Within the first 12 weeks of 2014, there were six deaths of workers performing maintenance or serving cell phone towers. Based on the number of deaths of cell tower workers in 2013 (13 employees total for the year), the rate of deaths in the industry in 2014 is nearly double the number of workers killed last year. This increase is disturbing but not entirely unexpected in light of prior estimates that show the fatality rate in the tower climbing industry is five times the rate of other industries.
Although tower climbing work is recognized as high-risk, the significant increase in deaths in just the first three months of the year is raising questions about how safety protections can be put into place for those who work remotely. These workers may still be considered employees and eligible to make workers’ compensation claims with the help of a workplace accident lawyer, but the workers do not go to a central worksite where an employer can actively take steps to improve conditions and enforce safety rules in order to reduce fatalities on the job.
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