Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 003A Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.268(g)(1): A positioning system or a personal fall arrest system was not provided and the employer did not ensure their use when work is performed at positions more than 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground, on poles, and on towers, except as provided in paragraph (n)(7) and (n)(8) of this section: (a)True North Tower, LLC at Tower/Project #CER1323012/SDL04621 154th Avenue, Rapid City, SD 57703: On or about and at times prior to January 10, 2019, the employer did not ensure a tower tech/top hand was protected from the hazards associated with falls while working on a telecommunications tower. On January 10, 2019, a tower tech/top hand had finished troubleshooting an Alpha 2100 radiohead and was attempting to descend from the tower at night when the employee fell approximately 180 feet and died as a result of injuries sustained from the fall. The employee was not utilizing a fall protection system and fell as a result. This condition exposed an employee to a fall hazard of approximately 180 feet. (b)True North Tower, LLC at Tower/Project #CER1310516/SDL04604, Midland, SD 57552: On or about and at times prior to November 26, 2018, the employer did not ensure a tower tech/top hand was protected from the hazards associated with falls while working on a telecommunications tower. The employee was working on a platform located at the top of the tower while performing maintenance on a Beta 700 radiohead while not utilizing a personal fall arrest system. This condition exposed an employee to a fall hazard from the top of the telecommunications tower.