Enroll in our first 4th Edition Instructor Seminar, to be held August 25th in Monroe, and receive $100 off the regular pricing. A great introductory savings for our first group of the season! Seating is limited to 3rd and 4th Edition Instructors.  Please call or email for details!

Instructor Refresher Seminars are one-day support functions offered by ComTrain for in-house instructors to gather together for sharing new ideas, support information and materials which enhance their instructor programs.

INSTRUCTORS' CORNER

"Instructor Refresher Seminars"
For in-house instructors previously certified by ComTrain

Watch the 2008 schedule to see when an Instructor Refresher
Seminar is scheduled, or give us a call with ideas you might have!

Continued training is the responsibility of the employer. Regulations, standards and available equipment are changing at a rapid pace. Therefore, in order to remain current with the times, continued study is required. While striving to update the most current requirements, instructors will come together to exchange new ideas, support and materials to enhance their instructor programs. Instructor Seminars are one-day classes for active in-house instructors.


ComTrain recommends that you attend an Instructor Refresher Seminar within 18 mos. of the date of your original certification. We try to offer this class 3 or 4 times per year.

Here are 3 other items of interest to look at, also:
New Equipment
Shows a few products worth noting.

Teaching Tools
Shows book selections suggested for teaching Tower Climbing Safety & Rescue.

OSHA Cases
Some interesting information from the files of OSHA.


ATTENTION COMTRAIN IN-HOUSE INSTRUCTORS

This is provided only for employers and their in-house instructors currently using ComTrain programs.

In keeping with ComTrain’s commitment to supporting your efforts, the 4th Edition of the ComTrain Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue textbook is published and available. There are a number of issues that the 4th Edition of the program resolves, and a few that will affect your use of the program. Please take the time to read and consider the following information.

With so many different associations, organizations and clients setting their own “tower safety training” standards, the tasks of meeting employer legal obligations and assuring that the correct certification credentials for clients and owners are obtained is greatly complicated. The task of making everyone happy is even more difficult since many now have different objectives and needs. We believe that the structure and the materials incorporated into the 4th Edition of the ComTrain course will effectively provide for your specific needs; however, it will take more consideration by your company.

While the 4th Edition of the program continues to support the basic two-day structure, which has become an international standard, it also allows for a new “Advanced Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue” program. The Advanced course provides “CTC” certification which is now being required by some general contractors and it meets all current tower safety training standards except the NATE “Competent Rescuer” standard.

ComTrain’s in-house instructors will continue to be supported in their delivery of the basic ComTrain certification program. The new text, enhanced audio/videos and revised lecture guide will update and further the efforts of providing for tower riggers' safety and employer compliance with current minimum federal and state regulations.

The requirements for ComTrain instructor certification have become more intensive and include expanded training, prerequisites and limitations.

To become certified as a ComTrain instructor of the 4th Edition, the candidate will be required to be “CTC” (Competent Tower Climber) certified by taking & passing our Advanced Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue course. CTC standards are put out by OSHA. The candidate's employer provides documentation that he/she is a competent climber. A competent climber certification is a clear statement that the candidate has climbed and worked on towers for at least 6 months, and is granted the authority to act upon his/her observations and knowledge on behalf of the employer. This precludes new non-climber hires from CTC certification. ComTrain, however, has addressed this new issue in support functions.

The limitation of ComTrain’s certification is that we cannot, at this time, support any in-house instructor for providing Advanced “CTC” certification. If you have clients or owners requiring CTC certification you can only take advantage of ComTrain support efforts through us, directly.

Those requiring specific “CTC” certification have placed additional demands on this certification that cannot be passed on through a traditional 'train the trainer' program. One of the requirements is a sophisticated and expensive photo identification card that is illogical to try to effectively, or economically, duplicate. The second requirement is that only a recognized training organization can deliver and evaluate the students' training.

ComTrain believes that the new programs and instructor support will continue to provide an economical and effective manner of compliance and protection of your employees.

To understand the “Advanced” certification program you would have to read at least four new published standards for tower climbing safety training and then review the new contractor compliance requirements of at least three major industry general contractors. ComTrain has done this research and our courses meet and/or exceed the demands.

The “Advanced ComTrain Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue” program is a three-day course. The first day, as is tradition, is spent in a classroom. The subjects covered are essentially those incorporated in the third edition program, plus additional RF safety, rigging safety and considerations of heavy equipment, as well as expanded hazard assessment. The Second day is a series of exercises on a tower consisting of rigging for man riding, climbing, maneuvering, installation and use of fabricated anchor points and inspection. The third day is also spent performing live tower exercises including at least two separate rescue techniques and basic knots and rope training.

To become certified in the new “Advanced” course, the student must also provide ComTrain with his or her employer’s certification stating that the candidate is a competent person as defined by OSHA standards.

One final major change is that those companies currently requiring CTC certification will not accept certification from another company. As the employer, you must retrain and/or recertify the climber. This has always been a fact as you learned during your instructor training; the employer must provide or accept the training as meeting his legal obligations and carte blanche acceptance has never been promoted by ComTrain because of different policies, equipment and environments between companies.

This now causes ComTrain to offer different certification programs dependent upon your needs. The 4th Edition of the course will continue to offer the two day “Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue” certification program. In addition, ComTrain now offers the new “Advanced Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue” program and will continue to offer the Certified Instructor program. Initially, ComTrain will continue to schedule all classes concurrently and throughout the United States (internationally by appointment). ComTrain has also set attendance and staffing to assure meeting any student/teacher ratios set by the new standards.

So what do you do with 'newbies'? Instructors can still certify students for two-day TS&R in-house; just be aware that your student certification may be limited in its acceptance. Once your student has received the employer certification of competent climber (by having a minimum of 6 months experience on towers) the student may be enrolled in the ComTrain Advanced Tower Climbing Safety and Rescue course and complete those parts of the training to receive the CTC certification. In other words, a certified student can promote to an “Advanced” certified status.

SPECIAL NOTE: Effective as of Oct. 1, 2007: ComTrain no longer supports 1st or 2nd Edition programs. Regs and laws have significantly changed, rendering 1st & 2nd Editions obsolete.

If you are qualifying to provide contracting to one of those companies now demanding the “CTC” certification, you should upgrade your certification now, and your students'.

Please check the Instructor Corner periodically for any new developements, or additional information, and contact us with any questions or problems you may have. We continue to pledge ourselves to helping you meet your obligations and protect the tower riggers.

Respectfully,

Winton W. Wilcox

President, ComTrain LLC