![\"HazMat](\"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/HazMat_Radiation_Suit_On_5G_Tower-1-300x291.jpg\")
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At a recent conference, OSHA administrator David Michaels told attendees that workers on communications towers face a significantly higher rate of workplace deaths \u2014 reportedly 25 to 30 times the normal rate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Of the hazards, the most poorly understood is the potential for exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiation. That\u2019s especially an issue with towers that include multiple types of antennas, each of them transmitting and\/or receiving RF signals at different frequencies and intensities. Even if workers are not touching those antennas, they may be performing tasks in close enough proximity to be exposed to amounts of RF signals that exceed safe levels for exposure by humans. That\u2019s why most towers have signs warning of RF exposure hazards.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The most immediate danger related to excessive RF exposure is its ability to heat biological tissue very quickly. Microwave ovens use the same principle to cook food in very short timeframes. Given that human skin and organs are made up of tissue, high levels of RF can quickly cause physical damage. While the body can protect itself by some degree by using blood flow to regulate temperatures and dissipate localized heat, the eyes and the testes lack those mechanisms, making them prone to heat damage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
There is also some speculation that long-term exposure to even low levels of RF radiation could lead to development of tumors and certain cancers. Although some animal tests have supported a connection, there hasn\u2019t been any definitive scientific evidence that those working around RF radiation face a greater risk of cancer or tumors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n