NECA Safety Round Up

Join Mike and Wes as they have a discussion with a safety professional from New River Electric, and NECA Safety Task Force member, Brandon Meade, as he talks about initiatives such as Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry "What If" program and recaps the events at the 2026 NSPC in Atlanta, an event that keeps getting better each and every year.   Brandon Meade is the Director...

Please join Wes Wheeler and his guest this month, Kyle Krueger, NECA Executive Directors of Codes and Standards as we discuss NECA's participation with the National Electrical Code and NFPA in the 125 years NECA has been around.  This relationship and collaboration has been instrumental in ensuring safe electrical installations.  Now with the 2026 edition of the National Electrical Code, the...

The latest NECA Safety Roundup features Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler with special guest Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), for a timely conversation on mental health, suicide prevention, and building a culture of care in construction. They spotlight CIASP tools like construction-focused toolbox talks, a safe messaging guide, and...

NECA’s Wes Wheeler and Mike Starner sit down with Dan Pollock, Director of Safety and Operations for the NE Line Chapter, to talk chapter-level safety leadership, simplifying protective grounding and EPZ concepts, and why “safety is not a secret” when mentoring the next generation of linemen.  They also explore human performance, “failing safely,” and new mental health initiatives aimed at support...

NECA’s latest Safety Roundup podcast with Wes Wheeler and Mike Starner looks back at a busy 2025 and sets the stage for major safety, mental health, and industry initiatives in 2026, with a strong emphasis on leadership, collaboration, and innovation across the electrical construction industry.

In this episode of NECA Safety Round Up, Mike and Wes speak with Dave Carl, the developer of the original Safety Meeting App! In 2014, Safety Meeting App released a NECA Branded version available to all NECA Members and now almost 12 years later, it is still going strong and continues to add new features and functionality to better assist our NECA Safety Professionals in managing safety for their...

In this edition of the NECA Safety Round Up Podcast, Wes Wheeler discusses the research and new technologies around the new construction helmets available today with Barry Miller, PhD., MBA, Director of Outreach and Business Development, Virgina Tech Helmet Lab. By researching the various manufacturers in the market today, they developed tests to see how each brand responded to various helmet impa...

The latest NECA Safety Roundup podcast, hosted by NECA’s Executive Director of Safety Wes Wheeler and Executive Director of Outside Line Safety Mike Starner, features special guest Doug Fletcher—an accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience in energy and industrial construction. Doug, currently EVP and COO at Allegiant Group Holdings, LLC, shares his insights on workforce leadership,...

The latest NECA Safety Roundup podcast delivers an inspiring and action-packed conversation as NECA’s Safety Team, Wes Wheeler and Mike Starner, sit down with industry powerhouse Heidi Meyer-Bremer, Director of HSE at Michels Corporation. This episode dives into Heidi’s dynamic career path, her influential safety leadership, and her critical role as Chair of the ET&D Partnership Steering Commi...

In this month's NECA Safety Round Up Podcast, Mike and Wes are joined by NECA's very own, Katie McCormick, Executive Director of Meetings and Events to discuss this year's NECA Show in Chicago.  With so many safety offerings, the Safety Roundtable, education on NEC and upcoming changes, and the addition of a new outside line village on the show floor dedicated to construction and ut...

Gabriel Atencio, CHST, CSP, STSC, a longtime ASSP member and current Chair of the ASSP Construction Specialty Practice, joins Mike and Wesley to discuss member involvement in safety organizations and the benefits of networking within these communities. As an EH&S Solutions Leader, he has been involved with providing guidance to many employers and safety personnel in our industry.  In addition,...

Join Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler on the NECA Safety Roundup Podcast as they discuss summer heat stress management with Dylon Koch from Working Athlete. Learn practical strategies for recognizing heat stress, proper hydration practices, and preventing heat-related workplace incidents. Stay informed to keep your teams safe and healthy this summer!

Get ready for an action‑packed episode as Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler dive into NECA’s latest safety highlights—from rallying behind Work Zone Awareness Week and Construction Safety Week to Wes’s upcoming mission in Boston for NECA Boston Safety Day. We’ll gear up for the NECA Safety Professionals Conference and give you a sneak peek at our fall lineup, including The Utility Expo and the NECA Con...

In our latest NECA Safety Roundup Podcast, Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler explore the Veterans Electrical Entry Program (VEEP), an initiative that connects veterans to the electrical industry. Guests Jason Iannelli and Donnie Farmer share insights on how VEEP leverages military experience through intensive training, mentorship, and strong industry partnerships, empowering veterans to transition smoo...

Please join Mike and Wes as they welcome NECA representatives for the NFPA 70E Technical Committee, Jason Wolfe and Bradley Caudwell.  They will discuss the recent proposed changes and updates from the 70E first draft meetings held last year and talk about the upcoming second draft meeting to be held over the summer. The first draft report for the next NFPA 70E is now available at www.nfpa.org/70E...

In the latest episode of the NECA Safety Roundup Podcast , hosts Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler are joined by George Arhos (IBEW) and Virgil Melton (Electrical Training Alliance) to discuss the growing demand for qualified medium-voltage cable splicers. Learn how advanced training programs and certifications like the NCSCB are raising the bar for safety, quality, and reliability in the electrical in...

"Please join NECA, and member company Alterman Electric as their Spanish safety professionals discuss Mental Health in the Spanish Community and Workforce. It is an important topic that affects everyone in Construction.  Please share this message with all workers who may speak Spanish as a primary language.  And Remember, "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," Reach out and call 988 if yo...

Join Wes and Mike as they invite Scott Margolin, an industry expert on Arc Flash Garments and protection for workers around electrical hazards. Scott was a featured Keynote for the NECA Safety Professionals Conference, NSPC, in 2016 and works with many others in the testing and development of Arc Rated Garments and has recently worked closely with OSHA through the organization "Partnership fo...

Please join Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler for this episode of the NECA Safety Round Up. Recorded at the 2024 NECA Show in San Diego, they discuss preparing for safety at the show, the NECA Safety Roundtable Discussion and many of the topics that were presented by NECA Safety.  There were also discussions about the NECA Safety Professionals Conference as well as the NECA Safety Professionals Institu...

 "What's Your Plan, for and after retirement." Listen to real-world preparations for starting retirement. No, not the financial plan, your activity plan.  We all know that staying active is key to staying healthy and engaged. Craig's advice is for everyone, from those entering the trade to those entering retirement as we speak.

Join Wes Wheeler and Tom Domitrovitch as they have a candid conversation on NEMA, NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety innovations and industry trends. This was featured during Arc Week Presentations but presented here to ensure all NECA Safety Round Up viewers and listeners have an opportunity to hear this important message.

Please join NECA and one of our member company’s safety professionals discussing the dangers of heat for our Spanish speaking workers in the construction industry.  Heat affects everyone and we anted to provide a specific message to this community, in their own language, on the symptoms, precautions and details in understanding OSHA’s new proposed rulemaking on Heat Regulations. Jon Atteberry, VP...

Neil Tolson, Executive Director of the Electrical Industry Certifications Association (EICA) sits down with Mike and Wes to discuss how his organization is tackling unique challenges faced by the electrical industry. Cranes are a critically important tool in electrical construction but requirements around competency, qualifications, and certifications can be a lot to understand. Neil lays out what...

Join Mike Starner and Wesley Wheeler as they welcome Mike Gillette from NFPA to join them in this month’s Safety Round up Podcast.  The relationship that NECA has with NFPA is very important.  NECA participates on Technical Committees for many NFPA Standards including NFPA 70 – The National Electrical Code, NFPA 70E The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace and NFPA 70B – The Standard fo...

Please join us for this month's episode of the NECA Safety Round Up where we welcome Stephanie Adamec, NECA Executive Director of Education, and Emily Huesman, Associate Director for Education Development for NECA as we kick off the registration of the 2025 NECA Safety Professionals Institute, a one of a kind, educational program for up and coming safety professionals to learn how to manage d...