LIVE From IRE 2025 with Leading Edge Safety! - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Nicole Waters of Leading Edge Safety. You can read the interview below or watch the recording.

Megan Ellsworth: Hello everyone. Megan Ellsworth here at the Coffee Shop Sound Stage, brought to you by SRS Distribution at the International Roofing Expo. This is one of our last interviews of the IRE 2025, and I'm so glad it's, I'm here with you, Nicole, leading Edge Safety. Hello. Hi, <laugh>. Um, introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Leading Edge Safety. 

Nicole Waters: Yep. I'm Nicole Waters and I'm the Director of Sales for Leading Edge Safety. Uh, leading Edge safety is, um, uh, really the trusted fall protection manufacturer. Um, 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. You guys are, you have a lot of solutions for fall protection for, um, safety on the job site. So what are some of your standout items you would say that people really reach for, um, that Leading Edge provides? 

Nicole Waters: Yeah, absolutely. Uh, our hero product and what most people know us for is our mobile fall protection cart line. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, okay. Cool. 

Nicole Waters: And so we were the developers of mobile fall protection carts. 

Megan Ellsworth: Cool. 

Nicole Waters: Um, and, uh, I think that's what most people know us for is our Raptor carts. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay. 

Nicole Waters: Um, but really what Leading Edge does is we cover all parts of the hierarchy of fall protection. So we help with elimination passive systems, fall restraint and fall arrest. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, amazing. Okay. I heard something about, um, the rescue wench. What is that? 

Nicole Waters: Yes. So one of the things that, uh, um, is a little complicated and fall protection is preparing for a worker actually taking a fall 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Nicole Waters: What that rescue is gonna look like. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 
 

Nicole Waters: Um, and, uh, so what we've done at Leading Edge is we've really simplified it for the roofers. So I like to say for less than $2,000, you can walk away with a, a, um, all the equipment needed to perform a rescue. Wow. Our s Instruction manual is written to where you can really take our manual and write your fall protection rescue plan from it. Wow. And then, uh, what we do, we do a really good job at leading edge of making videos. Love it. And so our videos for rescue training, uh, that's a, that's a big deal and you can use that directly with your crews. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay. Amazing. That is so important. I mean, the OSHA Big four, I think the first one is fall. It 

Nicole Waters: Is. 

Megan Ellsworth: Um, and it's the number one reason for injury or death on a job site, so it's the most important thing to prevent. Um, and you guys are doing a great job at that. That's really cool. 

Nicole Waters: So, yeah, that's right. Falls are the leading cause of fatality on a construction job site. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Nicole Waters: And, uh, what, you know, at Leading Edge we like to say we're taking the first steps so you don't take your last Oh. And that really shows up and, uh, not just in our product line, but the way we write our manuals. Yeah. The way we do our training videos. Um, something that's pretty cool about this company is that, you know, when you call us, you're actually gonna get one of us on the phone. Oh, that, that's great. You call the office. Great. And there's a person who picks up the phone. And it's not just a person, it's somebody who understands the roof, understands the hazards and can walk you through a fall protection program. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's amazing. 

Nicole Waters: So true. We wanna be true specialists. Yeah. And, um, I did wanna share that something that's pretty cool about leading Edge safety as well is that we originated as a roofer who witnessed a fall. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, 

Nicole Waters: Wow. And so our President, Brent Smith, um, the development of mobile fall carts came after, you know, witnessing a tragic, um, incident to somebody who he is very close to and 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh man. 

Nicole Waters: You know, trying to figure out how can we prevent this? Or OSHA's coming out and saying, should have done something different. Yeah. And there really wasn't anything for roofers. Uh, if you go to our website today, you can see we're covering every part of that roof. Now. It's not just fall arrest mobile carts, but again, we can eliminate the hazard and bring you some passive safety. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that is so, so great. And it's really important work. So thank you for everything y'all provide. Yeah. It's so important. Um, so how has the show been for you all, a lot of people interested in what you're offering? I would assume so, <laugh>, 

Nicole Waters: Man, our booth is out of control. <laugh>. That's good news. This is a super fun company to work with. It's one of the reasons why I'm here. Yeah. Been in the industry and in fall protection for a long time. 

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome. 

Nicole Waters: Uh, but these guys are the best. And one, what's really exciting this year is that we've, for the first time ever at the IRE, um, they're, you're getting to see True Drop demos. 

Megan Ellsworth: Whoa. 

Nicole Waters: Yeah. So you can, you know, the thing about our carts is they're non-penetrating until they need to save a life. And then at that point, our, um, engagement claw does penetrate the roof, but only to save a life. And, and you're never gonna see that unless you witness a fall. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Nicole Waters: But we've made a whole stage and we're, um, simulating a real life fall over there and I don't think that's ever been shown at, at the IRE. So yeah, we're gonna continue to bring that kind of, uh, technology and personal experience, um, in our line, but IRE is such a great place to do it. Yeah. And we love partnering with Roofers Coffee Shop, and that's 
 

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. Yay. Well, we love having you guys on the site. If, if people weren't able to attend IRE, but wanna see that cool demo in person, is there another show you're gonna have that at anytime soon? 

Nicole Waters: You know, that's a great question and I'll take it back for sure. Um, but we do, um, we created a video just kind of prepping for this. So we do have what I would like to call our sizzle video. Okay. And you can see the claw engagement on our website. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, amazing. Video content is king these days, so you guys are so smart for that, 

Nicole Waters: Especially in roofing where we have so many different languages that are spoken, all of that. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So mm-hmm <affirmative>. Yeah. We're very aware of the clientele. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, good. Ah, okay. So thank, we are just so happy to have you on site. So thank you for being here and being a part of the RCS community. Thank, you're so welcome. 

Nicole Waters: Thank you guys. 

Megan Ellsworth: Everyone out there, go to the leading edge safety directory on roofers coffee shop.com to learn more, see all their videos, all their demos. And we're gonna do a podcast soon. Yes. And talk even more about job site safety and protection. Um, thank you again, Nicole. 

Nicole Waters: Yeah. Follow us for, for rescue. Yes. You know, follow us for rescue. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Uh, let's de complicate the, complicate 

Megan Ellsworth: It. Yeah. 

Nicole Waters: Um, with the experts, right? 

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you, Megan. Thank you so much. And everyone out there, stay tuned. We have a wrap up video coming your way. This has been an amazing international roofing expo. Thank you all for staying with us this whole time and we'll.