Eligibility & Requirements

The NATE Safety, Training, Accountability and Reliability (STAR) Initiative holds its annual open enrollment period beginning each year in July. The NATE STAR Initiative is an exclusive program designed for members that would like to demonstrate a greater commitment to safety practices while recognizing industry best practices in safety and professionalism.

The enrollment period for the NATE STAR Initiative program is open July 1 through August 31 each year. Applications are made available on the NATE Member Portal. NATE members interested in participating in this outstanding program, as well as all current STAR participants, must complete an application form and submit it to the NATE office prior to the annual August 31 deadline.

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 members will be deemed eligible for participation in this program by the responses received on the application/agreement form and the signature of your company’s chief officer. This free program is designed to recognize those companies who are dedicated to a higher level of safety. Therefore, adherence with the established criteria is necessary to participate and to remain in the program.

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 on a tower or similar structure must be trained in fall protection that meets or exceeds the NATE Climber/Rescuer Training Standard (NATE CRTS).

Implementation of a Safety & Health Program

All applicants must have a written safety and health program consistent with existing standards applicable to the scope of work.

Presence of a Competent Person

A competent person for safety and health must be on-site at all times, during on-site activity. (Affiliate and Construction Members are exempt from this requirement unless they are working on-site).

Conduct and Submit Site Safety Audits*

The Site Safety Audit form provides a comprehensive checklist to enhance safety in seventeen specific areas. A competent person from the participating company must conduct site safety audits each quarter and submit them to the NATE office via the NATE website at 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 encouraged to submit Site Safety Observations utilizing the STAR Audit documentation).

Complete List of Requirements

For a complete list of requirements please refer to the application/agreement form online at members.natehome.com.

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 NATE Member 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. 

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

NATE Mobile App

Program participants can once again submit audits from the field utilizing the NATE Mobile App. This, all-inclusive NATE Mobile App allows our members to access safety materials, member benefits, event information, and submit STAR Audits, just to name a few. The NATE Mobile App significantly enhances the participant experience and provides a convenient means of submitting Site Safety Audit documentation in real-time directly from the field via smart phone, tablet, or another mobile device. The NATE Mobile App is available as a free download in both iOS (Apple) and Android platforms or by scanning the QR Code.

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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].