisting system: the rigging, hoist line, and slings that were used to raise personnel had not been installed with a 10:1 safety factor; Employee was on the hoist line while another load was suspended from the same hoist unit; Employee connected his fall protection/positioning device to a shackle above the hook rather than using a lanyard that had been placed directly on the hook; and no anti-two-blocking device was installed on the personnel hoisting line.
It was believed that the nylon rope was cut by the wire rope where they both passed through the same double-block rigging device at approximately 500 ft on the tower.
|
| |
| 5/31/06 |
Oakland |
IA |
19
|
Cumming, IA |
1450 |
1100 |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Deter's Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 16 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employees working at a telecommunication tower site, were riding the headache ball assembly, while being hoisted into position. They fell approximately 1,200 feet to the ground and were killed.
OSHA did not site the company since it was closed following the fatalities.
|
| |
| 5/31/06 |
Oakland |
IA |
27
|
Des Moines, IA |
1450 |
1100 |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Deter's Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 16 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employees working at a telecommunication tower site, were riding the headache ball assembly, while being hoisted into position. They fell approximately 1,200 feet to the ground and were killed.
OSHA did not site the company since it was closed following the fatalities.
|
| |
| 5/31/06 |
Oakland |
IA |
57
|
Norwalk,IA |
1,450' |
1,200' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Deter's Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 16 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employees working at a telecommunication tower site, were riding the headache ball assembly, while being hoisted into position. They fell approximately 1,200 feet to the ground and were killed.
OSHA did not site the company since it was closed following the fatalities.
|
| |
| 5/24/06 |
Vicksburg |
MS |
48
|
Dale, IN |
90' on top of building |
50' |
Roof mounted tower |
|
| Company: |
Jack Pellow, Subcontractor for National Tank and Tower |
| OSHA Status: |
No OSHA Records
|
Total Penalties: $0
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
UNKNOWN
|
Incident Description:
Pellow's co-worker said "Pellow was about halfway down (the tower) and I looked up and saw the knot on the second rope came loose and he fell about 50 feet."
No OSHA documents can be located. Pellow may have not had a registered and licensed company.
|
| |
| 5/5/06 |
Ebensburg |
PA |
25
|
Lebanon, PA |
175' |
90' |
Self Supporting Tower |
|
| Company: |
Last Mile Inc. Dba Sting Communication Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 14 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Tower tech was preparing to install an antenna. It is not known if he was tied off to the tower. The coroner was informed by a second Sting Communications employee on site that he was "feeding up the safety rope". according to published reports.
|
| |
| 5/2/06 |
Central City |
KY |
23
|
KN |
Unknown |
380' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Tower Services, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 13 / 09
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 10:15 a.m. on May 2, 2006, Employee #1, a tower technician with Tower Services, Inc., was killed when he fell approximately 380 ft from a cell phone tower. A co-worker who was on the tower with Employee #1 stated that neither of them were utilizing fall protection equipment. The foreman confirmed this to the investigators.
|
| |
| 5/2/06 |
Lawton |
IA |
51
|
Des Moines, IA |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Pedisphere WaterTower |
|
| Company: |
Mike's Construction |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 6 / 14 / 06
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Four men on the crew were feeding a coaxial line inside of the water tower when an aluminum pulley failed. The technician then fell inside an access tube of the pedisphere tower and died after hitting a landing 48-feet below him. He had been wearing a harness, but was not tied off, according to OSHA.
|
| |
| 4/10/06 |
The Woodlands |
TX |
51
|
Horn Lake, MS |
185' |
Unknown |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Quality Tower Service Ltd |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 18 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Had safety equipment on, but it is unknown if he was tied off. Monopole reportedly had a safety climb device, but it was not known if decedent was attached to it. A toxicology report revealed 0.19 mega-grams per liter of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, in his system.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 10, 2006, Employee #1 was climbing a 185 ft telecommunications tower (Monopole) in preparation for hoisting a series of antennas that were to be installed. A witness stated that Employee #1 was wearing a safety harness and carrying a rope over his shoulder to be used for rigging. When Employee #1 was at a height of approximately 165 ft, the witness heard a noise and saw Employee #1 falling. Employee #1 was killed, when he landed on a platform at the base of the tower.
|
| |
| 4/6/06 |
Milan |
TN |
39
|
Walnut Ridge, AR |
Unknown |
35' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Arco Towers & Contracting Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 6 / 06
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee was climbing down from a communication tower, when he lost his balance and fell approximately 35 ft. He struck the ground, sustaining injuries that killed him. OSHA indentifies that the they were operating under the following industry codes: SIC - 1721/Painting and Paper Hanging,
NAICS - 238320/Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
| |
| 3/27/06 |
Martinsville |
VA |
60
|
Long Island, VA |
403' |
30' |
Self Supporting |
|
| Company: |
Sky Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 19 / 06
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
An Alaskan rigger was critically injured and his Virginia co-worker was killed when the hoist line they were riding snapped as they were being lowered to the ground following an antenna installation.
|
| |
| 3/14/06 |
Gladstone |
KS |
28
|
Knoxville, IA |
300' |
150' |
Self Supporter |
|
| Company: |
Interstate Tower Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 16 / 06
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Tower Tech was upgrading antennas on a communication tower when he fell approximately 150 ft to the ground.
|
| |
| 3/3/06 |
Talladega |
AL |
|
|
400' |
Ground Level |
|
|
| Company: |
Betacom, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 10 / 23 / 06
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On March 3, 2006, Employee #1 was working with a crew inside a communications tower building, walking in and out of the building to get parts from their trucks. At the same time, workers from another company were lowering a 50 lb antenna from the 400 ft tall tower to replace it with a new one. The rope they were using as rigging broke, and the antenna fell over 260 ft to the ground. Employee #1 and three coworkers had just walked out of the building on their way to lunch. They heard the warning call indicating that something was falling and ran for cover, but the antenna struck Employee #1 on the top of his head, killing him. Neither Employee #1 nor any of the workers from his company had been wearing hard hats.
|
| |
| 2/21/06 |
Veedersburg |
IN |
31
|
Ridge Farm, IL |
170' |
150' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Conxtions Communications |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 29 / 06
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee, a contractor, was working on an approximately 170-foot high self-supported tower. As Employee was working at about the 150 foot level of the tower, attempting to remove an Omni type Antenna from a support bracket, he fell and was killed. The accident investigation revealed that Employee was free climbing to position himself on the tower. Also, a rope lanyard was found on the Omni antenna, which was possibly being used by Employee as hoisting apparatus.
|
| |
| 2/9/06 |
Thomasville |
NC |
50
|
TN |
Unknown |
20' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Fridley's Communications Dba Business Cell Systems |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 6 / 14 / 06
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1, an owner of Business Cell Systems and another employee, a son of the owner, arrived to Thomasville, North Carolina, shortly after lunch. Employee #1 proceeded to put on his climbing equipment. Another employee was inside the building, working on wiring of a photo cell, which needed replacement. Another employee went through a gate to enter the tower area, as Employee #1 was descending the ladder and approaching ground level after installing the photo cell. Another employee asked how Employee #1 was doing. Suddenly, he heard a noise, which he could not identify. When he looked to see what it was, he saw Employee #1 falling 15 ft to 20 ft to the ground and landing face down on a metal grate, at the bottom of the ladder. Another employee ran up to Employee #1 and turned him over. He saw Employee #1 bleeding from his head. Employee #1 was killed. He did not use a fall protection.
|
| |
| 1/21/06 |
Hollister |
MO |
21
|
Lawson, OK |
120' |
90' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Rocky Mountain Erection Company |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 21 / 06
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
A bulldozer's track became entangled with the tail of the tower's guy wire. The dozer pulled the grip off of the guy wire causing the tower to collapse. Employee was killed.
|
| |
| 1/19/06 |
La Guna Vista |
TX |
33
|
San Angelo, TX |
90' |
Unknown |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Wilbur L. Anderson Inc. Dba Western Towers |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 13 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 was raised to near the mid-point of a 90-ft-tall monopole communications tower. The tower was to be removed and replaced by a new self-supporting tower. He secured himself to the pole with a work positioning belt. While Employee #1 was wrapping a nylon sling around the pole, the ground crew removed all of the nuts which secured the base of the pole to the anchorage bolts. The pole had not been secured at the top to prevent toppling. As soon as the last nut was removed, the pole leaned in a northerly direction with Employee #1 still attached to the pole. When the pole fell to the ground, Employee #1 struck the ground and was killed.
|
| |
2005 Fatalities Total: 7
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 8/3/05 |
Poplar Bluff |
MO |
37
|
Alton, IL |
Unknown |
80' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Tower Maintenance & Erection Corporation |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 9 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 11:17 a.m. on August 3, 2005, an employee, for some unknown reason, fell approximately 80 ft from the top of a radio tower to the ground. The employee was wearing the appropriate fall protection and fall arrest system. According to the lead man on the site, the employee was practicing 100 percent fall protection. The employee simply detached himself from the tower and fell. He was killed.
|
| |
| 7/27/05 |
Apache Junction |
AZ |
46
|
CA |
Unknown |
80' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Constant Power Technologies Cpt |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 25 / 05
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employees #1 and #2 were assigned to adjust a microwave dish on a microwave tower 80 feet high. Employee #2 was directed to adjust the 4 foot microwave dish. Employee #1 was located on the lower section of the tower. While installing his fall protection equipment to the tower, he fell approximately 65 feet to his death.
|
| |
| 6/6/05 |
Lincoln |
IL |
|
Glendale, AZ |
140' |
120' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Wireless Horizon Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 9 / 2 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 fell while disassembling the 240' structure. On June 6, 2005, Employee #1 was with a crew dismantling an unused microwave tower. The workers had just "jumped" the gin pole and were preparing to remove a "K" section from the south face of the tower. Employee #1 was climbing the gin pole to attach a sling to the "K" section when the gin pole began sliding down the tower face. It was abruptly stopped by the load line ball, causing Employee #1 to fall approximately 120 feet to the ground. He was killed.
|
| |
| 5/16/05 |
New Boston |
NH |
|
Peyton, CO |
400' |
100' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 8 / 05
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 fell from an azimuth tower after he either slipped or fell. A ladder-climbing device arrested his fall, however, the harness ripped apart. Employee #1 was killed.
|
| |
| 4/26/05 |
Watonga |
OK |
|
Fort Gibson, OK |
360' |
240' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Texoma Contracting, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 11 / 06
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 7:45 a.m. on April 26, 2005, Employee #1 and a coworker were installing co-axial cables that would connect cellular antennas. The antennas, located on an existing 360 ft tall, triangular communication tower, were to be connected to an equipment building at the base of the tower. At approximately 10:15 a.m., after the cables had been installed, Employee #1 needed to move across the co-axial cables that had been suspended from the tower. As he was doing so, he fell about 240 ft and was killed. Subsequent investigation revealed that both workers were wearing safety harnesses with positioning devices. These devices connected to D-rings on the sides of their harnesses and allowed them to connect to the tower braces in front of them. However, neither employee was wearing a lanyard that connected to the back of their harnesses.
|
| |
| 2/25/05 |
Wilson County |
NC |
|
Roxboro, NC |
160' |
150' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Excel Tower Services, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 9 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On February 25, 2005, Employee #1 and a coworker were tasked with changing out nine antenna panels and conducting a sweep test on a communication tower. In the process of the installation, Employee #1 fell from the tower to a lower level and was killed.
|
| |
| 2/25/05 |
Yuma |
CO |
|
Wray, CO |
180' |
180' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Ne Colorado Cellular Inc. Dba Viaero Wireless |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 18 / 07
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On February 25, 2005, Employee #1 was installing a new digital cellular telephone antenna on the antenna mount of an existing three-leg, self-supported communication tower. He was suspended using his work-positioning lanyard from an antenna mount near the top of the tower. Seconds after being observed in this position, Employee #1 fell approximately 180 ft and was killed. The snaphook on his work-positioning lanyard had been previously damaged, and he was not tied off with his fall arrest lanyard.
|
| |
2004 Fatalities Total: 11
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 12/20/04 |
Mayes County |
OK |
47
|
San Marcos TX |
500' |
300' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Cellxion Wireless |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 23 / 05
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1, working for Cellxion in Locust Grove, OK, was performing final installation operations on a 500-ft-high communication tower. Employee #1 fell from an elevation of 300-ft. Employee #1 was killed.
|
| |
| 11/28/04 |
Maricao |
PR |
30
|
TX |
Unknown |
187' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Radian Communication Services Corporation |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 7 / 05
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 was installing a lateral antenna on the north leg of a communication tower and fell approximately 187 feet to the ground and was killed.
|
| |
| 11/23/04 |
Gonzalez |
FL |
21
|
Pensacola, FL |
300' |
290' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Team One Communications, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 8 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On November 23, 2004, Employee #1 was part of a crew that was installing a new antenna on top of a 300 ft tall Rohn communication tower, model 65. Employee #1 was on the tower with two coworkers when a storm blew in. The three workers stayed on the tower during the storm. After the rain passed, they began climbing down the tower, attaching coaxial cable to the tower structure as they went. At approximately 290 ft, Employee #1 apparently slipped as he was moving from one side of the three-sided tower to another side. He fell to the ground and was killed. Employee #1 was wearing a Miller climber's harness that was equipped with a double 6 ft lanyard and a 4 ft positioning lanyard; as he descended, he also had a small pulley attached to his equipment. However, his fall protection equipment was not attached to the tower. The tower had no access ladder or safety climbing device, so the workers had to use the horizontal and cross bracing to climb the tower.
|
| |
| 11/4/04 |
Shirley |
AR |
43
|
Unknown |
Unknown |
75' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Ozcomm Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 18 / 05
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 was working alone installing an antenna on a communication tower at a height of approximately 70 ft to 75 feet. Employee #1 had put in three screws to mount the antenna and was drilling for the fourth screw. Employee #1 had a rope attached to the antenna (probably to pull or carry the antenna up to the mounting point). Apparently, Employee #1 fell, breaking part of the antenna off as he fell while leaving the base still screwed into the tower with the three screws. Employee #1 was wearing a safety harness and lanyard that apparently had not been attached to the tower. Employee #1 was found deceased at the base of the tower the morning after he has observed on the tower in the previous evening.
|
| |
| 6/26/04 |
St. IgnaceTownship |
MI |
33
|
Newaygo, MI |
Unknown |
300' |
Guyed |
|
| Company: |
Grant Tower Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 9 / 26 / 11
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On June 26, 2004, Employee #1 was descending a communications tower when he fell approximately 300 ft to the ground.
|
| |
| 6/3/04 |
Opp |
AL |
|
|
300' |
|
|
|
| Company: |
Webb Tower Service |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 16 / 06
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On June 3, 2004, Employee #1 was installing grounding wires on a 300 ft tall communications tower when he contacted a 46 kilovolt overhead power line and was electrocuted.
|
| |
| 5/5/04 |
Utica |
MI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Company: |
Morris Painting |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 15 / 04
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On May 5, 2004, an employee fell from a communication tower after attaching fall protection to a faulty anchorage point. He fell approximately 18 feet and was killed.
OSHA says the contract was using the following industry codes: SIC: 1721 / Painting and Paper Hanging, NAICS: 238320 / Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
| |
| 5/1/04 |
Duffield |
VA |
|
|
300' |
235' |
|
|
| Company: |
Data Cell Systems, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 15 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On May 1, 2004, Employee #1, a cell tower construction worker, was taping radio frequency transmission cables to a cell tower to prevent the wind from knocking the cables against the tower and damaging them when he fell 235 ft to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Employee #1 was wearing a full body harness with double lanyards, but the lanyards were not connected. He also sustained high voltage electrical burns from an unknown source because there were no overhead power lines near the cell tower.
|
| |
| 4/7/04 |
Stone Mountain |
GA |
36
|
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Blackman Services |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 4 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On April 7, 2004, Employee #1, who worked for a cell tower service company, was dismantling an amateur radio tower. He was lowering the last 50 ft long section of tower to the ground when a temporary guy rope failed, causing the tower to fall. Employee #1 was tied off to the tower and fell with it to the ground.
|
| |
| 2/9/04 |
Alpharetta |
GA |
29
|
Unknown |
230' |
140' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Insite Communication Companies, Llc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 31 / 04
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On February 9, 2004, Employee #1 was installing an amplifier on a telecommunication tower when he fell approximately 140 ft and was killed.
|
| |
| 1/22/04 |
Ft. Wayne |
IN |
24
|
Unknown |
Unknown |
70' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Swager Communications Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 15 / 04
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
On January 22, 2004, Employee #1, of Swager Communications, Inc., was working on the final stages of erecting a communication tower. He was apparently changing out short structural bolts for longer ones in the northwest corner of the tower when he fell approximately 70 ft onto the frozen ground and was killed. He was wearing a full body harness with a lanyard attached to the back on a small D ring, and another short lanyard with a pelican hook on the front for positioning. The snaphook connected to the D ring on the back had another small D ring that was not designed for fall protection. The small D ring was located on the front strap of the harness; it was in a slot and not secured to the strap. This snaphook could be attached to the small D ring to hold the lanyard up while moving or working, but could not stop a fall. Employee #1 had been properly trained and was a qualified tower climber. He was wearing fall protection equipment provided by his employer, none of which showed any signs of failure.
|
| |
2003 Fatalities Total: 15
| Date |
City/Town |
State |
Age |
Home
Town |
Tower
Height |
Work
Height |
Tower
Type |
Article Link |
| 12/20/03 |
Prattville |
AL |
38
|
Theodore, AL |
300' |
150' |
Unknown Tower Type |
|
| Company: |
Alpha Tower Service |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 9 / 9 / 04
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 was working with a crew pulling up cables on a communication tower. He was approximately 150 feet up the 300 foot tower. His job was to secure the cable with a hoisting grip and ground it after the cable was set at the top of the tower. Two cables had been pulled into position and secured and the third cable was just starting to be pulled up when the employee fell to the ground and was killed. The investigation revealed that Employee #1 was only using a positioning belt along with his harness. His lanyard was in the tool box on the ground at the time of the accident. It is believed that the employee disconnected his positioning belt to move out of the way of the cable being pulled up and fell during his attempt to move.
|
| |
| 11/14/03 |
Asheboro |
NC |
19
|
Concord, NC |
250' |
140' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Viper Communication Sytems, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 5 / 19 / 04
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 9:15 a.m. on November 14, 2003, an employee and a coworker of Viper Communication Systems, Inc. were climbing the southwest leg of a 250 ft communication tower. The coworker was climbing the tower first with one end of the starter rope, while the employee was following with the block, pulley. They were climbing the tower to hang the block at the top in the center of the tower and to run the rope through the block back down to the ground. Once on the ground, another coworker would tie the hoisting cable to the rope, the rope would be pulled until the cable was run through the block and back down to the ground. The other end of the cable went to the truck mounted hydraulic material hoist, operated by another coworker. While Employee #1 and the coworker were climbing the tower, they would periodically stop and rest. At approximately 140 ft, they stopped again to rest. The coworker started climbing again when the employee fell off of the tower landing on a BTS cabinet, telecommunication equipment, then onto the stone ground resulting in fatal injuries. The coworker was not injured.
|
| |
| 10/23/03 |
Leominster |
MA |
24
|
Yellville, AR |
190' |
190' |
Water Tower |
|
| Company: |
Eastern Communications Incorporated |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 12 / 9 / 03
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
On October 21, 2003, Employee #1, wearing fall protection and rigging, was working on top of a water tower, 189 ft high, and fell. He struck the ground and was killed.
|
| |
| 9/4/03 |
Huntsville |
AL |
35
|
Hollywood, FL |
1,000' |
700' |
Guyed Broadcast |
|
| Company: |
Doty-Moore Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 8 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On September 4, 2003, Employees #1 through #3 were at the 700 ft. level on a 1,000-ft-tall, three legged, guyed broadcast tower modifying it to conform to EIA/TIA standard 222-F. Horizontal braces had been installed to enhance the structural strength of the tower. A 160-ft-long gin pole that moves on a track had been assembled at or about the 700 ft. level on the tower. When the track on the gin pole was being raised by a base-mounted drum hoist, the tower collapsed, killing Employees #1 through #3. The investigation determined that the base blocks for the load line and jump line had been attached to the tower at the 35-foot level as opposed to the industry practice of attaching them at the concrete tower base or to an independent anchor. Also, the hoist was at an angle from the face of the tower that resulted in torsional forces beyond those which the tower could withstand.
|
| |
| 9/4/03 |
Huntsville |
AL |
35
|
Tucson, AZ |
1,000' |
700' |
Guyed Broadcast |
|
| Company: |
Doty-Moore Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 8 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On September 4, 2003, Employees #1 through #3 were at the 700 ft. level on a 1,000-ft-tall, three legged, guyed broadcast tower modifying it to conform to EIA/TIA standard 222-F. Horizontal braces had been installed to enhance the structural strength of the tower. A 160-ft-long gin pole that moves on a track had been assembled at or about the 700 ft. level on the tower. When the track on the gin pole was being raised by a base-mounted drum hoist, the tower collapsed, killing Employees #1 through #3. The investigation determined that the base blocks for the load line and jump line had been attached to the tower at the 35-foot level as opposed to the industry practice of attaching them at the concrete tower base or to an independent anchor. Also, the hoist was at an angle from the face of the tower that resulted in torsional forces beyond those which the tower could withstand.
|
| |
| 9/4/03 |
Huntsville |
AL |
27
|
Robstown, TX |
1,000' |
700' |
Guyed Broadcast |
|
| Company: |
Doty-Moore Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 8 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On September 4, 2003, Employees #1 through #3 were at the 700 ft. level on a 1,000-ft-tall, three legged, guyed broadcast tower modifying it to conform to EIA/TIA standard 222-F. Horizontal braces had been installed to enhance the structural strength of the tower. A 160-ft-long gin pole that moves on a track had been assembled at or about the 700 ft. level on the tower. When the track on the gin pole was being raised by a base-mounted drum hoist, the tower collapsed, killing Employees #1 through #3. The investigation determined that the base blocks for the load line and jump line had been attached to the tower at the 35-foot level as opposed to the industry practice of attaching them at the concrete tower base or to an independent anchor. Also, the hoist was at an angle from the face of the tower that resulted in torsional forces beyond those which the tower could withstand.
|
| |
| 9/3/03 |
Rio Piedras |
PR |
|
Unknown |
Unknown |
90' |
Unknown |
|
| Company: |
Centennial De Puerto Rico |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 2 / 3 / 04
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
Employee #1 fell approximately 90 ft from a communication tower and was killed.
|
| |
| 7/15/03 |
Greene |
PA |
26
|
Paducah, KY |
496' |
430' |
GuyedBroadcast |
|
| Company: |
Global Towers Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 8 / 13 / 04
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On July 15, 2003, Employee #1 and a coworker were directed to climb a 496 foot radio tower which the company had just built in March of 2003. They were instructed to rotate an antenna which was not properly installed when the tower was erected. The employees ascended the tower to approximately 430 ft using a hand-over-hand method. There was one climbing device installed on the tower which was not utilized. It was stated that Employee #1, more experienced and younger, reached the work area first and had removed the antenna. He was waiting for his coworker while wearing a positioning device rather than a safety harness. When the coworker reached the station, they began to install the antenna correctly. It consisted of 4 bolts which they were given to install while Employee #1 moved the antenna into place. The coworker told Employee #1 to raise the antenna, and when Employee #1 did so, he fell to his death. The evidence showed that the C clamp used to hook onto either the antenna mount or the bracket, rolled out during the movement, as it was not of the locking type. Employee #1 did not have a lanyard attached to the clamp which was located in front. Both employees were not wearing safety harnesses nor using any type of climbing device. Both employees' clamps were not of the locking type.
|
| |
| 6/16/03 |
Goehner |
NE |
22
|
West Monroe, LA |
1500' |
1200' |
Guyed Broadcast |
|
| Company: |
Doty-Moore Tower Service, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 11 / 9 / 04
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
OSHA Description: Three employees were upgrading a 1500-foot television tower to supply HD-TV. An employee was working on the South leg of the tower tightening bolts on the half pipe. Coworker #1 was working on the East side of the South leg and Coworker #2 was working between back and forth between the pan and the tower. The employee was heard exclaiming an expletive and when the two coworkers looked over, he was falling from the tower. He died as a result of his fall.
|
| |
| 5/13/03 |
West Lake Hills |
TX |
35
|
Longview, TX |
1,200' |
600' |
Guyed Broadcast |
|
| Company: |
Epic Communications Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 7 / 12 / 04
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
On May 13, 2003, an employee working on a tower elevator doing alterations to the tower fell approximately 700 ft. from communication tower to his death.
|
| |
| 4/4/03 |
Blackstone |
MA |
41
|
Fremont, IN |
250' |
100' |
Self Support |
|
| Company: |
Swager Communications Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 6 / 26 / 03
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On April 4, 2003, Employee #1 was installing a cable on a tower. He fell from the tower and was killed. Two employees on the ground did not witness why he fell.
|
| |
| 2/26/03 |
Coalinga |
CA |
|
|
|
20' |
|
|
| Company: |
Applied Technology Group Inc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 4 / 27 / 05
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On February 26, 2003, Employee #1 was checking connections on a tower antenna when he fell approximately 20 feet. The employee had fall protection but it was not used during his ascent and descent of the tower. He was transported to Coalinga Regional Medical Center and then flown to UMC in Fresno where he died.
|
| |
| 2/18/03 |
Orlando |
FL |
23
|
Anna-Maria, FL |
160' |
160' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Goff Communications, Inc. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 6 / 30 / 03
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
Unhooked safety and fell while transitioning.
On February 18, 2003, Employee #1 and other employees were installing sleeve covers over the antennas on a telecommunications tower. Company policy required that during the progress of work employees use fall protection when working at a height of over 6-ft. Employee #1 unhooked his lanyard and inadvertently slipped and fell off the tower 120 ft to the ground. He was killed.
|
| |
| 1/27/03 |
Syossett |
NY |
33
|
Hampton Bays, NY |
132' |
84' |
Monopole |
|
| Company: |
Imc Antenna & Tower Co. |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 1 / 7 / 04
OSHA Details
|
Final
Total Penalties: $0
Final
Violation Item(s): Type - Standard - Fine
No Violations
|
Incident Description:
At approximately 2:50 p.m. on January 27, 2003, Employee #1, of IMC Antenna & Tower Company, was working on a 132 ft monopole located at a site in Syosset, NY. He was climbing the tower when he fell about 84 ft and was killed. Although the cause of the accident has not been determined, several contributing factors have been identified: (a) equipment failure--Employee #1 used a wire rope grab to ascend the monopole to where a new platform was being installed. According to witnesses, he bent over and leaned to his left for some known reason before he was able to connect to his lifeline. The wire rope grab separated at that point when the rivets holding the braking mechanism pulled out under a side load; one part was found 30 ft away from the tower and the other part was found on the ice bridge just below the lower anchoring point of the safety climb; (b) wire rope--the 3/8 in. wire rope, know as the safety climb, may have been installed upside down so that it was not convenient for climbers to take slack out of the line. A witness claimed there was excessive slack in the line, which may have allowed Employee #1 to put a side load on the rope grab when he bent ove; (c) weather--on the day of the accident, there was snow on the ground, it was windy, and the temperature was 11 degrees F., with an average wind of 20-25 knots at the 100 ft elevation and a wind chill factor estimated at between (-) minus 11 degrees F. and (-) minus 15 degrees F; (d) carabiner--Employee #1 apparently installed a large aluminum cababiner in addition to a small black carabiner that was attached to the wire rope grab and the safety climb; this combination extended the distance between his chest D-ring and the wire rope beyond the 9 in. required under OSHA's Construction Standards.
|
| |
| 1/8/03 |
Oasis |
UT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Company: |
Jt3 Llc |
| OSHA Status: |
Closed
: 3 / 27 / 03
OSHA Details
|
|
Incident Description:
On January 8, 2003, Employee #1 was climbing a communications tower, without fall protection, and he fell 25 feet and was killed.
|
| |
|
|
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