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Upcoming Safety Events & Trainings!

6/11/2025

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Drug & Alcohol Employee/Supervisor Training Webinar

Click here to Register now for our Drug & Alcohol Employee/Supervisor Training Webinar on Tuesday, July 15th, 2025.

The webinar will address the following:
  • The effects of drugs and alcohol on the body
  • Recognize the signs, symptoms, and indicators of substance abuse at the workplace
  • Comply with federal DOT regulations requiring 2-hour reasonable suspicion training for supervisors
  • 60 minutes will be spent on symptoms of alcohol abuse
  • 60 minutes will be spent on symptoms of drug/controlled substance abuse

***Certificate of Completion will be emailed to registrants upon confirmation of participant's full attendance in webinar***

Questions? Contact Joedy Dennis at [email protected] or 515-681-7961.

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NFPA 70B 2023 Workshop​

Safety is dependent on properly maintained overcurrent protective devices and electrical equipment. Improperly maintained equipment has a higher chance of failure, increasing incident energy, which could increase the risk of injury or death to workers. This is where NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, applies. With the 2023 update, NFPA 70B became a recognized standard instead of a recommended practice, meaning it is now enforceable.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) defines NFPA 70B as a standard that describes preventive maintenance procedures for electrical, electronic, and communication systems and equipment -- such as those used in industrial plants, institutional and commercial buildings, and large multi-family residential complexes -- to prevent equipment failures and worker injuries.

This workshop will cover the 5 main elements of NFPA 70B:
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Equipment condition assessment
  • Electrical maintenance programs
  • Preventive maintenance procedures
  • System study intervals

If you are an electrical supervisor, foreman, safety and health personnel, electrical maintenance personnel, or responsible for maintaining equipment maintenance documentation, then you should attend this workshop.

Remember: License does not equal qualified

Registration is open and limited. CLICK HERE to see the full workshop brochure and secure your spot!

Questions? Message Margret Meade at [email protected] or call 515.210.6617

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Re-Certification Mobile Crane Operator – Telescoping Boom July 22nd – July 24th, 2025

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities will be holding mobile crane re-certification and examination classes for mobile crane operators. OSHA’s updated crane standard REQUIRES that operators of lifting equipment be trained, evaluated, and tested in order to obtain re-certification.

Re-certification is required every 5 years. In order to re-certify you must retake and pass both the practical examination and the computerized test with an 80% score for each. There is no grace period after your certification expires.

The Re-Certification class is July 22, 2025-July 24, 2025, and is open for registration
. 
​Register NOW by clicking HERE!


Examination retakes are $100 and may be taken during any scheduled exam date.

Additional Notes:
· There is a maximum of 10 participants per class session
· Lunch will be provided Monday through Thursday (for full NCCER Certification course)
· All participants will attend classroom days. Exams will take place on the Wednesday of each class session. Depending on the number of participants, Wednesday evening and Friday may also be used for practical exams
· Each participant will need to bring their PPE for the practical exam: High Viz clothing, hardhat, safety glasses, gloves, safety shoes, and long pants

Questions? If you have any questions in regards to the classes, or requirements, please contact: Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Outreach Coordinator (
[email protected]) Phone: 515.210.6617

Certified Mobile Crane Operator – Telescoping Boom August 25th – August 29th, 2025

Crane operators will know and implement the rules and regulations set forth by ASME B30.5 and will safely apply those standards in daily operations. Operators will read, know, and apply all information provided in the manufacturer’s operator manual and will be able to interpret load charts, load testing, LMIs, and any safety instrumentation of each crane. Crane operators will know machine conditions, operational limitations, and load limitations for situations in which the operator may be involved. The operators will conduct all hoisting operations in a safe manner. Operators will be able to effectively communicate with riggers, signal persons, and other site personnel involved with hoisting operations.
The content and titles of NCCER’s mobile crane operator assessments are dependent upon each crane’s boom types while the content and titles of the practical examinations are grouped by the mount, or carriage, that is used with each crane.

​Applicants who successfully complete both the knowledge and skills evaluations will be granted “certified mobile crane operator” status for a period of five years from issuance of certification.
Certified crane operators must continue to meet ASME B30 physical requirements throughout their certification period and attest to their agreement to this requirement in their applications.
OSHA requires employers to use qualified riggers during hoisting activities for assembly and disassembly work, when workers are within the fall zone and hooking, unhooking or guiding a load or doing the initial connection of a load to a component or structure.

The level of certification depends upon the individual’s training, knowledge, skill base, and ability to perform functions related to the selection, inspection, and proper use of rigging equipment. This person may be a pipe-fitter, an electrician or steelworker. Each load, pick, crane or job-site may require rigging that varies from simple to complex. Each is unique. The person designated as the rigger must have the ability to properly rig the load for a particular job. Many construction companies require certified riggers be used to attach the load to a crane hook. We offer three levels of Rigger certification to help you reach that next step in your profession.
​
Click here to register now

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Electric Utility System Operation Short Course

6/11/2025

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This course covers generation, transmission, and distribution in the same amount of detail, covering distribution down to the 120/240 residential connections. This class details how all key pieces of equipment are built, how the equipment operates, and how the equipment functions in the overall operations of a utility system. It integrates equipment construction and operations in describing a utility. It is structured to provide employees with the same technical understanding that engineers receive, but this understanding is provided without the complex mathematics that engineers learn.

For further details about the course please visit:
https://www.utilitytraining.net/electric-utilitysystem-
operations-courses

​
REGISTER HERE
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Upcoming Gas Utility Workshops & Trainings!

6/9/2025

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Gas Main Installation & Repair Workshop

For the safety and security of your customers as well as for the future expansion of your gas utility, it is essential that your personnel are properly trained in the installation and repair of natural gas distribution mains.  There are many key elements to the installation and repair of natural gas distribution mains, and this workshop is designed to cover all of them in detail.  During this workshop, participants will receive classroom training covering procedures from the IAMU Written Procedures Manual as well as live, hands-on training, where participants will install a new section of main as well make a repair on a previously damaged main out on the IAMU Training Field.

If a participant would like to receive Operator Qualification on tasks being covered, an email notification must be sent to Nick Vandegriff at [email protected] in advance of the workshop and the participant must complete the written exam portion of the qualification prior to the workshop.  OQ tasks being covered during this workshop include the following.
  • Pipe Joining Procedures (Electrofusion or Stab Fittings)
  • Damage Prevention During Excavation Activities by or on Behalf of the Operator
  • Backfilling
  • Visually Inspect Pipe and Components Prior to Installation
  • Installation of Plastic Pipe in a Ditch
  • Install Tracer Wire
  • Visual Inspection of Buried Pipe and Components When Exposed
  • Tapping a Pipeline (Tap Diameter 2” and Less)
  • Pressure Test – Nonliquid Medium (MAOP less than 100 psi)
  • Leak Test at Operating Pressure
  • Purge – Flammable or Inert Gas
  • Squeeze Off Plastic Pipe
  • Prevent Accidental Ignition
  • Recognize and React to Abnormal Operating Conditions
 
​
👉REGISTER HERE!

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Natural Gas Emergency Training & Vendor Show
​

This workshop is designed to provide in-depth training for operator personnel on how to properly conduct training sessions as well as how to safely and effectively respond to potential natural gas emergencies. In addition, this workshop will also provide hands-on training on how to safely extinguish live natural gas fires that will include multiple meter set scenarios as well as excavation damage with ignition.

Safety Requirements
All participants must provide all appropriate PPE such as FR clothing, hard hats, gloves, safety toe shoes, safety glasses, etc. Participants who are not wearing appropriate PPE will NOT be allowed to participate in the fire training events.

👉REGISTER HERE
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June Toolbox Talk

6/5/2025

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We DO Job Briefings, But We DON’T Document Them!

If there is one thing lacking in the 1910.269 regulation, it’s the fact that OSHA does not require job briefings to be documented. They require that they be completed but not documented. OSHA even tells us the subjects that must be covered: hazards associated with the job, work procedures involved, special precautions, energy-source controls, and personal protective equipment requirements. They tell us who must conduct the briefing and how often it must be completed.

Everyone has heard the phrase ‘if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen’. Those are the words that you want to live by concerning documented job briefings. They prevent serious accidents and fatalities by ensuring that jobsite conditions and hazards are observed and corrected before work begins. This type of communication ensures situational awareness for that particular task but also creates a type of historical data so that review of past work can take place, leading to more efficient and safer practices.

Job briefing and job hazard analysis forms may be found at https://members.iamu.org/page/Electric_Resources
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Call for Presentations - IAMU 31st Annual Water & Wastewater Operator's Training Workshop

6/5/2025

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IAMU will hold its 31st Annual Water and Wastewater Operator’s Training Workshop on November 18 - 20, 2025. As we prepare for this yearly training that brings together municipal water and wastewater operators from around Iowa, we are asking for presentation proposals. The presentations must provide educational content and must not be sales pitches for specific products or services because members will be receiving continuing education credit for their time at the workshop.


If you have any questions about the Call for Presentations Form or the workshop, please contact Steve Marsh at 515.289.1999 or by email at [email protected]. Once completed, the Call for Presentations Form may be emailed to Steve. Deadline for presentations is July 14, 2025.

Download the form 👉 HERE
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Join IAMU’s New Facebook Group for Iowa Clerks!

6/5/2025

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IAMU is thrilled to announce the launch of an exclusive, private Facebook group just for Iowa clerks! 🎉

​This space was created specifically to help clerks connect with fellow clerks across the state, share insights, tackle challenges, and grow your professional network. To join, simply sign in to your personal Facebook account (not your city/utility page) and request access to the IAMU Clerk Connection group.


👉 [CLICK HERE] to join and get started today!


We can’t wait to see you there and build this vibrant community together.
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Apply Now: Three Iowa Energy Grant Opportunities

6/5/2025

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Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant
(for local governments, nonprofits, and for-profit entities)
Supports projects focused on downtown revitalization and streetscape improvements such as energy-efficient streetlights and traffic signals; energy-efficient exterior lighting for buildings and public spaces; and the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
Deadline: August 1  
Contact: Jeff Geerts | [email protected]  | 515.348.6211
Link:https://opportunityiowa.gov/community/energy/grants-funding/eecbg-program?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Energy%20Efficiency%20and%20Conservation%20Block%20Grant&utm_campaign=Energy%20Workshops%202025
 
Iowa Grid Resilience Fund
(for businesses, municipal utilities, and rural electric cooperatives)
Works to increase electric grid reliability to reduce the frequency and duration of outages. Some eligible projects include weatherization technologies; fire-resistant systems; undergrounding electrical equipment; vegetation management; installation of microgrids and battery storage; hardening of power lines and substations; and workforce training.
Deadline: August 15
Contact: Jeff Geerts | [email protected] | 515.348.6211
Link:https://opportunityiowa.gov/community/energy/grants-funding/iowa-grid-resilience-fund?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Iowa%20Grid%20Resilience%20Fund&utm_campaign=Energy%20Workshops%202025
 
Preparedness, Innovation and Energy Education Program
(for businesses, local governments, nonprofits, state agencies, tribal councils, and colleges/universities)
Supports innovative projects that increase energy resiliency during natural disaster response or recovery efforts; improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings; and help educate Iowa’s clean energy workforce.
Pre-Application Deadline: July 7
Contact: Abbie Christophersen | [email protected] | 515.348.6223
Link:https://opportunityiowa.gov/community/energy/grants-funding/preparedness-innovation-and-energy-education-program?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Preparedness%2C%20Innovation%20and%20Energy%20Education%20Program&utm_campaign=Energy%20Workshops%202025
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IAMU Members Invited to Midwest Weather Resilience Workshop

6/4/2025

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The Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, EPRI, Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, and Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association are hosting a Midwest Regional Weather Resilience Workshop for Electric Utilities on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

This interactive workshop is specifically designed for cooperative, municipal, and tribal utilities across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Participants will gain valuable exposure to extreme weather modeling, vulnerability assessment, and resilience strategies while connecting with industry leaders and regional peers.


The workshop aims to increase utility weather resilience by providing access to leading weather data and creating collaborative opportunities for utilities to address weather-based threats. Attendees will receive step-by-step guidance and customizable templates to help build and execute comprehensive weather resilience plans for their organizations.


This is an excellent opportunity for IAMU members to explore weather-based infrastructure threats, discover risk mitigation strategies, and network with utilities facing similar challenges across the Midwest region.


Registration is required by July 11, 2025
 at https://rwrwmidwest.gss.anl.gov/. All registrations will be reviewed and approved by the Workshop Planning Committee before confirmation.

​For questions, contact the Planning Committee at [email protected]. 
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Certified Mobile Crane Operator – Telescoping Boom August 25th – August 29th, 2025

6/4/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
Crane operators will know and implement the rules and regulations set forth by ASME B30.5 and will safely apply those standards in daily operations. Operators will read, know, and apply all information provided in the manufacturer’s operator manual and will be able to interpret load charts, load testing, LMIs, and any safety instrumentation of each crane. Crane operators will know machine conditions, operational limitations, and load limitations for situations in which the operator may be involved. The operators will conduct all hoisting operations in a safe manner. Operators will be able to effectively communicate with riggers, signal persons, and other site personnel involved with hoisting operations.

The content and titles of NCCER’s mobile crane operator assessments are dependent upon each crane’s boom types while the content and titles of the practical examinations are grouped by the mount, or carriage, that is used with each crane.

Applicants who successfully complete both the knowledge and skills evaluations will be granted “certified mobile crane operator” status for a period of five years from issuance of certification.

Certified crane operators must continue to meet ASME B30 physical requirements throughout their certification period and attest to their agreement to this requirement in their applications.

​OSHA requires employers to use qualified riggers during hoisting activities for assembly and disassembly work, when workers are within the fall zone and hooking, unhooking or guiding a load or doing the initial connection of a load to a component or structure.
The level of certification depends upon the individual’s training, knowledge, skill base, and ability to perform functions related to the selection, inspection, and proper use of rigging equipment. This person may be a pipe-fitter, an electrician or steelworker. Each load, pick, crane or job-site may require rigging that varies from simple to complex. Each is unique. The person designated as the rigger must have the ability to properly rig the load for a particular job. Many construction companies require certified riggers be used to attach the load to a crane hook. We offer three levels of Rigger certification to help you reach that next step in your profession.

Click here to register now
0 Comments

Re-Certification Mobile Crane Operator – Telescoping Boom July 22nd – July 24th, 2025

6/4/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities will be holding mobile crane re-certification and examination classes for mobile crane operators. OSHA’s updated crane standard REQUIRES that operators of lifting equipment be trained, evaluated, and tested in order to obtain re-certification.

Re-certification is required every 5 years. In order to re-certify you must retake and pass both the practical examination and the computerized test with an 80% score for each. There is no grace period after your certification expires.

The Re-Certification class is July 22, 2025-July 24, 2025, and is open for registration
. Register NOW by clicking HERE!

Examination retakes are $100 and may be taken during any scheduled exam date.

Additional Notes:
· There is a maximum of 10 participants per class session
· Lunch will be provided Monday through Thursday (for full NCCER Certification course)
· All participants will attend classroom days. Exams will take place on the Wednesday of each class session. Depending on the number of participants, Wednesday evening and Friday may also be used for practical exams
· Each participant will need to bring their PPE for the practical exam: High Viz clothing, hardhat, safety glasses, gloves, safety shoes, and long pants

Questions? If you have any questions in regards to the classes, or requirements, please contact: Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Outreach Coordinator (
[email protected]) Phone: 515.210.6617
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