Hazard Mitigation for Radioactive Frequencies
When it comes to crane safety on the job site, The Crane Guys set the highest standards in the crane rental industry. Integral to the company’s safety goals is their ongoing safety awareness training for personnel. This ‘advanced education’ keeps crews up to speed on all aspects of job site safety. Among the subjects covered is hazard mitigation for radioactive frequencies (RF), which prepares crews to detect radioactive risks and implement proper safety measures to protect onsite client teams as well as their own.
Advanced Notice
Posting proper signage is one of the first steps in the RF hazard mitigation process. This early warning measure provides advanced notice of a site’s radiation levels. Used as an integral part of an overall site compliance plan, signs may be labeled NOTICE, CAUTION, or WARNING, each one corresponding to a different radiation level.
Thorough training is required of all personnel who must pass a point indicated by a Caution or Warning sign. Once properly educated, crews have the skill necessary to control their exposure to RF energy within an overall written safety program (per OSHA recommendation).
Addressing the Special Needs of the Telecom Industry
As a source of radiation, antennas present special risks to telecomm personnel. The Crane Guys are trained to implement a variety of safety measures to minimize the radioactive risks associated with antennas. Among these measures are:
- Requesting that antennas be powered down to a safe working level below the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE).
- Requesting a window of time in which antennas are normally powered down, allowing crews to work within that time frame.
- Utilizing RF protective suits in areas exceeding the MPE. This is a last resort that requires specialized training.
Of course, whenever possible, it’s preferable to avoid RF hazards altogether. Crane Guys crews have been trained in a variety of hazard avoidance measures such as the deactivation of serviced and nearby antennas, ‘lock out/tag out’ procedures, and the use of shields while antenna are in operation. Safety is Priority One at The Crane Guys and hazard mitigation for radio frequencies is just one training in our monthly crane safety program for all of our riggers and crane operators.
