Crane & Rigging Hot Line Names Top Trainer Sponsors
August 3, 2012—The annual Top Trainer awards program produced by Crane & Rigging Hot Line is designed to recognize trainers who have had a positive impact on students, the work environment, or the industry. With less than a month to go, nominations are up 31 percent over last year. The program is endorsed by the Association of Crane & Rigging Professionals.
Financial support from several companies make the program possible. Joining the event in 2012 as Platinum Sponsors are The Crosby Group, Tulsa, Okla., and Liebherr Cranes Inc., Newport News, Va.
Known for its commitment to product safety training and education, Crosby conducts seminars; offers user tools such as a sling calculator and block selection guide; and produces a myriad of training materials, including pocket guides, videos, and workbooks. Several Crosby trainers have been recognized as Top Trainer Honorable Mention nominees in the past. Learn more about Crosby’s products and training materials at www.thecrosbygroup.com.
Liebherr offers a full range of mobile and crawler cranes, in which safety is a priority. Just one set of examples are the features intended to keep crew safe when working at height—either accessing the cab or when conducting assembly or inspection tasks. Ladders with three-point contact, fall protection harnesses, railings, and a standard rescue system with hand-operated winch are just a few of these features. See a video demonstrating safe access and egress and use of safety harnesses on the LTM mobile cranes or LR crawler product pages at the company’s website at www.liebherr.com.
Gold sponsors include Manitowoc Cranes, North American Crane Bureau (NACB), and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).
In addition to its crane product lines, Manitowoc Cranes, Manitowoc, Wis., offers support services through Manitowoc Crane Care, which includes training available on-site and online. According to the company, it has more professional instructors than all its competitors combined. “Our training builds a better understanding of operating systems, components, maintenance, and repair of all our product brands from beginner to master levels.”
NACB, Lake Mary, Fla., offers a wide variety of services to the crane and lifting industry. Everything from auditing employer's facilities and operations to identifying areas where improvements are needed, to assisting employers engineer solutions to resolve any issues identified including complete program and training development and implementation. In addition to its wide-variety of training courses, the company hosts an annual Professional Development Conference, which this year includes both a crane simulator rodeo and a rigging rodeo. The 2012 PDC will be held Nov. 12-16 in Tampa, Fla.
NCCER, Alachua, Fla., is a not-for-profit education foundation created to develop standardized construction and maintenance curricula and assessments. NCCER develops training in over 60 craft areas, offers more than 70 assessment exams, and has more than 4,000 training locations. Its mobile crane operator and rigger and signalperson certifications offer portable, industry-recognized credentials in accordance with current ANSI and OSHA standards.
Industrial Training International, Woodland, Wash., is the Silver Sponsor. ITI is recognized for its innovating and pioneering attitude toward training, and for having raised the current levels of instruction for cranes, heavy equipment and rigging. Their philosophy is that students who see, speak, and do at the same time have a greater chance of retention. Multiple individuals from ITI have been recognized as Top Trainers over the years.
Bronze Sponsors include Stephenson Equipment Inc. (SEI), Harrisburg, Pa., and Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau (CICB), Orlando, Fla. SEI is a crane sales, service, and rental company that also offers crane operator training and NCCCO certification. Ray Feidt, Inspection and Training Manager for SEI was named Corporate Top Trainer in 2008. CICB has offered training, inspections, certifications, and safety services since 1969. Originally the company focused on mobile and overhead cranes, and over the years branched out to offshore and maritime cranes and heavy construction equipment. Today, CICB is proud to feature five subject matter experts from the United States Navy Construction Battalion (Seabees) and provides services for nuclear energy plants and suppliers. Both Jerry Longtin and John O’Connor of CICB were Top Trainer Honorable Mention nominees in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
The 2012 Top Trainer program will name a winner in each of two categories: Corporate and Professional. Each winner will receive complimentary registration to the 2013 ACRP General Assembly and Workshop, during which they will be presented with a trophy and scholarships to be used for educational purposes. Winners and Honorable Mention nominees will be featured in an article in Crane & Rigging Hot Line in November 2012.
Nominations are being accepted until August 31.
