AT&T ’s mesh breastfeed in 2008 , glutted with iPhones and facing the threat of a 3 gravitational constant rollout . So like its competition , it put together a slipshod operation to build towers at any cost . Even a human price , ProPublica report .
A joint investigation by ProPublica and PBS ’ Frontline grind up a corporate culture of rampant neglect , workplace recklessness , shoddy preparation , and , well , demise . dying and the subsequent carpeting - sweeping of that death : major carriers like AT&T and Verizon spend extra money to have subcontractor subcontract towboat piece of work , so that if someone plump to his death , the branching inefficiency serves as a pilot . And this is a deliberate scheme :
AT&T contract spell out precisely what level of responsibility it wish to have over each aspect of tug projects . In a table call the Division of Responsibilities Matrix , the carrier lists more than 100 tasks and , for each one , indicate if AT&T want responsibility for it , to be consulted on it , or to be inform about it .
In three - year contracts release in 2008 that were examined by ProPublica and PBS “ Frontline , ” the matrices were blank for safety gadget - pertain items , such as ensure that Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard were met . Contractors state us they infer this to intend the common carrier wanted no liaison with them at all . AT&T declined to answer questions about the intercellular substance .
They were likely left blank for a reason , ProPublica explain :
One carrier , AT&T , had more fatality on its jobs than its three close competitors combined , our reporting revealed . Fifteen climbers died on jobs for AT&T since 2003 . Over the same menses , five climbers die on T - Mobile jobs , two died on Verizon jobs and one pass away on a business for Sprint .
The death toll peaked between 2006 and 2008 , as AT&T unite its meshing with Cingular ’s and sputter to do by dealings father by the iPhone . Eleven climber died on AT&T occupation in those three year
In entire , 50 contractors died between 2003 and 2011 while trying to boost your cell signaling , commonly at a wage of $ 10 an minute . Their equipment and training was often piss poor if there was any at all , all combine by an fast-growing scamper to void report of icky cell insurance coverage . The full paper is grim , damning , and disquietingly illustrative of a part of our phones that ’s remained invisible . And our coverage ordinarily still sucks . [ ProPublica ]
Update : AT&T chimed in with their take on tower safety :
“ AT&T outsources wireless tower structure and upkeep to expert companionship , many of which are enceinte in public traded firms with decades of experience . Our contract bridge with these companies require strict obligingness with state and Union laws and regulations , including worker guard . AT&T requires these contractor to establish a separate safety organization to fully train their employee . We also require all of our contractor to perform background checks , admit drug screens , on every somebody who works on our project . contractor who ravish the condition of their contracts are dependent to ending . Worker safety has always been a hallmark of AT&T.
“ The wireless industriousness has invest decade of billions of dollars in recent years to enhance and expand cellular mesh , require an enormousamount of work on cell tower . Over that time , data shows cell tug doer fatalities have importantly decreased . In fact , in 2011 , outside contractors performed more than 45,000 singular jobs for AT&T – up 250 % from 2009 – with no reported fatality .
“ Though AT&T does not handle wireless tower construction and maintenance itself , we powerfully stomach the work of OSHA and the National Association of Tower Erectors , who together set in motion theirwireless column doer safety initiative in 2007 , ensue in a dramatic improvement in worker safety . ”
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