NECA Safety Round Up

Please join Mike Starner and Wes Wheeler from NECA as they welcome Ron Sokol, Safety Professional to discuss an evergrowing issue we all need to be aware of, the hidden dangers of Over-the-Counter products containing the Kratom Plant derivative 7-OH, a highly addictive substance commonly found in focus factor drinks that you can purchase in gas stations and other retail stores. Ron shares a personal story but it is one that is impactful for all that hear it!

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 of Environmental, Health and Safety at New River Electrical Corp. in Cloverdale, Va.

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 upcoming 2027 edition of NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace and recent changes in NFPA 70B from a recommended practice to now a consensus standard, NECA is involved in many standard development organizations as well as developer of the NECA NEIS Standards that compliment the NEC, the National Electrical Contractors Association is involved where standards and regulations are being developed and updated.

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 a new “warm handoff” crisis plan, and preview Sonya’s four-hour pre-conference workshop at the 2026 NECA Safety Professionals Conference in Atlanta designed to give attendees practical, actionable strategies they can take back to their workforce.

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 supporting lineworkers and contractors in the Northeast and beyond.

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 companies.  Listen to what's new and what is coming in this edition of NECA Safety Round Up Podcast!

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 impacts and now has released those findings for industry to review.  For more information on the research and testing, visit the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings pages on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/virginia-tech-helmet-ratings/posts/?feedView=all 

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings - Construction helmets have been tested to evaluate their ability to reduce concussion and skull fracture risk in severe but survivable falls. https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/construction-helmet-ratings.html

For more information, please reach out to Barry Miller at [email protected]

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, project management, and safety innovation, offering practical strategies and real-world lessons for electrical contractors and utility professionals.

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 Committee. Listeners will get inside stories of major safety milestones, hear how groundbreaking training programs are elevating the entire electrical construction industry, and discover the collaborative energy that’s driving serious injury and fatality numbers down. Don’t miss this insightful, fast-paced episode filled with expert tips, real-world lessons, and a passion for keeping every worker safe on the job!