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DOL/OSHA RIN: 1218-AC90 Publication ID: Spring 2017 
Title: Communication Tower Safety 
Abstract:

While the number of employees engaged in the communication tower industry remains small, the fatality rate is very high. Over the past 20 years, this industry has experienced an average fatality rate that greatly exceeds that of the construction industry, for example. Falls are the leading cause of death in tower work and OSHA has evidence that fall protection is used either improperly or inconsistently. Based on information collected from an April 2016 Request for Information, OSHA understands that employees are often hoisted to working levels on small base-mounted drum hoists that have been mounted to a truck chassis, and these may not be rated to hoist personnel. Communication tower construction and maintenance activities are not adequately covered by current OSHA fall protection and personnel hoisting standards, and OSHA plans to use information it will collect from a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel to identify effective work practices and advances in engineering technology that would best address industry safety and health concerns. While this panel will be focused on communication towers, OSHA plans to consider inclusion of structures that have telecommunications equipment on or attached to them (e.g. buildings, rooftops, water towers, billboards, etc.).

 
Agency: Department of Labor(DOL)  Priority: Other Significant 
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Prerule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
CFR Citation: 29 CFR 1926    29 CFR 1910   
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655   
Legal Deadline:
Action Source Description Date
Other  Statutory  Request for information.  06/30/2014 
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
Request For Information (RFI)  04/15/2015  80 FR 20185   
RFI Comment Period End  06/15/2015 
Initiate SBREFA  01/04/2017 
Complete SBREFA  08/00/2017 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Undetermined  Government Levels Affected: None 
Small Entities Affected: Businesses  Federalism: No 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 
Agency Contact:
Dean McKenzie
Director, Directorate of Construction
Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW., FP Building, Room N-3468,
Washington, DC 20210
Phone:202 693-2020
Fax:202 693-1689
Email: mckenzie.dean@dol.gov