The Vital Role of Electrical Safety in Telecommunications Construction

The telecommunications construction industry plays a crucial role in global connectivity but faces significant electrical safety challenges due to the omnipresent electrical hazards in activities like tower climbing and fiber optic network maintenance.
The article provides two real-life incidents to illustrate the risks: a telecommunications worker’s electrocution during tower climbing due to improper grounding and a construction crew’s accidental contact with an underground electrical cable while excavating for a fiber optic line, resulting in injuries and a power outage.
Electrical hazards are among the “Fatal Four” construction hazards according to OSHA, with electrocutions being a leading cause of fatalities. Common causes include arc flash, arc blasts, electrical fires, shocks, burns, and equipment failures.
To prevent accidents from electrical hazards, the article recommends steps such as thorough job hazard analysis, worker training, lockout/tagout procedures during maintenance, the use of fall protection equipment for working at heights, and regular equipment inspections to ensure safety in the telecommunications construction industry.

Source: Inside Towers

Date: October 25, 2023