August 26, 2022 – dtac aims to repeat 2021’s achievement of zero deaths and severe injuries of telecom tower climbers with “Mission SAFE”, contributing to the company’s supply chain sustainability goals.
As dtac strives to expand our network to enhance customer experience nationwide, the extensive deployment of base stations means more technicians on the job. On any given day, an average of 80 technicians – called “tower climbers” – scale telecom towers up to 100 meters in height as part of their job to expand or maintain the network. Working at such heights is an occupational hazard with the risk of falling leading to possible severe injury or even death.
To maximize occupational safety and minimize risk and incidents, dtac requires all suppliers and partners for tower climbers to train and pass our tower climber course.
Mr. Prathet Tankuranun, Chief Technology Officer of dtac, noted, “As a network operator, we not only strive to expand our network to enhance the experience of our growing customer base but also ensure the safety of all telecom tower climbers. dtac’s Responsible Business mantra ensures that the health, safety, and well-being of all our employees and those in our supply chain are equally looked after.”
Focusing on enhancing customer experience, dtac fulfilled its target of expanding 5G to all 77 provinces of the country by the first half of 2022. Accelerated deployment on low-band continued, with 4,600 sites added in H1 for a total of approximately 17,800 base stations on the company’s 700 MHz spectrum. In addition, the number of 4G-2300MHz installed base stations under the company’s partnership with NT reached approximately 21,700 at the end of Q2/2022.
dtac’s Tower Climber Course focuses on the following safe climbing procedures:
- A safety helmet must be properly worn at all times on site.
- Only a properly applied climbing harness with both chest and back D-ring may be used on every climb.
- Only long-sleeved shirts and full-length pants may be worn on a climb.
- Electrical hazard safety footwear must be worn.
*No persons at ground level are permitted within a 10-meter radius of the telecom tower while a climber is at work.
dtac Mission Zero places great importance on five key goals when working with suppliers and business partners:
- Zero incidents resulting in death or severe injuries
- Zero incidents causing grave pollution to the environment
- Zero human rights violations
- A hygienic and well-balanced work environment
- Zero corruption.
dtac’s core activities require the company to work with a large number of suppliers, especially in network operations. It is thus vital to conduct risk assessments of our suppliers and provide them with training with the end goal of raising their standards at every tier.
In 2021, dtac has provided capacity-building training to 5,855 persons from 55 suppliers and exceeded its target of 3,500 training hours.
dtac believes connectivity is a powerful enabler and equalizer to drive meaningful changes in society. Based on our responsible business practices, we continue to innovate and improve our way of work to embrace change faster and better, promote resilience, and achieve sustainable growth.