A Descriptive Analysis of Telecommunication Construction Fatalities: 1984-2020

This descriptive quantitative study examined the difference in the fatality rates of telecommunication construction workers before and after the fall protection equipment (PPE) mandates established by OSHA in 1994. The purpose of this study was to initially explore if there was any significant difference in fatalities before and after the OSHA mandate. The researchers examined OSHA records of all fatalities in telecommunication construction from 1984 to 2020. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to determine the difference in the number of telecommunication tower fatalities. The study also used the theoretical framework of protection motivation theory (PMT). The results of the study showed that while there was not a significant difference between the two periods examined, there is still cause for concern among telecommunication construction workers and industry stakeholders regarding safety, the use of PPE, and the execution of fieldwork in telecommunication construction.