INTERNATIONAL ANDSPECIALIZED TRANSPORT
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MARCH 2015
22
OPERATOR TRAININGAND CERTIFICATION
theworkplace, product familiarisation,
in-houseperiodicmonitoring andperiodic
refresher re-training and re-assessment,
must also takeplace.
This approach to regular re-assessment
and training iswelcomedbymany training
providers andoperators.When asked
about the attitude towards training, Brian
Hough told
IC
that evenoperatorswith
manyyears of experiencehave said that
theywere surprised at just howmuch they
canneed training.
Manufacturers, such asTerex, also feel
strongly about the subject.A spokesperson
fromTerex explains, “Traininghas always
beenbeneficial and impacts safetydirectly.
We are aiming tobring the awareness of
thepositive impact that training canhave
andoffer anumber of training services,
including theory andpractical learning.
Themoreoperators and technicians
understandourmodels, technologies,
and systems, the safer theywill be in all
crane aspects.”
Ghislaine Journay,ManitowocCrane
CareEMEA, Potain tower crane training
centremanager, adds, “An adequate
training coursehelps to improve
proficiency, jobsite awareness andbest
practices, because the craneoperator learns
the appropriateprocedure to complete
the job from start to finishwith the crane.
It is also important tokeep experienced
operators up todatewith the latest
technologies andprovide themwith the
required information at least every
10years.”
National standards
Levels of training and certificationvary
throughout theworld. In theUSA,OSHA
enforces state and federal regulations that
cover cranes, rigging, andothermaterial
handling equipment. Some cities, however,
As the focus on site safety and reducing crane accidents
increases, the call for aglobal standard in training and
certification is louder than ever. LAURAHATTON reports
T
raining and the subsequent
certification is vital inhelping to
improvework site safety, andproper
training and certificationdramatically
reduces the riskof having an accident
on the job site. JimHeadley, Crane
InstituteofAmericapresident andCrane
InstituteCertificationCEO, explains how,
“Attending a good trainingprogramme
ensures that operators, riggers, inspectors
andother applicablepersonnel have at least
theminimum amount of knowledge and
skill required toperform their jobs safely
and correctly.”
Since trainingwas first introduced in
theUSA, theOccupational Safety and
HealthAdministration (OSHA) fatality
and injury rate for operators andground
personnel has dropped, BrianHough,
CrawfordCustomConsulting, adds.
In addition, further studies inCanada
show that trainingdramatically lowers
thenumber of fatalities.GrahamBrent,
NationalCommission for theCertification
ofCraneOperators (NCCCO) chief
executiveofficer, says, “Studies
conductedby theProvinceofOntario and
Cal-OSHAhaveprovenbeyond a shadow
of adoubt that professionallydeveloped
and internationally accredited certification
works. ConstructionSafetyAssociationof
Ontario and the government ofOntario,
Canada, havekept dataover a40year
period. Between1969 and1978, 85deaths
were reported.While theprovinceof
Ontariohad a licensing requirement,
comprehensive trainingwasnot a required
component until 1979. Trainingwas
implemented in1979 andbetween1979
and1992, 43deathswere recorded, a
50% reduction.”
Training and certification is, however,
only the first stepon the ladder to
becoming a competent operator.Alan
Johnson,Associationof LorryLoader
Manufacturers (ALLMI) technical director,
points out that other activities, such as
product- and task-specific training in
Raising
standards
Terex offers amultitudeof training services,
ranging fromoperator to service technician,
frombasic toadvanced
