Jan-Feb-2015-TT-for-Website
Jan-Feb-2015-TT-for-Website
Jan-Feb-2015-TT-for-Website
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OSHA Relations Committee<br />
JOHN E. MATIAS<br />
Safety First, Safety Always…<br />
Commitment is Not Optional<br />
As a safety consultant <strong>for</strong> over 10 years be<strong>for</strong>e<br />
coming to the tower industry, I have had the opportunity<br />
to see a variety of different construction<br />
trades including, steel erectors, plumbers, heavy<br />
utility workers, HVAC technicians, and electricians.<br />
Working so closely with many different specialties has<br />
allowed me to see firsthand, both the unique differences<br />
in each trade as well as the common challenges<br />
that, regardless of the profession, each worker faced.<br />
I valued every chance I had to be introduced to a new<br />
line of work as it gave me an opportunity to gain knowledge<br />
from experienced construction professionals who<br />
made me better in carrying out my responsibilities to<br />
educate, safeguard, and influence those construction<br />
workers to do their jobs safer. Now having spent an<br />
additional seven years in the tower and telecom world I<br />
can look back and feel the same appreciation <strong>for</strong> being<br />
introduced into yet another unique industry. And I still<br />
carry the weight of the responsibility to help our work<strong>for</strong>ce<br />
be just a little bit safer.<br />
One common thread that I witnessed and observed<br />
through these years in safety and through many investigations<br />
of both serious and fatal incidents is the danger<br />
of complacency. Despite years of safe experience, training,<br />
use of personal protective equipment, and practice;<br />
a fatal incident can still occur if we let ourselves and our<br />
workers become complacent when it comes to safety.<br />
Those who climb know all too well that having confidence<br />
is key while working at heights. However, when<br />
that confidence outweighs the reality of the actual dangers<br />
of working at heights we invite disaster. A complacent<br />
worker will be prone to <strong>for</strong>get to double check that<br />
tie-off point, skip a safety meeting, inspect their rigging,<br />
or even knowingly disregard 100% fall protection.<br />
Together, as owners, vendors, managers, climbers<br />
and safety professionals in an unarguably high hazard<br />
industry, we cannot allow ourselves to become<br />
Chairman/Board Oversight<br />
John Paul Jones<br />
Tower & Turbine Technologies LLC<br />
Committee Members<br />
Gordon Lyman<br />
Safety LMSystems LLC<br />
Pat Cipov<br />
Cipov Enterprises, Inc.<br />
Jim W. Coleman<br />
AT&T<br />
Kevin Dougherty<br />
MILLENNIA CONTRACTING, INC.<br />
Don Doty<br />
Velocitel, Inc.<br />
Sean Cooper<br />
Odyssey Tower Professionals LLC<br />
Loui McCurley<br />
Pigeon Mountain Industries, Inc.<br />
Rashad Hutchins<br />
SiteMaster, Inc.<br />
Subcommittee Members<br />
John E. Matias<br />
Goodman Networks, Inc.<br />
Jocko Vermillion<br />
Safety Controls<br />
Technology<br />
Miles Mellor<br />
Cooper's Tower and<br />
Manufacturing, Inc.<br />
Jeffrey Ellis<br />
GlenMartin ®<br />
Kathryn Stieler<br />
Electronics Research, Inc.<br />
Ed Dennis<br />
Pinpoint Towers<br />
Corie Fontenot<br />
TowerMRL, Inc.<br />
Jason “Jase” Farris<br />
Velex<br />
Ben Little<br />
Centerline Solutions, LLC<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 46<br />
John E. Matias is a member of the NATE OSHA Relations Committee and is the Director of Environmental, Health and Safety<br />
at Goodman Networks, Inc. in Plano, Texas. He can be reached at 972-421-5210 or jmatias@goodmannetworks.com.<br />
■<br />
JANUARY FEBRUARY <strong>2015</strong> TOWER TIMES 45
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