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 …
CCA and NATE partner to offer key industry tracks at their conferences
The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) and the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today announced a partnership, designed to bring new, exciting content to attendees of both CCA’s 2017 Annual Convention, taking place October 25-27 in Fort Worth, and NATE UNITE 2018, February 19-22 in Nashville. NATE will develop and sponsor a conference track at CCA’s event highlighting infrastructure innovators and opportunities, …
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 …
NATE video stresses how riding the line is safe when using best practices
Riding the line to reach a work station on a tower is thought by some individuals to not be the best safe practice for ascending or descending. However, as identified in the National Association of Tower Erectors’ (NATE) safety video released today – Riding the Line – the procedure is safe and there have been no incidents of injuries or …
NATE goes full bore into the beltway to address industry’s and nation’s priorities
Timed to coincide with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai’s declaration of April 2017 as “Infrastructure Month”, executives of the National Association of Tower Erectors were in Washington, D.C. last week for a series of legislative and regulatory meetings. During the productive week, the NATE delegation, consisting of Chairman Jim Tracy, Board of Directors member John Paul Jones, Executive …
WIN’s Arizona meeting will feature Women of NATE, safety initiatives
The National Association of Tower Erector’s (NATE) Wireless Industry Network (WIN) will be hosting a Southwest Regional Meeting on Wed., May 3, 2017 at the Hilton Phoenix Airport in Phoenix, Ariz. The event will focus on key industry safety initiatives and offer tremendous networking and professional development opportunities for attendees. A feature session will be on Women of NATE (WON), presented …
Wireless Infrastructure Association named national sponsor for TIRAP
The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) announced today that the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) was selected to serve as National Sponsor for the program, and that TIRAP had secured approval for four additional credentialed occupations. TIRAP is a joint venture of telecommunications companies, industry associations and the U.S. Department of Labor that develops DOL-credentialed apprenticeship programs available to qualified …
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 …
Carriers and towercos plan for enforcement of new tower technician certifications
Nationwide NWSA certifications mark historic milestone for the communication tower workforce The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced the official launch of two industry-wide certification programs, Telecommunications Tower Technician 1 (TTT-1) and Telecommunications Tower Technician 2 (TTT-2), and carriers and tower companies have informed Wireless Estimator that they are assessing when they will require full certification compliance of all technicians …
Black & Veatch’s Benjamin Afton appointed to safety alliance’s board of governors
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced today that Benjamin Afton, Safety & Health Manager for the Telecom Business Line with Black & Veatch in Overland Park, Kan., has joined the organization’s Board of Governors. Afton was appointed to fill one of the seats reserved for the Large General Contractor sector of the industry. “The wireless construction industry is …
Tech who hung himself is retrieved by a North Carolina tower crew
UPDATE: December 2, 2016 – According to Kernersville Fire Department Fire Chief Christopher Langham, upon arrival his department’s fire command began preparations to ascend the tower and make the recovery of the victim and they were fully capable of retrieving the tower tech, as incorrectly reported by multiple media. “We make a very strong distinction between a recovery effort and a …
MUTI’s apprenticeship program highlighted during DoL’s spotlight week
Midwest Underground Technology Inc./Sabre Industries (MUTI), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, today announced its continued support for Registered Apprenticeship Programs as part of the second annual National Apprenticeship Week. MUTI said it is proud to offer the first registered apprenticeship for Telecommunication Tower Technicians in the country. Going into its second year, the apprenticeship program has trained …
What you need to know about the new tower safety consensus standards
Subject matter experts Don Doty and Gordon Lyman conducted a live NATE webinar yesterday, entitled Game Changers! What You Need to Know About the New ANSI/ASSE A10.48 and TIA 322 National Tower Safety Consensus Standards. Through a coordinated and collaborative effort led by NATE, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE); along with other key …
New Secretary of Labor for OSHA expected to draw upon talents of current leaders
When the new Secretary of Labor for OSHA is appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2017, it is likely that he will keep and rely upon his key officials that have helped guide the agency throughout the years. One such executive is Dean McKenzie, who was appointed by OSHA Secretary of Labor Dr. …
Alyssa Runner joins Wireless Estimator in key advertising and marketing role
Wireless Estimator is pleased to announce the appointment of Alyssa Runner to the position of Marketing/Advertising Consultant. Alyssa has been crusading the digital marketing arena for more than seven years, specializing in copywriting, lead generation, data-driven strategies and conversion rate optimization. With a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master’s in Public Administration, she focuses her time …
NATE releases safety video on night climbing precautions
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today unveiled a Night Climbing Safety Video as part of the Association’s popular Climber Connection campaign. The video highlights practical safety tips for conducting elevated work at night and includes insightful testimonial footage from a tower climber discussing the extra steps and precautionary measures that must be incorporated at the tower-site when working …
Safety exec Kyle Fulton passes, but his legacy to the industry lives on
Update: September 19, 2016 – Services for Kyle Fulton who passed away Friday will be held on Oct. 1, 2016 at the Irvington Methodist Church, 30 N. Audubon, Indianapolis Ind. with visitation from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and a memorial service from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kyle Fulton, 48, a well-respected and dedicated industry safety executive, passed away …
Drones will put tower techs out of a job within five years! Nonsense!
Commentary – If you believe an executive from drone services provider ETAK Systems, 29,000 tower climbers in America should start training for another avocation – immediately. Safety training companies should shutter their doors. Bye, bye Exofit. OSHA, eighty-six any new regulations. And TIRAP, NWSA and NATE, it’s been nice knowing you. In a news article in RCR Wireless News, ETAK Systems …
Successful 300-foot heat exhaustion rescue performed by tower tech’s co-worker
Update: July 27, 2016 – According to crew leader Harold Finley, the tower tech that was rescued this afternoon, about 2:30 p.m., was 24-year-old tower climber Terry Thompson who had a number of years of experience in the industry. His rescuer was Bernard Holly. In a news report, Finley said, “All the Glory goes to God.” According to the FCC’s database, the …
After a few shots and beers, tower crew invites bar patron to film them during his first climb
Update: July 27, 2016 – The video was removed from YouTube two hours after Wireless Estimator published the story. An edited portion of it is still available here. Commentary – Almost every week, Wireless Estimator receives unsolicited emails condemning social media posts and news outlets showing tower climbers working unsafely or not utilizing proper fall protection gear, wanting us to excoriate the …
