In our industry, we often hear the questions “What do qualified contractors bring to the table?” and “Why should wireless carriers hire anyone but the lowest bidder?”

The answer is this: A qualified contractor works more efficiently and will not compromise safety or quality. Qualified contractors know that compromising safety or quality will take more time and cost more money in the long run, and may even put someone’s life at risk. Quality, training, and experience are three ingredients needed to produce quality work on the jobsite and without any one ingredient the result falls short. Think of it as a three-legged stool: quality, training, and experience. Without any one leg, the stool topples over.

Investing time and money in safety and technical training is a sign of a company’s professionalism and its commitment to quality work. Qualified contractors are committed to doing the job right the first time, network quality, tower reliability, and view the job as more than just a contract on a piece of paper.

Qualified contractors maintain safety programs to manage their employees and produce site-specific safety plans for each job. But it takes more than safety training to improve the tower industry. Qualified contractors also provide their teams with technical courses on coax cable installation, specialized equipment operation, environmental hazards, tower safety and rescue, and radio frequency awareness.

A carefully planned and executed installation means fewer call-backs and fewer network issues for carriers, since dependable networks are one of the most important differentiators to a carrier’s customers. If network reliability is poor, the customers of wireless carriers and broadcasters will become dissatisfied and seek service with a more reliable carrier. Quality installation, safety, and technical training are business-critical.

Consider that on a single wireless antenna system, there are dozens of coax cable connections between the antenna and the base station that must be installed correctly to ensure flawless performance without distortion. Pinching or stretching coax cable will diminish its useful life, and the 100+ connectors must be installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications to ensure proper transmission of cell phone users’ texts, calls, and data exchange. Training to properly install the various types of coax cable installations is essential.

So, what does it take to be a qualified contractor?

Qualified contractors go above and beyond training to provide quality installations and safe work environments; they require minimal oversight from management and reduce the need for return trips to correct installation issues. Contractors that do not train their employees in the many areas listed above can dramatically underbid qualified contractors and, in most cases, provide second-rate work.

Five Questions to Ask -- Five Things to Check
Truly qualified contractors develop quality safety programs and see long-term benefits. Ask YOUR contracting company these 5 questions to get the real story about how they handle safety on-site:

Question 1: Do your team members have coax cables and connectors knowledge?
Not all coax cables are the same, and each requires its own subset of training to ensure proper connectivity. For example, when checking connections, different carriers use different connectors and coax cables. Qualified contractors will be able to identify each type of cable and understand the unique installation and handling techniques required to meet acceptable standards of passive inter-modulation testing. Within coax cables alone, there are 4 different types of training that are manufacturer-driven.

Question 2: Do your on-site workers possess specialized equipment operation skills?
To address industry specific practices and procedures, the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) developed resources such as the NATE Tower Climber Fall Protection Training Standard; NATE Hoist Standard; NATE Gin Pole Procedures video; NATE Hoist Operator Educational Requirements online training course; the NATE RF Safety Awareness video; and NATE Personnel Hoisting Requirements video. NATE also served as a technical consultant with OSHA in the development of the federal Compliance Directive that established the specifications that must be met for personnel hoisting. Quality contractors utilize these and other industry training tools to ensure their crews understand equipment operation as intended by the manufacturer, within recognized industry standards, and in accordance with rules mandated by OSHA.

Question 3: Will there be someone on-site who knows CPR and first-aid training?
Contractors are required by federal law to have a CPR/first-aid-trained employee on-site at all times. Contractors may address this requirement in varying ways, but someone trained must be on-site at all times. Many qualified contractors will ensure that everyone on their crew is trained in both, and ensure they are all recertified for CPR and first-aid on a regular basis.

Question 4: Is each person on-site aware of environmental hazards and prepared to act accordingly?
Regardless of the geographic region a contractor works, there are going to be unique environmental hazards tower climbers must consider. This may range from health issues connected to indigenous plants and wildlife, to training for specialized equipment such as utility terrain vehicles (UTV) in order to properly avoid or navigate equipment to avoid avalanches, mud, or landslides. Qualified contractors ensure their employees are prepared to face these challenges.

Question 5: Are your people trained in identifying areas of radio frequency (RF) exposure on job sites prior to beginning their work, and do they have plans to ensure a safe environment?
Radio waves and microwaves emitted by transmitting antennas are one form of electromagnetic energy. They are collectively referred to as radiofrequency or RF energy or radiation. The most important thing to note is that when properly prepared, employees may work safely within environments where RF exposure may occur. When not handled properly, however, RF energy may cause serious burns or equipment damage.

Qualified contractors are trained in identifying areas of RF exposure on job sites prior to beginning their work, and then develop plans to ensure a safe work environment. They will document their training to protect both their employees and their customers’ equipment, something unqualified contractors seldom do.

Now that you know the questions to ask every contractor you consider, let’s drill down to learn how much those contractors ACT in ways that match with what they say. Below is a 6-point checklist of other deliverables you can require before signing on the dotted line:

These recommendations from NATE’s Qualified Contractors Evaluation Checklist are based on safety principles that owners should evaluate to ensure they are hiring qualified contractors who meet a core set of minimum criteria.

Below is a 6-point checklist of other deliverables you can require before signing on the dotted line.

6-Point Checklist of Other Deliverables
__1. Make sure the contractor has the appropriate paperwork, such as insurance coverage appropriate for the scope of work, before the start of construction and the necessary references that confirm they have the experience, ability, are qualified and can properly perform the specific job.

__2. Ask to see OSHA and other documentation, such as OSHA 300 logs, that include nature, type and numbers of accidents in the past two years and insurance modifier rates (EMR). These are indicators that can be useful in evaluating different contractors.

__3. Ensure the contractor has a safety program in place before the start of any construction project. The qualified contractor also should agree to conduct pre-job hazard assessments to determine the requirements for personal protective equipment.

__4. Determine that both the contractor and workers are properly trained on climber safety, equipment, CPR and first-aid and understand OSHA regulations and what safety training is needed. Ask to see certificate of compliance, equipment inspections and other safety logs.

__5. Require pre-employment screening tests, such as drug and alcohol and UTV driving for each employee along with an orientation and awareness program for new hires before the start of construction.

__6. Ensure quality work by maintaining documentation on the job site, regularly inspecting safety equipment and maintaining logs for all equipment and audits.
 

Commit to Safety
Putting safety first means an ongoing investment of time and resources, something that qualified contractors commit to everyday. In the wireless and broadcast industry, like with other industries, accidents can happen. The ongoing extraordinary efforts of qualified contractors and their employees make tower climbing safer and networks more secure.

It takes carriers’ construction managers, site supervisors, and on-site personnel to audit and confirm they’re committed to safety. These are the professionals who must actively identify and mitigate hazards as well as ask for the appropriate documentation, reports and certificates. But to evaluate a qualified contractor, there need to be guidelines available to those site supervisors and managers. NATE has provided one such tool.

We hope this is helpful in defining the extraordinary steps that qualified contractors, such as NATE STAR Initiative participants, take to provide value-added services to their customers and clients. It is our core belief that, with proper training, the industry can continually improve the level of safety offered to employees and clients as well as improve the quality of work that is delivered.

NATE membership is a demonstration of a company's commitment to tower industry safety. If your company is not a member of NATE, please contact the Association at 888.882.5865 or www.natehome.com to discuss the benefits of membership. If your company already is a member, we encourage you to sign up for the NATE STAR Initiative through the NATE office.

For more than 16 years, NATE has strived to send every tower worker home safely every day. Now NATE is taking safety to a new level with the NATE STAR Initiative. The NATE STAR Initiative is designed to improve tower safety practices, recognize participants for their high standards of safety and enhance the quality of work performed by tower crews. Developed for tower erectors, service and maintenance companies, as well as their customers -- carriers, broadcasters, tower owners/operators and general contractors -- the new safety program allows NATE to further recognize members with exceptional commitments to safety.

NATE provides a free Qualified Contractors Evaluation Checklist on its website to serve as a resource for evaluating a contractor's capabilities and commitment to safety. A key tool for improving safety on the job site, the checklist provides a wide range of contractor requirements to meet. The Qualified Contractors Evaluation Checklist can be reviewed by contractors, while carriers can require subcontractors to do the same and commit to only hire those that meet all criteria.

For more information, visit www.natehome.com or email nate@natehome.com.

Mr. Howey has been the executive director of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) since 1999, and is active in the development of tower safety rules at both the state and federal levels. He has worked on various aspects of all of the Association's safety videos, resources, and online programs, including the Tower Site Hazard Recognition Guide and the NATE Accident Prevention, Safety & Health Program Guide. Patrick also helped develop the NATE Tower Climber Fall Protection Safety Training Standard and the NATE Safety, Training, Accountability and Reliability (STAR) Initiative. He is active on NATE's Industry Relations Committee. For more information, visit www.natehome.com or email nate@natehome.com.

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