Following the right safety standards can literally save lives and company funds. When you don’t follow safety guidelines and something goes wrong, you risk the lives of employees. Also, when you don’t follow safety protocol and something happens, you risk slowing down the project and being fined. Some agencies may go after you and this can postpone work as well as cost the company money. When there are tower falls, everybody loses.

It’s important to take precautions, even experienced climbers shouldn’t get lax with safety protocol. It’s never safe to assume that the person has done it a “million times” so they’ll be fine. Instead, live by the motto “better safe than sorry” when it comes to climbing towers.

As you know, towers climb up into the sky hundreds to thousands of feet. If there is a fall, it will most likely result in death. But, there are steps you can take to help ensure your employees are kept as safe as possible.

Make sure that everyone has the proper gear and that it’s up to date. Gear should fit the person well too. Workers also need to be thoroughly trained. You can’t assume everyone is trained on all safety measures. It’s important to provide proper training to everyone you hire. It’s not safe to assume anything in this business.

Tower technicians should take time before climbing to go over everything. Making sure that their gear looks good and nothing is broken or too worn. They should ensure that they have everything in its place and a plan of action. They should wear an alarm in order to let them know if RF signal levels are dangerous to them. Tower techs should be aware of the weather prior to climbing, taking into consideration that the temperatures may be colder or hotter the higher they climb.

Heat exhaustion can be dangerous. It can cause dizziness, fatigue, confusion, and nauseousness. And, when it’s too cold, ice can form on towers, making things more hazardous. Keeping an eye on the forecast is important, so you can prepare appropriately. It’s also essential that climbers get enough hydration prior to climbing and that they feel fit enough to do the climb. Climbing when you feel worn out or ill can put you at a higher risk of incident.

Before tower techs make the climb there should be a spotter ready to look out for them to make note if there are any potential problems. There should also be a rescue-team initiative in place.

Take every step available to keep your workers safe when they make the climb. Tower climbing isn’t an easy job, but it can be a safer one when everyone follows the right guidelines. It may not prevent every incident, but it can reduce the death rate significantly.