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Technicians form association for installing satellite internet systems on roofs

Rising demand of Starlink, a satellite internet system by SpaceX, has led to the creation of the Starlink Installers Association, a group consisting of contractors from throughout North America. The association’s goal is to become the go-to resource for those in need of professional Starlink dish installations, according to PCMag.

Arizona satellite dish technician Geo Tech led the creation of the association and said the installers he represents are installing about 4,000 to 5,000 dishes per month in the U.S.

Although SpaceX supplies mounts, adapters and instructions for how to install Starlink on roofs, the company does not offer an official installation service. Additionally, not all customers have the necessary equipment or knowledge to install satellite dishes on their roofs.

The Starlink Installers Association initially started as the Starlink Installers Group on Facebook, allowing consumers in need of custom Starlink installations to connect with professional contractors. The group also has been getting jobs through Starlink Installations USA, a site Geo Tech runs to connect consumers and businesses with installers in their areas.

The Starlink Installers Association will be made up of certified installers from the U.S. and Canada. The current Starlink Installers Group on Facebook has about 7,000 members, but John Whitford, who runs a satellite dish installation service in California, estimates only about 1,000 to 1,500 are experienced installers.

“Part of [the association’s] purpose would be to decrease the system returns that Starlink suffers by marketing as a do-it-yourself project,” says Gord Fry, owner of Muskoka Starlink, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. “An association made up of small independent companies and individual technicians is exactly what Starlink needs to do that.”

The new association would like to partner with SpaceX regarding the effort but has not received an official response from the company.

How to combat the construction industry’s suicide rate

A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows nearly 53 per 100,000 construction workers die by suicide every year, which is about four times greater than the national average and five times greater than all other construction fatalities combined.

According to ConstructioNext, construction professional and speaker Dan Lester says the construction industry has the highest rate of alcohol consumption, as well as opioid addictions and overdoses. Construction workers often do not seek mental health treatment because of shame, stigma fear of judgement by peers and negative job consequences.

Lester shares the following strategies to alleviate mental health issues and help prevent suicide among construction workers.

• Watch and listen. Look for significant shifts in an employee’s behavior if you believe he or she is considering suicide.
• Allow for failure. When people are learning, they must learn with failure and not be terrified of failing.
• Ask questions. For example, you can learn something by asking employees what they would do to fix a specific problem if they were in leadership.
• Explain why. If you reject someone’s idea, explain the reason so he or she feels comfortable sharing more ideas.
• Provide leadership opportunities. Ask for help from lower-status workers so they are included in decision-making.
• Get personal. Learn details and show you care about employees’ families and interests.
• Be kind. Fear breeds negative energy and causes people to burn out quickly.
• Forbid personal attacks. Critiquing someone’s work performance should not include personal attacks.
• Develop “psychological safety” at work. Talk openly about mental health so workers feel comfortable doing so without fear of retaliation.
• Thank workers regularly. Showing appreciation is key to employee morale.
• Send handwritten notes. People love a personal touch, so hand notes of appreciation to workers rather than mailing them.
• Be a visible leader. Be present on the job site. Learn names, find out how employees feel and let them know they are important.

OSHA to hold annual safety stand-down

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s 11th annual National Safety Stand-Down will be held May 6-10 to raise awareness among employers and workers about the hazards of falls in the construction industry.

OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the National Occupational Research Agenda and CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, among other groups, will lead the effort to encourage employers to pause their workdays for topic discussions, demonstrations and training regarding how to recognize hazards and prevent falls.

OSHA also encourages people to use #StandDown4Safety to promote the event on social media, share feedback after their events and obtain personalized certificates of participation. Additional information is available at osha.gov/stop-falls-stand-down.

NRCA has partnered with OSHA, NIOSH and CPWR as a 2024 Premier Partner and will again hold webinars in support of the National Safety Stand-Down.

Three components are crucial to succession planning

A succession plan should benefit the company leaders who are leaving, as well as the next generation who will continue the company’s efforts.

ConstructioNext shares the following three key components a succession plan needs to benefit current and future leaders.

• Ownership succession. Most advisory teams focus their attention on ownership, but it is the easier part of succession planning and should be the final part addressed rather than the first.
• Management succession. Who will oversee estimating? Who will take the lead on contractors? Who will generate new leads and business? Management succession is vital.
• Leadership succession. It is important to identify a single person or small group who will be ready to lead when the time comes, guiding the business strategy and serving the company with its mission and vision at the forefront.

The succession process likely will be ineffective without these components, but time also is important; a successful transition can take 10 years or more, so take time to train and mentor successors and get advice from peers who have been through succession planning.

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