NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association yesterday announced that a new Climber Rescue Training Standard (CRTS) is available to members and industry stakeholders. The NATE CRTS replaces the current 4th Edition of the NATE Climber Training Standard (CTS) resource and is available in electronic format for free to NATE member companies and for purchase for stakeholders representing non-members.
The NATE CRTS is intended to assist in standardizing fall protection and rescue training for climbers in the tower and communications infrastructure construction, service, and maintenance industries. The new, streamlined CRTS document presents a series of training topics, establishing a minimum baseline of knowledge and skill that a climber should possess.
The NATE CRTS training topics include an evaluation, which is intended to assist an employer in designating personnel initially as authorized climbers/rescuers, and for personnel with sufficient knowledge, skills, and experience, as competent climbers/rescuers. The CRTS also offers guidelines to support an employer’s development and maintenance of its fall protection program to comply with the ANSI/ASSP A10.48 Standard and regulations where work is conducted.
“This new CRTS document instantly becomes the Association’s signature safety resource and provides an invaluable tool in the toolbox to ensure that climbing and rescue training is consistent regardless of who is conducting the training,” said Director of Safety, Health & Compliance Kathy Stieler.
“The development of the NATE CRTS is a by-product of hundreds of hours of sweat equity from some of the industry’s most prominent subject matter experts,” said Board of Directors member John Paul Jones, who presided over the Ad-Hoc Committee that produced the new resource. “I would encourage all NATE member companies and industry stakeholders to obtain a copy of the CRTS today and incorporate the climbing and rescue requirements into their respective training programs,” added Jones.
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