Eligibility & Requirements

NATE encourages all eligible members to take part in this program and show their continued dedication to tower climber safety. Here is a quick look at the requirements of the program.

Eligibility

The NATE STAR Initiative is open to all NATE Principal Contractor, Subsidiary Contractor, Construction, and Affiliate Members.

NATE Member Requirements

Participating NATE members must agree to:

Requisite Levels of Training

Tower related OSHA 10-Hour Training, or its equivalent, is required for all personnel who will be working on a tower site. OSHA 30-Hour Training, or its equivalent, is required for anyone operating in the capacity of a supervisor or competent person on site. All personnel who will be working at heights of six feet or more above the ground must be trained in fall protection that meets or exceeds the NATE Climber /Rescuer Training Standard (NATE CRTS).

Implementation of a Safety and Health Program

All applicants must have a safety and health program in place that meets or exceeds the standard established by the NATE Safety & Health Manual.

Presence of a Competent Person

A competent person for safety and health must be on-site at all times.

Conduct and Submit Site Safety Audits*

The site safety audit form provides a comprehensive checklist to enhance safety in 17 specific areas. The STAR program has been expanded to included site safety documentation categories and questions that reflect the diversity of work that is currently taking place in the industry and captures more job-specific and relevant data. A competent person from the participating company must conduct site safety audits each quarter and submit them to the NATE office via the members.natehome.com or the NATE Mobile App. Audits must be submitted for 10% of a company’s projects, or 6 audits per quarter, whichever is less.

*Affiliate Members are not required to submit site safety audits.

Complete List of Requirements

For a complete list of requirements please refer to the sample application/agreement forms below. These application forms are for reference only. The enrollment period for the NATE STAR Initiative is open annually July 1 – August 31. If you would like to apply, you must do so under the homepage of the Member Services Portal.

STAR Application Sample

NOTE: While STAR stands for Safety, Training, Accountability and Reliability, NATE will not be providing the actual training for your employees. As always, training employees to meet the necessary standards for safety remains the responsibility of their employer. It also should be noted that participating companies must adhere to the applicable requirements found in the Telecommunications and Broadcast Tower Inspection Checklist.

Program Enrollment

The enrollment period for the NATE STAR Initiative is open annually July 1 – August 31. At that time, NATE members who would like to participate in the program are required to complete an application form and submit it to the NATE office.

The applications will then be reviewed, processed and approved by NATE. NATE will send certificates to the approved companies. The STAR Initiative year officially begins on October 1 and runs through September 30.

The first quarterly audits are due from all partnering companies (excluding Affiliate Members) on December 31.

The quarterly audit cycle is:

Quarter Deadline
October 1 – December 31 Audits due December 31
January 1 – March 31 Audits due March 31
April1 – June 30 Audits due June 30
July 1 – September 30 Audits due September 30

Conclusion

The NATE STAR Initiative offers NATE members an opportunity to demonstrate their dedication to a higher level of safety. NATE encourages all eligible members to consider participating in this process. Together we can continue to pursue our most important mutual goal — to ensure that tower climbers go home safely at the end of the day.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact NATE Programs Manager Sandy Jurgens at the NATE office at 605-882-5865 or [email protected].