Watertown, SD - Jun 2, 2008 - The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) hosted a brief webcast titled Tailgate Talks to educate NATE members about the importance of job site safety. Don Doty, NATE chairman of the board of directors and presenter, encouraged the association's members to take action and play a lead role in changing the way the industry operates.

During the 15-minute webcast, Doty presented NATE's top five recommendations for crews to discuss during daily tailgate meetings before work begins:

1. Identify potential hazards (weather, environmental hazards, tower corrosion or structural damage, electrical hazards, other hazards unique to the job at hand)
2. Conduct pre-climb check of personal protective equipment
3. 100 percent tie-off is mandatory
4. Lock-out/tag-out procedures, and
5. What to do in an emergency

The daily tailgate meetings should take less than 10 minutes. The tips presented are more for tower climbers and climbing crew supervisors and not so much for site managers directly, but the information presented is a good review for anyone involved with tower climbing.

"Safety isn't something that can be thought of every once in a while, it's a daily commitment," said Doty. "We are taking this opportunity to remind our members that the only acceptable way to do a job is to do it safely. As leaders at their companies, they must reinforce expectations and help avoid mistakes that cost lives."

The webcast is available online at this Webex link.