NYC Pensions Negotiate Worker Safety Deals With Major Telecoms Companies

SBA Communications, American Tower, and Crown Castle have agreed to increase disclosures about tower site safety. 



New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and the city’s five pension funds have negotiated deals with telecommunications infrastructure companies SBA Communications Corp., American Tower Corp., and Crown Castle to increase disclosures concerning worker safety at their communications tower sites.

The city’s five pension funds include the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, New York City Teachers’ Retirement System, New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Pension Fund, and the New York City Board of Education Retirement System. As of the end of February, the pension funds collectively owned holdings worth $120.9 million in American Tower, $67.8 million in Crown Castle, and $34.4 million in SBA.

“From dizzying heights to challenging weather conditions, tower workers risk their lives every day to keep us connected,” Lander said in a statement. “I am happy to report that SBA, American Tower, and Crown Castle will provide greater transparency and accountability concerning tower climber safety, reflecting investor expectations that these companies provide a safe working environment for all workers at their sites.”

The city comptroller’s office said SBA has agreed to expand its disclosure to clarify how health and safety policies apply to contractors and subcontractors working on the company’s tower sites. The disclosure will include SBA’s training and certification standards for contractors and subcontractors, and it will describe its third-party verification process and how its internal on-site audits supplement its verification process.

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SBA’s disclosures will also include safety statistics for employee tower climbers and contractor and subcontractor tower climbers, a description of other safety initiatives, and a reporting mechanism for workers to report safety concerns.

Meanwhile American Tower agreed to expand its disclosure to clarify how regulatory requirements and health and safety policies apply to contractors and subcontractors working at its sites, as well as requirements for training and certification. Lander’s office said the disclosure will include the prerequisites for contractors and subcontractors it hires, the inspection and audits the company uses to verify compliance with safety standards, and other safety initiatives, such as third-party audits.

American Tower will also now report contractor health and safety information in addition to its current reporting on health and safety information for employees. The company’s disclosures will list compliance procedures used to ensure vendors follow regulatory and qualification requirements before workers enter the tower sites, as well as its ongoing maintenance and safety program. The company will also disclose a review of safety incidents as well as the reporting tools available to workers on its sites.

The agreement with Crown Castle will also see the company expand its disclosure regarding contractors and subcontractors working on its sites. The disclosure will include a description of mandatory notification that technician services are to be performed at a company site, qualification and registration requirements, safety team audits and inspections, and a way for workers to report safety issues. Additionally, the company’s disclosure will include safety statistics for all tower technicians on its sites, including contractors and subcontractors.


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