IAMU held a Tree Trimming Workshop this week, hosted by Denison Municipal Utilities. Twenty-six people attended, representing nine of our member utilities.

Brian Dornsbach of Stihl Power Equipment covered the safe use, care, and maintenance of chainsaws and other power equipment used in the field. Tivon Feeley and Mark Runkel of the Iowa DNR Forestry Bureau spoke on tree health and proper pruning methods, and shared resources to help crews explain proper tree care to customers. The workshop wrapped up with hands-on demonstrations showing where to start when trimming and how to make proper cuts that protect the tree from damage and decay while discouraging regrowth at the cut.
​
Special thanks to Denison Municipal Utilities for providing the space, equipment, and staff for the event. A second workshop will be held at Muscatine Power & Water next Monday.

Are you confident your utility is correctly recording work-related injuries and illnesses on its OSHA 300 Log? IAMU Safety Services is offering a four-part webinar series this December to help members meet OSHA’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements with confidence.

Each one-hour session is held on a Tuesday:
December 8: Employer Responsibilities
December 15: What is a Recordable Injury or Illness?
December 22: How to Properly Complete the Forms
December 29: Record Keeping

Attendees will learn how to determine whether an injury or illness qualifies as a new recordable case, when to keep a case open, and how to close it out. The series also covers first aid, employee involvement in your reporting system, how to inform employees of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses without retaliation, electronic reporting requirements, and recent updates to the standard. Participants will also learn how to complete the OSHA 300, 301, and 300A forms, and whose signature belongs on the annual summary.

Who should attend? This series is designed for staff who enter injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 Log, those who sign the 300A summary, supervisors who report recordable injuries to the log keeper, and utilities with 11 or more employees at any point during the year or 20 or more employees in their utility departments.

Instructor: Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Outreach Coordinator, brings more than 30 years of safety experience. She is a recipient of the Iowa Occupational Safety & Health Advisory Council’s 2025 Gary Hawk Safety Award and was appointed to the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Council in 2026.

Flexible viewing: A new webinar link will be emailed on each date, and all links remain live through February 12, 2027, so your team can watch on its own schedule.

Cost (entire series): $175 members / $225 non-members
Registration deadline: Monday, December 7, 2026

REGISTER HERE
​
Questions? Contact Margret Meade at [email protected]

The 55th Annual Iowa Governor’s Safety & Health Conference registration is now open!

​Click HERE to register now!

The full schedule is being finalized but here are a few details:

1. Best Practices in Conveyor Risk Assessment– Robert Ridpath, Wandling Engineering 
2. Prediction Power: Leading Indicators to Combat Strains, Head and Forklift Risk Using Wearables– Tom West, MakUSafe
3. AI Shifting Adoption to Affirmation: From Can We to Should We in OSH – Dan Turri- True North
4. Oops! I missed that One!!– Kirk Dighton- DC Taylor
5. Creating the Legacy YOU want to leave– Mitch Mathews- Professional Speaker 

The conference will be at Prairie Meadows Convention Center on October 27th starting at 9:00 a.m. with a vendor/networking reception that evening and a half day on October 28th.

​The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities holds both initial certification and re-certification classes for mobile crane operators at our location. This journey-level certification is granted through the National Center for Construction Education and Research. IAMU is an accredited assessment center. 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. NCCER policy prohibits completing the re-certification process more than 180 days before the expiration date of your certification. Check your NCCER account for the expiration date of your certification.
There is no grace period after your certification expires.

DATES and REGISTRATION:
October 20th-22nd       Re-Certification       |      Registration closes Oct 14! CLICK HERE!

BROCHURE:
To see pricing and additional information please see the NCCER 2026 brochure.
Examination retakes are $300 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 regard to the classes, or requirements, please contact:
Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Outreach Coordinator ([email protected])​

Mark your calendars! IAMU's 32nd Annual Water and Wastewater Operator's Training Workshop returns November 17–19, 2026, at the Meadows Events Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona.

This three-day event features basic and advanced sessions across Water Treatment, Water Distribution, and Wastewater tracks.

Early registration (through November 3): $295 members / $375 non-members for full workshop. Single-day and online options also available.

A room block is reserved at Prairie Meadows (Group Code: IAMU2026) through November 2.

Vendor and exhibitor sponsorships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) are also open — a great way for our associate members to connect directly with operators.
​
Register or learn more: CLICK HERE

Questions? Contact Nicole Burdess at [email protected]

Join us for the Natural Gas Vendor Showcase & Technical Training Workshop: hands-on training led by industry experts from Balon, Groebner, Georg Fischer, Irby, KGM, Nelson Technologies, and Trenton Corporation.

WHEN: October 28-29, 2026
WHERE: IAMU, 735 NE 70th Avenue, Ankeny, Iowa

Topics: Valves, Electrofusion, Gas Measurement (AMR/AMI, Ultrasonic & more), Pressure Regulation, Leak Detection, and Pipeline Coating.

COST (Lunch & Dinner Included):
Members: $250 | Non-Members: $500

Register by October 21, 2026. Online registration preferred, log in first for member pricing.

[REGISTER HERE]

​IAMU is offering a three-part Excel training series this fall, designed to help members build their skills step by step, from the fundamentals to advanced, time-saving techniques. Whether you're just getting comfortable with spreadsheets or looking to master formulas, PivotTables, and automation, there's a session built for you.


Excel Basic — October 15, 2026

• Excel Shortcuts
• Control Worksheet Display
• Freeze Window Panes, Hide/Unhide Columns & Rows, Custom Views
• Formulas

Excel Intermediate — October 29, 2026

• Work with a Database
• Work with PivotTables
• Create Charts
• Use Conditional Formatting

Excel Advanced — November 12, 2026

• Use Functions to Modify Text
• Construct an IF Statement
• Use Powerful IF Functions
• Use LOOKUP Functions
• Audit a Worksheet

Details for All Three Sessions

• Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (provided lunch from noon – 12:30 p.m.)
• Location: IAMU Training and Office Complex, 1735 NE 70th Avenue, Ankeny, Iowa 50021
• Seats: Limited to 12 per session

Sign up for one session or all three! Each is designed to stand on its own, but together they offer a complete path from Excel basics to advanced, workflow-saving techniques.


Note: These courses are offered to IAMU members only. You must be signed into your IAMU account to view and register for the sessions.

Join us for the Natural Gas Vendor Showcase & Technical Training Workshop: hands-on training led by industry experts from Balon, Groebner, Georg Fischer, Irby, KGM, Nelson Technologies, and Trenton Corporation.

WHEN: October 28-29, 2026
WHERE: IAMU, 735 NE 70th Avenue, Ankeny, Iowa

Topics: Valves, Electrofusion, Gas Measurement (AMR/AMI, Ultrasonic & more), Pressure Regulation, Leak Detection, and Pipeline Coating.

COST (Lunch & Dinner Included):
Members: $250 | Non-Members: $500

Register by October 21, 2026. Online registration preferred, log in first for member pricing.

[REGISTER HERE]

Mark your calendars! IAMU's 32nd Annual Water and Wastewater Operator's Training Workshop returns November 17–19, 2026, at the Meadows Events Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona.

This three-day event features basic and advanced sessions across Water Treatment, Water Distribution, and Wastewater tracks.

Early registration (through November 3): $295 members / $375 non-members for full workshop. Single-day and online options also available.

A room block is reserved at Prairie Meadows (Group Code: IAMU2026) through November 2.

Vendor and exhibitor sponsorships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) are also open — a great way for our associate members to connect directly with operators.
​
Register or learn more: CLICK HERE

Questions? Contact Nicole Burdess at [email protected]

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities holds both initial certification and re-certification classes for mobile crane operators at our location. This journey-level certification is granted through the National Center for Construction Education and Research. IAMU is an accredited assessment center. 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. NCCER policy prohibits completing the re-certification process more than 180 days before the expiration date of your certification. Check your NCCER account for the expiration date of your certification.
There is no grace period after your certification expires.

DATES and REGISTRATION:
October 20th-22nd       Re-Certification       |      Registration closes Oct 14! CLICK HERE!

BROCHURE:
To see pricing and additional information please see the NCCER 2026 brochure.
Examination retakes are $300 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 regard to the classes, or requirements, please contact:
Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Outreach Coordinator ([email protected])​

The 55th Annual Iowa Governor’s Safety & Health Conference registration is now open!

​Click HERE to register now!

The full schedule is being finalized but here are a few details:

1. Best Practices in Conveyor Risk Assessment– Robert Ridpath, Wandling Engineering 
2. Prediction Power: Leading Indicators to Combat Strains, Head and Forklift Risk Using Wearables– Tom West, MakUSafe
3. AI Shifting Adoption to Affirmation: From Can We to Should We in OSH – Dan Turri- True North
4. Oops! I missed that One!!– Kirk Dighton- DC Taylor
5. Creating the Legacy YOU want to leave– Mitch Mathews- Professional Speaker 

The conference will be at Prairie Meadows Convention Center on October 27th starting at 9:00 a.m. with a vendor/networking reception that evening and a half day on October 28th.