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Episode 14: Safety & Certifications with Sheila Smeltzer
The Huge Insider
24 minutes
6 months ago
Episode 14: Safety & Certifications with Sheila Smeltzer
Safety training isn’t box‑checking—it’s profit, people, and peace of mind. Host Sid Graef interviews Sheila Smeltzer (President, A+ Pro Services and former IWCA president) about building a bullet‑proof safety culture for home‑service firms. Sheila explains why OSHA 1910 rules matter, how a single four‑foot drop can cost six‑figure fines, and why ladder incidents alone send 200,000+ workers to the ER every year. Her framework is simple:
Know the law. OSHA 1910 Subpart D (walking‑working surfaces) and Subpart I (PPE) govern most field work.
Use qualified trainers. Hire or outsource a qualified person who can certify employees and document everything.
Systemize it. Flag hazards in your CRM (e.g., ServiceTitan), create written Job Hazard Analyses and Safety Work Plans, and re‑train annually.
Document or it didn’t happen. Clear, signed records slash liability and keep crews—and profits—intact.
The takeaway: a documented, repeatable safety program protects lives and margins better than any marketing hack.
Show Notes
Guest – Sheila Smeltzer, President, A+ Pro Services (window cleaning & exterior maintenance, NC) – https://aplusproservices.com/ A+ Pro Serivces | (910)-754-2263
Host – Sid Graef, Huge Insider Podcast – https://thehugeinsider.com
References & Links Mentioned
OSHA 1910 General Industry Standards – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910
Subpart D – Walking‑Working Surfaces – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartD
Subpart I – Personal Protective Equipment – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartI
International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA)
Power Washers of North America (PWNA)
Expert Safety Services / Safety Advocate App
ServiceTitan field‑service CRM
Call‑in line to share your story – (804) 600‑4843
Resources
The Huge Insider newsletter signup
The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide
Foundations platform 1‑month trial
The Huge Mastermind info
Huge Foundations Facebook group
Transcript
SID GRAEF: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sid Graef here. The Huge Insider is the show for home‑service professionals who are striving to break the million‑dollar revenue mark. If that’s you, you’re in the right place, and if you’re already over a million dollars of revenue, congratulations—you’re going to get even more out of this show.
We want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. That’s why we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven‑ and eight‑figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from $2 million a year to $40 million a year—and we’re bringing you the best insights. It’s all focused on one topic each month, and these are real owners. There are no arm‑chair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the people quietly building empires behind the scenes; they’re not on social media looking for attention—they’re in business making things happen.
Last month we focused on hiring A‑players. You can’t build your dream without people, so you’ve got to have the right people. This month we answer the question, What do you do once you hire the right person?—on‑boarding, pay structure, training, and more. And today’s topic is safety training.
You’re about to hear from Sheila Smeltzer. She owns a thriving window‑cleaning business in North Carolina and has been the president of the IWCA—the International Window Cleaning Association. She goes into a lot of detail today about what safety training needs to be successful.
And it’s funny, because most service businesses treat safety training as an afterthought. They make jokes like, “Just be careful—if you fall, you’re going to be fired before you hit the ground.” Safety’s not a joke; it requires planning, diligence, and repetition so that you can keep your people safe, because there really is no window that needs to be clean