My Story

My Story: Wilson D. Tenesaca, CHST

“If you have a dream, work hard and believe in yourself, that’s all you need.” That’s a phrase I truly believe.

In 2002, I moved to New York from Ecuador. Shortly after, I began working in the construction industry, focusing on building maintenance and restoration, formerly known as Local Law 11 projects in New York City. I began my journey as a tradesperson, moving up to a foreman/competent person supervisor.

Wilson-D.-Tenesaca

Once I started, I realized that I lacked safety training, so I decided to take training certification courses. I began to feel more prepared and confident in myself in the role of a competent person. I realized that I could influence my co-workers who were working under my watch to take time and think about their safety and the safety of others around them. It motivated me to pursue a career in safety.

As time went on, I was ready to obtain a safety license. I landed a job with a construction safety consulting company. I have a Construction Health and Safety Technician certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. I’m a New York City licensed site safety manager, OSHA authorized construction trainer and flagger instructor from the National Safety Council.

My most recent achievement is being a JLG operator instructor for mobile elevating work platforms from JLG University. On a daily basis, I oversee the safety and health of more than 100 workers in new construction/demolition, making sure everyone is safe and gets home safe at the end of the day.

My experience and training led me to start a career in the safety and health industry.

Because my first language is Spanish, I’m able to communicate, understand and deliver safety culture to the Spanish-speaking workers in NYC.

I couldn’t have made a better decision than to transition to the safety and health industry. I continue to prepare myself and get accreditations so I can better serve in my role and advance in my career as a safety pro. As I stated, I’m a true believer and a living example that if you have a dream, work hard and believe in yourself, that’s all you need to succeed.

As a first-generation resident of the United States, my wife and kids are extremely proud of my accomplishments and successes, and the many more to come.

Wilson D. Tenesaca

Wilson D. Tenesaca, CHST
NYC Site Safety Manager, Fire Safety Manager, OSHA authorized construction trainer, flagger and MEWP trainer
Bloomfield, NJ





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