Kathy Gill has telecom in her blood. She is the second generation of her family to work in the business and got her start at 18 years old. Years later, Gill started a wireless construction company and noticed many climbers had insufficient training. “I was compelled to change that and provide quality training to keep climbers safe.” Fast forward, Gill, now brings that passion to work every day as founder and CEO of Tower Safety.
“I don’t want climbers to view training as ‘checking the box,’” explains Gill. She shapes programs accordingly, to inspire and motivate her tower climbing family. “I want them to look forward to attending a class.”
After working with Tower Safety, students should be able to pinpoint potential hazards, inspire and coach co-workers to perform tasks safely, and take action to make changes as needed. That said, climbers may understand every rule in the book, and still pose a risk if they’re mentally unsound or distracted. An essential but often overlooked component of the job, according to Gill, is mindset.
“I talk a lot about the mental aspect of the industry,” explains Gill. It’s not an office job, she says. If you’re having a bad day, you can’t take an extra-long lunch break to clear your head. “If you can’t climb that day because you’re not mentally there, you’re going to take that with you to the top of the tower,” which leads to technical oversights, or worse, injury and even death. “The mental health of climbers is so important and something that’s not talked about enough.” That’s something Gill aims to change.
Tower Safety’s services are available seven days a week. The team creates flexible schedules, offering online classes and customer location appointments, most recently paying a visit to rural Alaska. Hands-on training is also available at Tower Safety’s Phoenix campus.
Equipped with various construction equipment for training, “Our campus is pretty cool,” says Gill. “It is built for rope access with 16’ – 70’ towers plus a 40-foot drop tower for drop protection tests, confined space prop and a quality course. We also have an 85-foot aerial lift truck for additional training scenarios.”
The climb doesn’t stop there. Gill is continually evolving her training toolkit. As she shared with Inside Towers in a recent podcast, her inaugural Tower Rodeo challenge was a “huge success.” So much so, she recently announced dates for the second annual Tower Rodeo in Phoenix, AZ. The event, a series of tower climbing and rescue challenges pitting tower industry techs against fire and rescue teams, will take place December 3-4. Gill said she will be adding new challenges and expanding the field to six teams. The 2020 highlight reel showcases the two-day event (to register, click here.) Fire and rescue veterans from Philadelphia, PA, Chris Feder and Kevin Swan, will be defending their 2020 Tower Rodeo World Champions title.
Gill is also working to provide supplemental resources to the industry. Her Field Guide Manual is made to fit in a glove box and summarizes key aspects of fall protection and relevant regulations and standards – a good worksite “cheat sheet.” She’s also developing the ‘Work Rescue Access Technician (WRAT)’ app, which will offer qualified and experienced technicians to those in need of rescue, since fire and rescue teams are “medical technicians first and foremost,” says Gill.
The instructors at Tower Safety have seen all sides of the industry, and adjacent industries, so they understand the hazards of working at-height and can properly present the necessary skills. Tower Safety’s courses include:
- NWSA
- Authorized Climber/Rescue
- Competent Climber/Rescue
- First Aid + CPR
- OSHA 10-Hour
- OSHA 30-Hour
- RF Awareness
- Train the Trainer
- ANSI 10.48 Competent Rigger
- Confined Space Entrant
- TIA Introduction Course
- SPRAT
- Online Courses
- MEWPs (Mechanical Elevated Work Platform)/Aerial Lifts (New)
- Fiber Optics (New)
What’s next? Currently, Gill is focused on expanding her full-service ‘Quality’ courses, which outline the full installation process, by carrier. Tower Safety’s list of offerings will continue to grow and evolve, just the dynamic world of wireless.
For more information on Tower Safety or to contact a representative, visit towersafety.com.
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