A worker-focused approach to raising health and safety standards for communications tower climbers in New York State: Identifying workers' stake in change

The presentation describes a statewide project of publicly funded occupational health clinics in New York in partnership with communication tower workers and their families, especially those affected by serious injuries or fatalities in this highly dangerous occupation. Its underlying premise is that tower workers themselves have unique and specific interests separate from employers, which if excluded, too narrowly frame the public policies establishing health and safety standards in the industry. Thus the project is designed first to listen to workers' concerns, create multiple occasions to engage them actively in critiquing and analyzing what went wrong when an incident occurred, and builds a partnership of advocacy that leads to well-grounded policy recommendations. Specifically, the project activities include: 1) using multiple strategies of outreach to enlist the participation of workers directly, 2) employing first-hand accounts of injury observed or fatalities witnessed, 3) providing opportunities to critique existing industry standards and regulatory involvement, 4) create relationships with medical or academic researchers who take workers' concerns seriously, and 5) explore what policy recommendations and/or action plans will elevate standards in the state in this fast-growing industry. The presentation will feature a highly experienced tower worker in partnership a policy-oriented outreach educator, closely detailing and analyzing what worked and what didn't, with attention to the implication of these methodologies in elevating state, national, or international standards as the highly profitable telecommunication industry rapidly expands. Presenters will incorporate photography to underscore visually the work culture, hazards, and challenges of this industry.