Many Latin Americans want to get theirs first job in the United States. This is because it is known as the country of opportunities, as the job offer is very wide. The work at height It’s a good option, but the risks involved need to be considered.
In many cases, job opportunities depend heavily on the legal status in the country of those interested. Some companies require a work visa, but you can apply for a permit which will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
You can also consult a lawyer to advise on the possibilities offered by the government for immigrants looking for work in the United States.
It is also possible to work without a good command of the language because there is a large supply of jobs where speaking is not an obstacle. Also, there are cities like Miami where Spanish is a very common language and this is always felt.
Work at height in the United States
These are tasks that are performed in a high position, usually in the area of construction or building maintenance. in them, the worker risks falling and being injured if you do not have sufficient security measures.
The reality is that it is not low paid work, but it is one of the riskiest types of work and is recognized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and deaths. That is why more opportunities arise: there is not much supply and there is excess demand.
In the United States there is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which states that workers must have fall protection if they are at a height of 1.21 meters for general industry; 1.52 meters for shipyards; 1.82 meters when working in construction and 2.43 meters high for workers in stowage operations.
This body also establishes that fall protection is mandatory for all employees, especially those working at height.
In addition to construction and maintenance, there is currently also a total of 215,000 cell phone towers with heights of up to 600 meters throughout the United States. These huge facilities provide 4G LTE coverage to millions of users.
And those towers need constant maintenance, every day at all hours. For this many workers are hired and Spanish speakers are at the forefront of those who hire it. A total of 15,000 workers are estimated to be employed, in the industry that according to this administration OSHA is the most dangerous in the entire North American territory.
But the truth is that specialists say that 96% of deaths related to this profession are preventable and that these accidents are mostly due to improperly used or defective equipment and the shortcuts workers use to save time.
Since 2013, thirty-five cell tower workers working at height in the United States have lost their lives during repair operations from various damages to these towers that involve cuts in cellular service. These lives were lost in several incidents involving falls into the void, debris hits in high winds or situations lightning.
Working at height options in the United States
- Roof work and activities on fragile surfaces
- Work with the use of stairs
- Activities near an excavation or trench
- work with scaffolding
- Jobs that require being on scissor lifts and other similar mobile lifting platforms
- Maintenance work or any work at height requiring the use of personal protective equipment such as a harness
Source: Clarin
