A 24-year-old tower technician was rescued by Long Beach, Calif. urban search and rescue experts yesterday afternoon after he became too weak to lower himself from a self-supporting tower in Long Beach. According to Jake Heflin of the Long Beach Fire Department, the man was about 50 feet up on the tower at the Long Beach Emergency Communications and Operations …
Northeast wireless regional safety summit features all-star speakers
Turnkey Safety Solutions has announced the lineup for its exciting keynotes and panels for the Northeast Wireless Safety Summit (NEWSS). Many of the speakers are safety professionals, insurance experts and other prominent members of the wireless community interested in promoting the importance of safety, training and the most modern techniques for protecting workers from the inherent hazards. The event is …
Endangering daughter’s life on communications rooftop is beyond comprehension
A Wisconsin amateur radio operator overstepped the bounds of common sense when he allowed his daughter to use the top of Marshfield, Wisconsin’s City Hall as her personal playground this week. And one misstep on her part could have resulted in her tragic death or a serious injury. Chris Henry had the day off and decided to remove an unused …
NATE’s all-time high membership count is attributed to benefits
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that it had established a new all-time record of 828 member companies, a continuing increase in membership that the Association has seen for a number of years. NATE’s 828th member is Construction & Telecommunication Services, Inc. of Danvers, Mass. “NATE member companies encompass all layers of the wireless infrastructure chain and …
Tower foreman certification credential’s program being developed by NWSA
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced today that its Board of Governors has approved proceeding with the development of a new certification and credential for Telecommunication Tower Foreman. The new certification will create a credentialing system for industry workers who supervise crews that work on communications structures, whether they are antenna and line crews, construction crews, or structural modification …
Industry applauds OSHA / FCC’s long-awaited Communication Tower Best Practices guide
The FCC and OSHA today released their Communication Tower Best Practices guide following a concerted joint effort on industry safety when the two agencies began the initiative with a workshop in Washington, D.C. in 2014 and continued the effort with another group of industry stakeholders in 2016. Although the guide is advisory in nature, and is not a standard or regulation, …
Ed Dennis teams up with CITCA for training programs and NWSA credentialing
Steve Wilder, Chief Operating Officer of CITCA, LLC in Bradley, Ill has announced that Ed Dennis has joined the CITCA family of safety professionals. A well-respected name in the tower safety industry, Dennis will serve as an instructor for CITCA classes, and will oversee CITCA’s coordination with NWSA certification programs. He previously served as Director of Safety and Training for Pinpoint Towers in …
3M Fall Protection issues product stop use on free standing counterweight anchor
3M US has launched a global Stop Use – Field Service Action to address field reports of broken end-posts (also known a Lead Energy Absorbing Post, or LEAP) used in roof-mounted Evolution Horizontal Lifeline Systems. These fall protection anchors provide a secure tie-off point for those working on flat roof areas, and because they are fall arrest rated for one …
Industry’s contractors readying for national safety stand-down
Next week’s national safety stand-down, May 8 through May 12, to prevent falls in construction, is an ideal time for contractors and other aligned businesses to take time out to discuss the very real problem in wireless construction of civil workers and tower techs injuring themselves. And even though the industry has not had any fatalities of a wireless worker …
Ivanka puts in a hostile bid for 3M, wants crown jewel DBI-Sala
April 1, 2017 – Traders were turned topsy-turvy yesterday afternoon after The Wall Street Journal reporter Ryan Knutson, in an exclusive interview with Ivanka Trump, said she had made a hostile bid for Maplewood, Minn. industrial giant 3M, offering a 46% premium for the company’s stock which closed Friday at $191.33. “Thulin [Inge G., 3M Chairman and CEO] will be hard-pressed …
Wireless infrastructure movers and shakers to converge in Fort Worth
NATE UNITE 2017, the National Association of Tower Erectors’ annual conference, to be held Feb. 27 through March 2 in Fort Worth, Tex., is expected to rival a record-setting number of visitors to the event that is clearly regarded as the largest and most comprehensive show in the U.S. for the wireless infrastructure industry. The exhibition is already breaking last …
CITCA, DTS team up to co-market industry training opportunities
The Communication Industry Training and Certification Academy (CITCA) and Dover Telecommunication Services (DTS) have formed an alliance that will allow both companies to market each other’s training at discounted rates. CITCA offers a complete line of college-based tower erection and safety training programs and services directly related to the communications and wind turbine industries, with training provided at the client …
NATE brings to life new ANSI/ASSE A10.48 standard with a polished video presentation
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a safety video highlighting the new ANSI/ASSE A10.48 Standard. The video is the first to debut as part of Volume 2 of the NATE Climber Connection series. The A10.48 Standard – Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and Maintenance of Communications Structures has been described as a game-changer …
NATE’s free Train-the-Trainer and Fall Prevention Worker training courses available
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) will be facilitating one Train-the-Trainer Course and twelve Fall Prevention Worker Training Courses throughout the United States in 2017. NATE is pleased to offer these training courses free of charge to members and non-members, and anticipates that the sessions will achieve the Association’s objectives of having a nation-wide impact, helping small businesses establish …
Lack of industry stand-downs doesn’t mean safety has been kicked to the curb
It will be a while before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies how successful this year’s national safety stand-down was, but from an overview of wireless construction company participants, it received a weak effort. However, that’s not to say that the wireless industry isn’t concerned about worker safety, especially preventing falls which accounted for 337 of the 874 …
Professionalism of tower climbers emphasized in new NATE safety video
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a Professionalism Video as part of the Association’s Climber Connection campaign. NATE unveiled the video at the 2016 Wireless West Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The video includes a testimonial from a tower climber discussing the characteristics that make up a professional elevated worker in the industry. The video highlights the important role …
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 …
GME Supply’s new Atlanta location showcases its multi-million-dollar expansion
GME Supply Co has announced the opening of its newest facility in a strategic location in Atlanta, Ga. With this multi-million dollar expansion, the company has added an additional 30,000 square feet of stocked warehouse space, all with the aim to better serve its wireless infrastructure customers in the Southeast. The Atlanta facility features the company’s unique “Safety Experience Zone,” where …
