As part of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) and Department of Labor’s (DOL) efforts to reduce communications tower-related fatalities and injuries, the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announce the agenda for their upcoming workshop on tower climber safety and Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP). As …
NATE releases PPE inspection safety video as part of Climber Connection campaign
‘When in doubt, take it out!’ The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Inspection Safety Video as part of the Association’s 2016 Climber Connection campaign. The video highlights practical safety tips for industry workers to follow when inspecting the required PPE associated with working at heights on a communications towers. The video includes …
Northeast Wireless Safety Summit presentations announced for Feb. 4, 2016 event
HPC Wireless Services, a wireless telecommunications platform company servicing the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, has announced the agenda for their 2nd Annual Northeast Wireless Safety Summit (NEWSS), taking place from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2016 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Tarrytown, N.Y. The NEWSS program includes panels, keynotes and demonstrations addressing the safety issues and …
Former OSHA construction safety chief believes some companies see agency’s fines as a ‘business cost’
Jim Maddux, Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Directorate of Construction, retired at the end of December from the position he held since Dec. 20, 2010. During his leadership at OSHA he was instrumental in creating a serious conversation about climber safety in America, and shepherding new proactive initiatives targeting the telecom industry. He began his carrer with OSHA …
Canada’s carriers, tower contractors, riggers and others to benefit from the formation of STAC
Although Canada has enjoyed an enviable reputation for climber safety, nine industry businesses wanted to make sure it stayed that way, and even got better, and formed the Structure, Tower and Antenna Council (STAC) that will officially launch its membership drive next Monday. Similar to the United States’ National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), STAC will be helping its members …
NATE’s 2016 educational campaign will also be tough on social media nonsense
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a video trailer promoting its upcoming 2016 Climber Connection marketing campaign that will combat climbers on social media whose dangerous activities set poor examples for an industry with tens of thousands of technicians who work safely. Equally as important, it will highlight safe work practices. The Climber Connection campaign was developed …
Free February train-the-trainer and fall prevention worker training courses readied by NATE
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today announced the opening of the registration process for the first two Susan Harwood Training grant-enabled courses the organization will be hosting in 2016. NATE, in conjunction with curriculum and training provider Safety Controls Technology (SCT), is offering a five-day Train-the-Trainer Course from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, …
NATE members elect four incumbents and one new director to its board
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released the results of the 2016 Board of Directors election. The Association announced that candidates John Paul Jones, President of Tower & Turbine Technologies LLC in Cedar Park, Tex.; Bryan Lee, President of Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc. in Springtown, Pa.; Jimmy Miller, President of MillerCo, Inc. in Gulfport, Miss. and Don …
Comp insurance is down along with project prospects for some wireless contractors
Experience mod requirement of 1.0 or less seen as ‘ridiculous’ The good news for contractors, according to Bruce Eades, Regional President for Insurance Office of America, is workers compensation insurance premiums are going down from an average of $12 per $100 of remuneration to $6 based upon a change in NCCI Class Codes. But truly troubling news, Eades says, is …
NATE establishes committee on unmanned aerial systems
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) has announced the formal establishment of an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Committee. The newly minted committee will be tasked with monitoring the trends and regulatory environment associated with rapidly evolving UAS technologies and making recommendations to NATE members and the wireless infrastructure community on best practices when it comes to UAS integration. The committee …
131 STAR Initiative companies recognized for their higher safety standards
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today announced the member companies who have been formally approved to participate in the prestigious STAR Initiative program for the 2015-2016 year. The Association made the announcement at the 2015 Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) Annual Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “We are thrilled with both the quantity and caliber of companies who have …
NATE celebrates success of its first regional meeting in Illinois
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that the first NATE Regional Meeting held on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 at the Kankakee Community College Banquet Center in Kankakee, Ill., was a tremendous success. The meeting focused on key industry safety and health initiatives and offered excellent networking and professional development opportunities for meeting attendees. “This was such a …
Saints backup quarterback’s loss is still good for Verizon’s backup message
Verizon’s newest commercial features New Orleans Saints’ backup quarterback Luke McCown in full uniform as he looks at a Verizon cell tower with a gen set on an elevated platform, as he states, “Verizon has backup generators for most of their towers, so they’re ready if the power ever goes down.” He then salutes the cell tower with his helmet and …
NATE and industry stakeholders present at California safety conference
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) was a key participant today at the 2015 Environmental, Health & Safety International Communications Conference in Los Angeles, California. The conference, organized by the Environmental, Health & Safety Communications Panel (EHSCP), consisted of a series of high-profile sessions focused on key industry safety and health topics, and was attended by stakeholders representing prominent …
Tower Family Foundation highlights founding donors at Vegas CTIA conference
Companies, organizations and individuals recognized for distinguished level contributions The Tower Industry Family Support Charitable Foundation today announced the list of founding donors who have made distinguished level contributions to the Foundation since the organization’s official launch in September 2014. The Foundation made the official announcement at CTIA’s “Super Mobility Week” in Las Vegas, Nev. The non-profit Foundation has been …
NATE Receives U.S. Department of Labor Susan Harwood Training Grant
$140,000 Grant to Develop Curriculum and Provide Training for Communication Tower Industry Workers and Employers The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) to receive a $140,000 Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grant. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program awards grants to nonprofit organizations on a competitive …
New Orleans Saints partners with NATE to host high-profile events at NATE UNITE 2016
The National Football League’s New Orleans Saints and the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that they are teaming up for several high-profile events that will be held in conjunction with the NATE UNITE 2016 Conference in New Orleans, La. NATE UNITE 2016 will take place Feb. 22 through Feb. 25, 2016 and is widely regarded as the …
First ever NATE regional meeting to be hosted in Kankakee, Illinois in September
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) will be hosting a Midwest regional meeting on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 at the Kankakee Community College Banquet Center in Kankakee, Ill. The meeting will focus on key industry safety initiatives and offer tremendous networking and professional development opportunities for attendees. The meeting is open to NATE members as well as those companies …
NWSA delivers a detailed overview of their tower worker certification program to OSHA
In response to OSHA’s request for information regarding communication tower safety due by Monday, the National Wireless Safety Alliance provided an emphatic ‘yes’ to the agency regarding its question: Is there a need for a standardized, industry-wide training or certification program? Provided by NWSA consultant Chuck Slagle, a former Sprint EH&S executive, the safety alliance said, “The NWSA will standardize …
Former Crown Castle chief and three key leaders to be inducted into Wireless History Foundation
The Wireless History Foundation (WHF) announced today that it will honor four individuals at its annual awards dinner on September 8, 2015 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. The inductees are John Kelly, Brian McAuley, Larry Movshin and Sue Swenson. The key industry movers and shakers join wireless luminaries such as Marty Cooper, inventor of the cell phone …
