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11/01/2005
Chairman’s Message
We recently concluded filming the fourth in a series of safety and educational videos NATE has produced over the years. This new video on RF safety is still in post-production editing, but promises to be a great new tool for training tower hands and management about the basics of avoiding over-exposure to radio frequency radiation. I would like to thank Scott Galbraith at United States Tower Services, LTD in Frederick, Maryland for providing the facilities and personnel to assist the filming crew. Without generous volunteers like our friends at U.S. Tower, making these vital safety tools would be much more difficult to produce and expensive to purchase. We greatly appreciate their generous gift of crew time and equipment. NATE hopes to have the video ready for sale to the membership by NATE 2006.
New TIA Standard
The Telecommunications Industry Association recently released its seventh incantation of the well-known standard ANSI/TIA 222. The new “G” version, effective January 1, 2006, provides some of the most sweeping changes to the tower design standard since 222-D was released in November 1986. A few of the more significant changes to the standard include:
• Classification of Structures – Each structure is rated Class I, II or III depending on its potential hazard to human life or property. Class I is the lowest hazard category and Class III the highest. Towers in the higher risk categories will be designed with higher factors of safety to protect the public and the essential services they support. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I suspect owners will increasingly choose to voluntarily define their structures in the higher categories classes. However this is the advantage of the new standard as it allows some flexibility with classification based on location and use.
• Climbing Facilities – In response to many comments from members of NATE and others in the industry, the committee took a more proactive approach to how tower climbing facilities are designed. The new Climbing Facilities section standardizes ladder and safety climb system design, settling in on 3/8” cable as the standard for safety climb cables. It also calls out the use of warning signs when climbing facilities do not meet the standard. It even uses the new designation of Authorized Climber and Competent Climber coined by NATE in the Climber Training Standard (CTS) to describe the experience level of climbers.
• Climber Attachment Anchorages – Design and use of specified climber attachment anchorages are addressed in a new Annex under the same name. Anchorages are required to be designed into the towers that meet OSHA requirements. Where adequate anchorages are not possible due to the tower design, warning signs are to be posted.
As the chairman of the committee that produces this standard, I’m often asked if it will result in heavier towers, lighter towers or if there will be little change. The question is not a simple one to answer based on many new variables not before considered in previous versions of the standard. In some cases towers will get lighter and in some cases they will get heavier. It will depend largely on their use and location as well as the latest information on wind, ice and seismic conditions where the tower will be located. The new standard takes into account the latest information available to the committee so that towers are designed in accordance with the best information available. The standard is available for sale at www.tiaonline.org. Click on the “Standards” link then “Buy Standards” and follow the link options for TIA 222. The cost is $361.00.
I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Craig Snyder serves as Chairman of NATE and is the President and Founder of Sioux Falls Tower & Communications of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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