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Telecommunications Tower Work: The Extreme Height Hazard
Working on telecommunications masts, towers, and antenna structures represents one of the most hazardous forms of working at height in the UK. Technicians climb lattice towers, monopole masts, and rooftop antenna structures to install, maintain, and upgrade the telecommunications infrastructure that underpins mobile networks, broadcast systems, and internet connectivity across the country.
The heights involved — routinely 30, 60, or over 100 metres — mean that a fall is likely to be fatal. The work environment is demanding — outdoor, exposed to weather, requiring physical strength and agility — and often involves a combination of climbing and working from rope access or platforms at the top of structures that experience significant wind loading. IPAF data identifies the electrical sector (which includes telecommunications) as the third most common sector for MEWP-related fatalities, behind construction and arboriculture.
For the broader context see our Falls from Height Statistics UK: The Definitive Guide.
Key Facts & Figures (Overview)
- Falls from height killed 35 workers across all industries in 2024/25 — telecommunications and electrical sector workers contribute to this figure
- The electrical sector (which includes telecommunications tower work) is the third most common sector for MEWP-related fatalities according to IPAF data, accounting for approximately 13% of all incidents
- Electrocution in MEWP incidents is disproportionately common in the electrical/telecommunications sector — arboriculture and electrical sectors together account for 60% of all fatal MEWP electrocution incidents
- Electrocution incidents involving MEWPs have a near-100% fatality rate — of 97 electrocution incidents in the 2016–2020 IPAF reporting period, 91 resulted in fatalities
- Telecommunications tower climbing requires specialist height rescue capability on site — a worker who becomes incapacitated at height cannot self-rescue
- Tower climbing work in the UK is governed by the Work at Height Regulations 2005, LOLER 1998 (for lifting equipment), and industry-specific guidance from Mobile UK and the telecommunications industry body
- The PASMA Tower Scaffold training is the recognised standard for use of mobile aluminium tower scaffolds commonly used in telecommunications installation work
- Wind loading is a specific and severe hazard in telecommunications tower work — structures at height experience wind forces far greater than at ground level
The Specific Risk Profile of Telecommunications Tower Work
Telecommunications tower work differs from most other work at height in several important respects:
Extreme heights: Telecommunications masts commonly exceed 30 metres; broadcast towers can reach 300 metres or more. At these heights, a fall is almost certainly fatal regardless of what protective equipment might mitigate a shorter fall.
Climbing rather than platforms: Unlike most construction height work where workers operate from scaffolding or MEWPs, telecommunications tower technicians typically climb the structure itself — ascending via fixed ladders, climbing pegs, or using personal climbing equipment and safety lines. The combination of physical exertion (climbing to height) and the need to work at the top of the structure while connected to safety systems creates specific physiological and equipment challenges.
Structural electrical hazards: Telecommunications infrastructure sits alongside and sometimes on top of electrical infrastructure — masts may share sites with distribution equipment; rooftop antenna installations work near existing services. The IPAF data on electrocution — where arboriculture and electrical sectors together account for 60% of fatal MEWP electrocution incidents — reflects the heightened electrical risk in these environments.
Remote locations and lone working: Many telecommunications masts are located in remote rural areas where emergency response times are long and where a worker who becomes incapacitated at height may not be discovered quickly. The requirement for height rescue capability — a trained colleague able to perform a rescue from height — is specifically relevant in this sector.
Weather dependency: Wind loading at height is substantially greater than at ground level. A 20 mph wind at ground level may exceed 30 mph at the top of a 60-metre mast. All tower climbing work requires pre-work weather assessment and specific wind speed limits that trigger suspension of climbing operations.
The Electrocution Risk
Electrocution in telecommunications and electrical work at height is a specific and severe hazard. IPAF's analysis of MEWP electrocution incidents for the period 2016–2020 identified:
- 97 electrocution incidents involving MEWPs
- 91 of these 91 resulted in fatalities — a near-100% case fatality rate
- Arboriculture and electrical sectors together accounted for 60% of all fatal electrocution incidents
- The sectors with the highest electrocution risk are those where work is carried out in proximity to overhead power lines and distribution equipment
For telecommunications workers using MEWPs to access rooftop antenna structures, the proximity to existing rooftop electrical infrastructure — air conditioning equipment, lift motor rooms, existing cable management — creates specific electrocution risks that must be identified in the risk assessment and managed through permit-to-work systems, exclusion zones, and isolation procedures.
Legal Requirements for Telecommunications Tower Work
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply fully to all telecommunications tower and mast work. Key requirements for this sector include:
- Competent persons only: Telecommunications tower climbing requires specialist competence — not general working at height awareness. Tower climbers must be trained specifically for the equipment and techniques used.
- Rescue capability: Where a worker may become unable to self-rescue (for example, through injury or incapacitation at height), a trained rescue operative must be available. This is a specific requirement in telecommunications tower work.
- Weather assessment: Wind speed must be assessed before climbing operations begin, and climbing must be suspended when wind speeds exceed pre-determined safe limits.
- Equipment inspection: All personal climbing equipment (harnesses, lanyards, energy absorbers, helmets) must be inspected before each use and formally inspected at intervals specified by the manufacturer.
LOLER 1998 applies to any lifting equipment used in telecommunications tower work — including MEWPs used for rooftop access.
Written by Working at Height Experts
This guide was produced by the team at Working at Heights Course, a UK provider of RoSPA and CPD-accredited online working at height training. For related data see our Falls from Height Statistics UK: The Definitive Guide, Working at Height Statistics UK, MEWP and Cherry Picker Statistics UK, and Work at Height Regulations Statistics UK.
Sources & References
- IPAF – Global Safety Report 2025 – https://www.ipaf.org/en-us/gsr2025
- British Safety Council – Powered Access: What Does the Accident Data Show? – https://www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2022/powered-access-what-does-the-accident-data-show
- HSE – Work at Height: The Law – https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/the-law.htm
- HSE – Work-Related Fatal Injuries in Great Britain 2024/25 – https://press.hse.gov.uk/2025/07/02/latest-annual-work-related-fatalities-published/
