[BC] Transmitter Safety

[Dana Puopolo]

Modern TV transmitters ALL have multiple key type lock put mechanisms on their
HV doors. You can't open the door unless the key has turned off the HV-and the
key remains captive until the door is closed again.

This is an interesting and informative thread-and once again shows how
STANDARDS need to happen to our industry! Why should we literally trust our
lives to a bunch of sales whore managers and beancounters? As I said, ALL of
us have has close calls like Chip's-and he HAD someone there with him! What
about the rest of us? How many of us will have to to DIE until station
management realizes that they expose us to hazardous working conditions all
the time? If you ask me, too many untrained 'engineers' are out there working
on transmitters today! From what I read here there are a bunch of lucky people
posting here! How long will that luck hang on?  Let me ask you something-how
many of you after working all day have been awoken in the middle of the night
and had to drive ALONE to some transmitter site in the middle of
knowhere-sometimes in stormy weather and then had to work on the HV section of
a transmitter? Wait---I already know the answer: ALL OF US!

Yet, based upon what I'm hearing, that shuold NOT be happening, and it would
NOT be happening if WE didn't let it happen! How? Simple....we insist that our
stations have sufficient backup equipment to relieve the pressure. We INSIST
that management provide us with another person when we have to go to sites
when tired. Maybe the mannger should do one tour there-it would certainly open
HIS eyes!

AND...we REFUSE to work under substandard conditions alone!  We REFUSE to help
out stations that DON'T or WON'T conform to our reasonable standards!

LET THEM STAY OFF THE AIR!!!  It's the only way to GET them to conform!

I'm not talking union here-this isn't about wages, benefits or even
professional respect-it's about our VERY LIVES! We need to look out for each
other's well being!

One more question-where the HE** is the SBE in all of this?? It seems to me
that this is a bit more important of a topic then RPU scheduling at football
games!

-D