The demands of safety and reliability in the telecommunications industry mean a properly trained workforce is crucial now more than ever. Furthermore, constant growth of new technologies means a consistent growth in the training required for individuals who work with them. Knowing how to properly apply safety training and procedures is something that no worker can rush through and having agreed upon standards for training, ensures that skills verified by one organization are recognized by others.

How are Skills Verified?

Certifications remain the primary way most companies check to see how well their employees are trained. Certifications allow employers to have an authoritative set of standards to make sure they hire only truly qualified candidates. Certifications give employers the ability to compare and evaluate the skills of job applicants more easily. It is imperative that companies push to check their workers certifications to make sure they are qualified for the position at hand.

Luckily, the telecom industry has begun to concentrate on a specific body of certifications and training courses. Some of the more popular standard certifications and training course are:

• NWSA Telecom Tower Tech certifications.
• OSHA certifications.
• First Aid/CPR/AED.
• RF Awareness courses.
• A wide variety of specialized training courses covering areas from Competent rigging to climber/rescuer, and other like electrical safety, Lockout Tagout, Crane Spotter/Signal Person and more.

Employer Responsibility

It is not only the workers job to guarantee a safe work site, but also the employers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers protect workers from workplace hazards that can cause injury or illness. Controlling a hazard at its source is the best way to protect workers. However, when engineering, work practice and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to you and ensure its use.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are roughly 150,000 construction site accident injuries every year. The BLS continued by reporting that falls make up most of construction site accidents as well as contact with equipment. These injuries can be costly with 15% of workers compensation costs being spent on worker related injuries while on site.

Industry recognized training and certifications remove some of the burden of skill verification from the employers.  Instead of having to rely solely on what they are being told by their employees or what shows on a previous certification card, there are companies that offer live infield inspection service of live crews. Safety LMS offers a Site Audit that where the Safety LMS team will ensure your crews have all the current certifications, that their equipment is inspected, and that tasks are being performed to the required OSHA, ANSI, and TIA standards. Safety LMS can also custom tailor an on-site training program that can ensure the crews get the proper hands-on training in difficult and complex tasks such as Tower Erection, Gin Pole Operations or Tower Guy Wire Plumb & Tensioning.

A safe workforce is something that no company can afford to not have, and skill verification is not a luxury that companies can live without. Staying up to date with the required training is necessary for every company, and even more important in the telecommunications industry where their services are infrastructural, and work carries inherent risks. Proper training is needed because it can affect workers, employers, and those that encounter the site.

About Safety LMS

Safety LMS is the Telecom industry’s #1 resource for Safety Training. Safety LMS trainers share decades of real-world telecom experience and have spent years empowering fellow climbers with their wealth of knowledge to become safer and more efficient telecom technicians.

Safety LMS’s goal is to change the way the industry thinks about their training. With a president that is a member of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) Board of Directors and is heavily involved in any standard changes and developments, Safety LMS will ensure to bring you the most up to date curriculum in the USA so you can ensure that when you attend a Safety LMS training event, regardless of the subject, you will walk away from the class having learned something new and that your training dollars were well spent.

About Learning Alliance Corporation

Learning Alliance Corporation partners with businesses, colleges, and universities to bring US Veterans and civilians stronger training initiatives that equate to solid career growth. By partnering with employers nationwide, Learning Alliance Corporation has created workshops, labs and simulation programs that align the theoretical concepts into real world application learning. This adaptable approach creates learning solutions based on the community specific goals, industry, staff skill level, and corporate culture. Learning Alliance Corporation provides quality instructors, who are highly trained and specialize in the areas they teach. Learn more at https://www.mylearningalliance.com/ .

 

Sources:

admin_iconic. (2017, July 21). So, How Do I Actually Become a Tower Climber? Iconic Talent. https://www.iconic-talent.com/so-how-do-i-actually-become-a-tower-climber/.

Construction Accident Statistics. Keller & Keller. (n.d.). https://www.2keller.com/library/construction-accident-statistics.cfm#:~:text=The%20Occupational%20Safety%20and%20Health,workers%20are%20injured%20every %20year.&text=There%20are%20roughly%20150%2C000%20construction,the%20Bureau%20of%20Labor%20Statistics.

Department of Labor logo UNITED STATESDEPARTMENT OF LABOR. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/10272010.

Does the 10 Hour OSHA Training Really Increase Your Knowledge About Safety? Impact Safety Systems. (2020, October 5). https://www.impactsafetyinc.com/does-the-10-hour-osha-training-really-increase-your-knowledge-about-safety/.

HANDOUT Employers Must Provide and Pay for PPE. (n.d.). https://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/7_employee_ppe.pdf.

Matula, J. (2014, September 24). How to be a tower climber: experience, training, & equipment. RCR Wireless News. https://www.rcrwireless.com/20140923/workforce/how-to-become-tower-climber-experience-training-equipment-tag8.

Professional Services: Safety LMS: Demand The Best. Safety LMS. (2020, January 30). https://safetylms.com/services/.

Training Requirements in OSHA Standards. (n.d.). https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha2254.pdf.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Instructions for Registering with the BLS Internet Data Collection Facility (IDCF). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/idcf/instructions.htm.