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Welcome to the National Association of Tower Erectors website!
Please click here to view a short video presentation about NATE |
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SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS
MAKE YOUR PLANS TODAY FOR NATE 2011!
To the left of this column you may click on the NATE 2011 logo to complete the Sponsor and Exhibitor contract for the 16th Annual Conference and Exposition to be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, February 21 - 24, 2011.
The Exhibit Hall Map below will assist you in choosing your desired booth space.
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Watch for the
Winning Photo from the Contest on the cover September 2010 Tower Times!
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NATE Webcast Facilitates Owner & Operator
Involvement in Tower Safety
Recognizing Hazards Saves Lives, Time and Money
Webcast Sponsored by:
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On Wednesday, June 2, 2010, NATE hosted a live industry-wide Webcast that discussed the role of tower owners and operators in tower safety. This event, sponsored by Zurich Financial Services Group, was lead by Don Doty, former NATE Chairman and Board Member and Co-Founder of Doty-Moore Tower Services LLC and David Sams, Director of Risk Management for SBA Network Services, Inc.
Doty and Sams discussed the role and importance of on-site managers in recognizing potential hazards on tower sites and demonstrated NATE’s new Tower Site Hazard Recognition Guide, the Association’s first educational resource designed to educate all facets of the industry on tower safety. The presentation provided a sampling of the best practices provided in the online guide including: jobsite documentation, personal protective equipment, fall protection equipment, training, hoists, and more. This session emphasized NATE’s position that a culture of safety requires involvement from everyone connected to a tower site – owners, operators, general contractors and tower erectors.
Below is a download of the recent webcast for the NATE home page. This can be accessed at the following link and information:
Link: NATE Webcast of June 2, 2010
The link will download to your computer and will play on Windows Media Player.
Please click on the link below to view a power point of the The Webcast.
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Questions and Answers from the Webcast
Q) Does Zurich offer tower insurance?
A) Yes, please specify owners or contractors insurance.
Zurich Financial Services Group is an insurance-based financial services provider that offers owner and contractor insurance options. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland serving customers in more than 170 countries.
Zurich's unique construction industry insight, innovative insurance solutions and superior service capabilities helps our customers save lives, reduce their total cost of risk and become better contractors.
Q) Is there a source for sample forms for the site briefings, checklists, etc?
A) Yes, NATE has many of these forms available to NATE Members on our Members Only page, such as the Site Safety Audit Form.
Forms available to non-members include:
Qualified Contractors Evaluation Checklist and the Tower Owner Safety Checklist
Q) Who has the right to shut down a project when a safety issue has been identified?
A) It is industry best practice to allow any person on the work crew, the tower owner or the tower owner’s representative that recognizes a hazard to stop work until the hazard has been corrected or mitigated.
NATE recommends that a competent person should be identified to lead safety on a site. OSHA defines a competent person in 29 CFR 1926.32(f) as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.” The Competent Person must be identified before work begins.
The definition has two distinct parts: the first — “capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees” — comprises a fairly loose standard that many persons might consider themselves qualified to meet. Common sense would dictate that the competent person must have the knowledge, intelligence, and wherewithal to recognize and identify situations and conditions that put workers at risk. Such competence should also include the ability to predict a hazardous situation. Common sense considerations are necessary but not sufficient to meet OSHA criteria.
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NATE 2010 Photos Available!
The photographer from Disney has set up a link to view and purchase any image he took during the NATE 2010 show. Click on the following link to see the great photos!
NATE 2010 Photos
The username is: NATE 2010
The password is: 1971
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NATE Launches First-of-its-Kind Hazard Recognition Guide
SBA Communications collaborated with NATE to create a hazard recognition program aimed at carriers, broadcasters and tower owners.
NATE has launched the first-of-its-kind Tower Site Hazard Recognition Guide to continue to improve safety on broadcast and communications tower sites. This program provides guidance to project managers, site superintendents and any other responsible personnel on a tower site, to recognize hazardous situations.
NATE, the unified voice for the tower erection, service and maintenance industry teamed with a cellular carrier to develop the content for the Guide.
The Guide is designed to empower on-site employees of tower owners, carriers, broadcasters and general contractors to recognize hazards on broadcast and communications tower sites and take steps to alleviate those situations quickly and effectively. The Hazard Recognition Guide also provides personnel with additional resources such as OSHA guidelines where further information about specific topics can be gathered.
As part of its mission to increase safety on all broadcast and communications tower sites, NATE is offering the Guide free to anyone in the industry, not just NATE members. To begin the NATE Tower Site Hazard Recognition Guide, please click on the image below.
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To become a member of NATE, fill out the online application form by clicking on the following link.
NATE Online Membership Application Form
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Click on the logo below to view the complete Membership Brochure
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April 12, 2010
A Letter from the NATE Chairman
Continuing to Build a Culture of Safety
Dear NATE Member,
At the beginning of this month, NATE entered its 16th year of being the unified voice of the tower erection, service and maintenance industry. As another busy construction season is getting underway it is essential that each NATE member take the time to ensure we are all part of the process of creating a culture of safety. Together, we can send tower climbers home safely at the end of the day.
As members of the Association, we are all bound to honor NATE’s mission of developing best practices and then adhering to them. We should all ask ourselves if we are doing our part in this process.
For starters, are your crews starting each day with a tailgate safety meeting? This is essential to keeping safety top of mind and ensuring that our employees have established and implemented the necessary safety practices and procedures before every project begins. Review and highlight potential hazards associated with today’s tasks.
Encourage your employees to utilize NATE’s many safety resources, including the Association’s new free online Tower Site Hazard Recognition Guide located at www.natehome.com. Take advantage of the vast, cumulative knowledge available to you through the best practices NATE has established for safety.
We all know that proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is our first line of defense and the most effective safety measure that can be employed universally by anyone climbing a tower. Most accidents have proven not to be the result of faulty equipment, but rather caused by human error involving the improper use or lack of safety equipment, the lack of proper training and preparation, poor communication, taking shortcuts, working in unsafe conditions or plain old carelessness. Remain vigilant and take the necessary measures to ensure safety. These practices will stop accidents and when done properly will also raise employee morale.
You or your designated competent person must perform daily equipment inspections. Immediately remove from service any worn, damaged or improperly functioning equipment. Conduct audits of the company’s safety practices on a regular basis to ensure employees are putting their training into practice. Mandate 100% fall protection at all times, regardless of the height of the job.
Creating a culture of safety is a continuous process, requiring daily dedication and implementation. Increased safety awareness will save lives, reduce injuries and improve your bottom line. Do not be pushed to complete a job faster than safe performance allows. Rushing to solve a problem at the expense of safety will cost you in the long run.
Take time today to talk to your foreman, safety directors and employees about safety. Emphasize that safety not only comes first, it is a requirement of working for your company. Make certain that everyone has the proper training and equipment. Remind everyone that their lives and the lives of their fellow workers depend on the decisions they make. Lead by example to reduce injuries and loss of life. Together, we can do this. Remember, when it comes to safety, It’s Up To You!
Be Safe,
Jim Coleman
NATE Chairman
November 25, 2009
URGENT – AVOID UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS TO COMPLETE WORK
Who is responsible for safety? EVERYONE! By now we all know the obvious answer to this question. Tower service providers, carriers, vertical realtors, broadcasters, and general contractors are all responsible for safety.
Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly apparent that tower service providers are being forced to assume responsibility for safety while being pushed to meet unrealistic deadlines regardless of the potential risks. Despite all of the aforementioned participants in the industry insisting they are dedicated to tower climber safety, demands are again being made to push crews to complete work, even if the pace requires a blind eye be turned to safety. At some point, this mode of operation will lead to tragedy. If you are involved in this industry, you know this to be true.
Words like “disappointment” over such actions are far too gentle. Placing someone’s life at risk to complete a project on time is at the root of some accidents and can no longer be tolerated. Sadly, this type of pressure has been effective in the past and has led to some service providers placing their employees in harm’s way to keep a job.
We all need to step up to stop this practice. According to Cameron Speck, winner of the National Safety Council Distinguished Service to Safety Award said, “Asking us to overlook a simple safety hazard would be like asking us to compromise our entire attitude towards the value of your life”. Unrealistic deadlines must never be an excuse for such behavior. Any time-saving “shortcut”, which bypasses safety, is unacceptable. As NATE members, this is where we need to make our stand. Trust me, the money involved will never be worth knowing that you could have prevented an on-the-job accident.
The holiday season and the end of the year always seem to result in the imposition of unrealistic deadlines. They pose great potential for accidents for our employees. We must be diligent in enforcing safety practices and policies. Please take the needed steps to ensure that each of your employees understand that their safety must come first in all aspects of their job, and advise your customers that you will not endanger your crew for any reason, including being pressured to meet unrealistic deadlines.
Until next time – stay safe!
Jim Coleman
NATE Chairman
September 16, 2009
National Association of Tower Erectors Hosts Webcast to Address Multi-Employer Worksite Liability Issues
click here to be redirected to the webcast page
OSHA features NATE in Partnership Success Stories
To view the complete article click on the following link:
OSHA Featured Article
NATE/OSHA Partners Improve Safety by 40%
NATE Recommends All Contractors Adopt NATE/OSHA Requirements
WATERTOWN, SD – August 12, 2009 – A recent NATE/OSHA Partnership study indicates a 40% decrease in the year-over-year accident incidence rates for participants. Further, the study shared statistics regarding the enhanced safety initiatives implemented by the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and Partner companies, including: developing and actively engaging in industry-specific training and voluntary tower-site audits. The Partnership’s efforts to enhance safety awareness at all levels of the communications tower industry have achieved great success.
The NATE/OSHA Partnership is a voluntary safety initiative developed jointly by NATE and OSHA. Participants must agree to extensive training, implementation of best work practices and safety and health management systems, and compliance with OSHA standards and regulations.
“The NATE/OSHA Partnership is composed of companies who are dedicated to a higher-level of safety,” said Patrick Howey, NATE executive director. “Given these results, it seems clear that it is in the best interest of tower owner and operator companies to hire NATE/OSHA Partners. We strongly encourage more NATE member companies to join the Partnership, increasing the pool of qualified contractors and protecting the lives of crews.”
The 89 NATE/OSHA Strategic Partnership companies, which employ nearly 4,000 individuals, four times the number covered during the first year of the Partnership (2007), are seen as the elite within the tower industry. A record 127 tower industry companies applied for membership in 2009. Inductees will be announced this fall.
Highlights from the 2008 NATE/OSHA Partnership include:
• Total case incidence rate (TCIR) for participants decreased 40% from last year.
• Days away restricted transfer (DART) rate for participants decreased 37% from the previous year.
• The two-year average TCIR for participants was 14% below the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) average for the tower erection industry.
• Over 1,300 self-inspections were conducted during this evaluation period, resulting in 350 hazards being identified and avoided.
• NATE and OSHA developed industry-specific training courses and offered almost 50,000 hours of training (more than twice that of the first year), with 1,040 employees participating in the OSHA 10-hour course and 448 employees participating in the OSHA 30-hour course.
NATE, OSHA and Partner companies continue to work to promote safe practices in the communication tower industry and remain optimistic that the data in subsequent reports will reflect that the NATE/OSHA Partnership has contributed to the creation of a culture of safety for the communication tower industry.
NATE and NATE Member Companies Featured in
US Developers Journal
NATE and NATE member companies, Green Mountain Communications, JBL Electric, Amchel Communications and JFC Construction, were recently featured in the US Developers Journal. The articles may be found by opening the following link. Featured Articles
If you would like to have your company recognized, please fill out the Case Study form located on the following link. NATE Case Study Application
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NATE Webinars
All NATE Webinars have been placed on a separate page on this website. Please follow the link to be redirected.
NATE Webinar page
To view the “It’s Up To You” Public Service Announcement, please click on this link
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NATE Safety Campaign
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Safety Posters
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The above poster is part of NATE’s ongoing safety campaign. We encourage everyone to download the poster, print it, and use it as a reminder to your employees to make safety their top priority.
For this and other posters please go to the Safety and Educational section or use this link Safety Posters.
If you are having problems downloading the posters, you may need to install the latest version of Adobe Reader. You may download Adobe Reader from their website. www.adobe.com
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NATE Case Study
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Submit your company as a NATE case study example by clicking here!
NATE Case Study Application
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For information on the NATE/OSHA National Partnership program, click on the logo below.
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NATE's History
Founded on March 31, 1995 the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) is a non-profit trade association which provides members with uniform safety standards, improved communications, and a unified voice to help shape the future of the tower industry. NATE does not allow for price or territorial collusion among its members.
Over 60 companies representing all facets of the tower industry were present at the first gathering in Dallas, Texas. Today the association boasts over 600 member companies located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica, Philippines, Saudi Aradia, Singapore, Sweden, Trinidad and Cayman Islands, and continues to grow.
NATE is also leading the way with loss control for the tower construction industry. Active in all facets of the trade, NATE has become recognized as the leader in telecommunications and broadcast construction procedures and practices.
This website contains a large number of documents in both text and image based Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). In order to access PDF files on this website, you must have the Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. This software is available free of charge from Adobe Software.
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NATE is providing its members with an opportunity to help define the history of the tower erection, service and maintenance industry.
To do this, the Association encourages members to compile and submit personal anecdotes; articles; or changes you have seen over the past decades. What knowledge of this remarkable industry do you have to pass along to future generations of tower hands?
Stories, articles, photos and video that help capture the early days of this amazing profession and way of life will help define this story. And who knows that history better than NATE members?
NATE encourages you to contribute to the telling of this story.
NATE will attempt to return items, but cannot guarantee their safe return, so members are strongly encouraged to send copies that NATE can keep. Also, please include as many details as you can to describe your submission and any stories that may accompany the items to help us relate its historical significance.
Please use the form below when submitting your tower history items. You may fill the form out electronically and email it to jamie@natehome.com or print it out and send a hard copy to the NATE office at 8 Second Street SE, Watertown, SD 57201.
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