Editorial: Safety First

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has sought input on how to make the construction and maintenance of communications towers safer.

According to OSHA, 2013, the year for which the agency provided figures, was the deadliest year for tower workers in a decade—15 accidents resulted in 13 deaths.

With all the tower work expected, given the boom of wireless broadband and the incentive auction repacking of TV stations, making sure tower workers are as safe as possible should be a priority.

We encourage broadcasters and tower companies to weigh in with suggested best practices.