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Tower cranes at work in January on The Freedom Tower project in New York. |
April 23, 2008 • A tower crane task force, at the request of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), is drafting a fact sheet to assist tower crane owners when speaking with the media. In the aftermath of recent accidents involving tower cranes in New York and Florida, many crane owners were asked to comment to the press or had to field questions from the general public. The fact sheet is designed to eliminate misinformation about tower cranes and the crane industry. Once it is finalized, the fact sheet will be available through the association.
In related discussions during the SC&RA's convention, held April 15-19 in Bonita Springs, Fla., crane owners expressed the need for better tower crane erection and dismantling training and perhaps a certification program. According to Frank Bardonaro Jr., chairman of the tower crane task force and president and chief operating officer of AmQuip, Bensalem, Pa., members of SC&RA and the task force are dedicated to increasing factory training and pre-qualifying erectors for tower crane erection, climbs, and other operations. In a report to the governing committee on April 17, Bardonaro indicated that the task force has plans to ask the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) to consider the development of a certification program for tower crane erection/dismantling crews.
Meanwhile, NCCCO is preparing to launch a new certification program for signal persons and riggers. “A practical exam for signalers is expected to be released by the end of the second quarter,” said Graham Brent, NCCCO executive director. The rigger program will be rolled out a bit later this year. “Rigger certification is divided into three levels • basic, intermediate, and advanced,” Brent said. “We are fast-tracking the basic program in order to make it available sooner.”
In other news, Joel Oliva, special projects coordinator for NCCCO, reported that 15 states currently require some sort of crane operator licensing or certification. Of those, 10 recognize the CCO program as meeting the states' requirements. “Four additional states • Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland, and Iowa • are either working on related legislation for crane operator certification or intend to in 2009. In addition, Michigan, Colorado, and Alaska have begun researching programs, while Washington, D.C., is considering revising its requirement,” he said.
