Washington, D.C. , September 10, 2015 –Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) board chairman Scott Kisting today urged members of the wireless infrastructure industry to watch a newly produced video aimed at strengthening workplace safety, enhancing workplace quality, and improving worker health and safety training.

Devised by TIRAP and produced by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the video is the first of a planned series devoted to reducing accidents on the job and making wireless infrastructure a more attractive career option for American workers. Thousands of highly skilled, high wage jobs are currently available in the industry, which has to grow exponentially to meet consumer demand for wireless data.

“If we improve communications and create a better understanding of workplace quality and safety, accidents will go down and interest in wireless infrastructure careers will go up,” said TIRAP chairman Kisting, who serves as Senior Vice President for Risk & Compliance at Midwest Underground Technology, Inc.

The video was moderated by Jim Maddux, the Director of Construction Safety for the Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and featured panelists Paul Roberts, Vice President of Compliance, American Tower Corporation, John Erichsen, Structural Engineer and Chairman TIA/TR 14 Committee, and Kisting.

“OSHA safety standards for our industry are strict – and they should be. This video explains the rationale behind those standards – and how employers can get the help they need to implement leading-edge safety and health programs to strengthen worker protections,” Kisting said.

The video emphasizes the need for industry executives, engineers, and contractors to ask the tough questions and not be afraid to intervene when necessary. It also urges workers to stop when concerned about safety conditions – and not continue until those conditions have been improved.

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The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (“TIRAP”) is a joint venture of telecommunications companies, industry associations and the U.S. Department of Labor (“DoL”) that develops DoL-credentialed apprenticeship programs available to qualified employers for the training and career development of the telecommunications workforce. The TIRAP’s mission is to partner with stakeholders to promote safety, enhance quality, and enable education and advancement opportunities in the telecommunications workforce that will meet network infrastructure build out needs.