For the first time since 1971 the federal government is updating crane regulations. Triggered by various lethal crane accidents around the country this past year, the U.S. Department of Labor is set to release drafts of the new regulations, which focus mainly on crane operator standards.

New Standards

The new regulations will require crane operators to pass both written and practical tests in all 50 states and complete more training. Currently only 15 states and 6 cities require tests. Crane operators will have various options to become certified/qualified under the new rules:

• Certification through accredited third-party testing organizations
• Qualification through audited employer testing programs
• U.S. military-issued qualification
• Qualification by state/local licensing authorities

In addition to the certification and training of crane operators the new rules also hone in on inspecting ground conditions, crane assembly and disassembly, operating near power lines, and the use of safety devices and crane inspections.

It is expected that the final approval of all of the regulations will “likely take more than a year.”

Sources:

(1) Devlin, Barrett. The Associated Press. September 18, 2008.

NAHETS Crane Operator Training & Certification

Member schools of the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) across the country offer mobile crane operator training and certification programs. Each of the member schools are authorized to administer the NCCCO Mobile Crane Certification tests. They also offer training from instructors, all holding NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Certifications, to prepare for the tests. Visit the NAHETS Crane Site for more information.

On August 1, 2008 Northern California College of Construction (NCCC) elected to not renew its Accredited Training Sponsor and Accredited Training Unit status with the National Center on Construction Education and Research NCCER. In late August NCCC notified NCCER of its intended actions regarding election to not renew its training entity status with NCCER; however, the value of the NCCER sponsored training curriculum; i.e., Contren Learning Series will remain an integral part of the NCCC and all NAHETS member schools’ curriculum.

Last month, seven people died when a crane collapsed in Manhattan, NY; two others died in Miami after a crane collapsed. The incidents have not only triggered modifications for crane safety in these cities, but in other cities across the country. With only 15 states and 6 cities currently requiring crane certification, these recent events have caused many to visit and revisit the proposal for city and state laws concerning the matter.

Background

With few state regulations in place, the federal government oversees crane safety, largely through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One requirement is having a “competent person” to inspect all crane equipment before use. Although few cities require some form of pre-operations inspection, this responsibility currently falls mostly to the employers, who have authority to designate a “competent person” to inspect cranes. Employers are also responsible to make sure all employees (crane operators) are “competent,” “qualified,” or “certified” to perform their tasks; however, there is no set regulation on specific training programs or certifications.

OSHA does recognize NCCCO certification as verification of meeting OSHA training requirements. The NCCCO is a private certifying organization for crane operation. The 15 states and 6 cities that require certification use NCCCO certification.

1. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=21009
   
2. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=1332

Miami-Dade County Ordinance

Taking effect March 28, three days after the March 25 accident, this is a local ordinance in the Miami-Dade County. The ordinance was proposed by Audrey Edmonson, County Commissioner of the Crane and Heavy Advisory Committee. The proposal requires trained experts to inspect all crane equipment, the certification of all crane operators, as well as a hurricane preparedness plan. This proposal will ultimately give inspectors and building officials authority to inspect and decide if the cranes safe enough to operate; they will also have authority to revoke or suspend building permits if the cranes fail to meet safety standards.

This ordinance also defines tower cranes as “permanent structures,” instead of “temporary structures.” This basically means that the cranes have to meet the same safety requirements as high rise buildings, which means there will be more requirements to meet.

1. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/473173.html
2. http://www.globest.com/news/1124_1124/miami/169445-1.html

Brooklyn Hearing Scheduled for Crane Regulations

On April 29 the City Council’s Housing and Building Committe will hold a hearing to discuss changes in construction site safety at high-rise sites. In light of the Manhattan accident, the participants’ main focus is to ensure that all sites are safe for all workers and the public who walk around the developments on a daily basis.

The Buildings Department also started inspecting all crane sites on March 20. New York City officials have also ordered that inspectors must be on site to raise or lower any cranes.

1. http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=5&id=19589
2. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/am-crane0320,0,5233399.story

Other Cities Taking Action

The recent Miami and Manhattan accidents have caused other cities and states to consider modifying their crane operating safety procedures:

• Dallas, TX–officials are in the beginning stages of increasing crane safety
• Stamford, CT–Mayor Dannell Malloy has requested more frequent crane inspections
• Charlotte, NC–has reported 10 crane-related deaths since 1997, and has renewed concerns in crane safety after the Miami and Manhattan accidents.
• Denver, CO–Corkey Wassam, crane operator of 35 years and field representative for Winslow Crane Service, speaks out on crane safety.

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) launched its new corporatewebsite–www.NAHETS.org–on February 28, 2008. Unique from the existing NAHETS sites, NAHETS.org is an information-based site that focuses solely on sharing relevant company information and industry news with an expanded audience–partners, industry companies and associations, and employers.

What is the purpose NAHETS.org?

Already with a universal site (www.NAHETS.com), a leading job placement site (www.yellowmetalusa.com), and program and curriculum-based sites (www.heavy-equipment-school.com & www.yellowmetalbootcamp.com), NAHETS discerned the need for a website that was filtered to the business relationships of the heavy equipment industry. NAHETS.org is unique because its primary purpose is to communicate to industry companies, partners, and employers, instead of primarily towards students as other NAHETS sites.

Central to NAHETS.org is that it avoids the heavy traffic from students while maintaining a credible reputation for the industry. Although the NAHETS.com site is a more “all-inclusive” site, its heavy focus on students can detract from the experience of those not looking to attend the schools; i.e., partners, employers, and industry associations. NAHETS.org maintains enough design and information to be useful to students, but mostly meets the demands of non-student visitors by focusing on relevant content for NAHETS and the heavy equipment and construction industries.

Where did it come from? Who was involved? How long did it take?

The concept of “employers vs. students,” or in other words, the idea of website communication to the business relations of NAHETS, in addition to students, has been a goal of Executive Director, Matt Klabacka, since he founded NAHETS in 2005. After various evolutions of the main NAHETS.com site, Klabacka realized that one site, by itself, was not enough to create the desired student and business relationships. After discussing the matter with NAHETS personnel, Klabacka launched the NAHETS.org undertaking.

With ideas coming from Klabacka and other personnel, including Mike Martens (Director of Operations), Rhett Nielson (Creative Director), and Brian Thornton (Technology and Marketing Director), Klabacka turned the creation of the site over to Mike Wille, Internet Manager. Wille spent months designing and testing the site before its February 2008 take off.

What are its features?

Wille created the site using a modern design scheme, making it compatible with the appearance of related industry sites. NAHETS.org also incorporates the latest in website technology:

• Cold Fusion to power the website with the most current information and news from a database
• Video Streaming in the “Schools” and “Videos” sections
• RSS Feed from the company and video blogs to the “News” section of the website

Just the beginning

This release of NAHETS.org is just the beginning. The site is designed to continually grow with updated company and industry information and news. We invite everyone to come back and visit the site frequently, as well as pass the word along to family, friends, employers, etc.

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) is introducing a new training tool for heavy equipment operators called, “An instructor in a pocket.” This method of training allows NAHETS heavy equipment students to receive instruction in video format via Apple iPods. The iPods will be used at the Northern California College of Construction (NCCC), as well as all NAHETS campuses.

Purpose. The purpose behind this training tool is to provide students with a visual learning resource to help them better remember their tasks and ultimately increase performance on heavy equipment operation. The iPod training tool (a.k.a. “an instructor in a pocket”) will ensure NAHETS students are beyond the curve in technology and learning resources for heavy equipment operation instruction.

Content. The iPod videos will have a series for each type of heavy equipment at the school. Currently, the skid steer series is available, with more to come. On each video series, an instructor takes the student through basic and advanced drills to show students what training objectives they need to complete and how to complete them.

Origin. The “instructor in a pocket” idea originally came from Matt Klabacka, executive director of NAHETS, and Rhett Nielson, media and creative director. They discovered the idea as they were working together with Chris Cannon, director of training and curriculum development, in implementing the Yellow Metal Boot Camp Program, unique to the construction and heavy equipment industry. They envisioned heavy equipment training beyond the traditional textbook, class room, and on-site instruction . . .

Yellow Metal Boot Camp Program. Yellow Metal Boot Camp is the “technology meets heavy equipment operating” curriculum created and implemented by NAHETS:

• Manuals
• DVDs
• Drill cards
• Online “hot tips” videos
• iPod podcast videos

The iPod training tool focuses on the “read, see, and do” NAHETS Yellow Metal Boot Camp philosophy of construction equipment training:

• “Read” it and forget it (textbooks, etc.)
• “See” it and remember it (iPod videos)
• “Do” it and understand (on-site heavy equipment)

For those of us who know construction workers and heavy equipment operators, I am sure most of them are males. Lets face it, shopping and bulldozers just don’t seem to match up all that well; however, many of us will be surprised to learn that there are more women employed in construction and heavy equipment industries than we would think.

The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau keeps track of statistics for nontraditional occupations for women. Here are some relevant statistics in construction and heavy equipment occupations.*

Although the statistics do not show a high percentage of women involved in these occupations, it is obvious that hundreds of thousands of females across the United States are interested in or already are employed in construction jobs, including heavy equipment operating. Similar trends hold true for countries outside of the United States as well. The following is a summary from an article written on November 8, 2007 by Matthew Craze on Bloomberg.com entitled, “Andean Women Use Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks”:

South America’s mining industry is being flooded by women who come mainly from the Andean Mountains to work as mining truck drivers. The main reason the women do this is because it greatly increases their income compared to typical work in the villages and communities they live in. As would be expected by some, the men did not believe that these women would last under the harsh mining and weather conditions; however, many women feel the same way as mining truck driver, Patricia Guajardo, who said, “The winters can be very harsh, but I love it.”

 

Despite concerns or issues regarding the performance of these female equipment operators, many industry personnel actually say the women have a better touch in operating than some men do. Cristian Silva, a truck and earth-moving equipment trainer for Caterpillar, Inc., said “Women tend to take more care of the machine and don’t abuse the brakes or the engine…Operating the machine better means more profits.” This is one of the main reason mining companies in South America, such as Barrick Gold Corp. and BHP Billiton Ltd, like the female operators—their performance actually cut costs and increase output.

 

It is a win-win situation with these South American women becoming equipment operators for mining companies. It not only allows the women to increase their lifestyle and show their capabilities but it also brings in profit for the mining companies. There have been few minor difficulties in hiring women operators (some have legs that are too short to operate and it can be hard to find them because many women stay home with children). Despite these obstacles, it has been a positive experience for both the women and mining companies of South America.

 

Until 19993, women were banned from working at mines in Chile. By 2005, women made up 4.3 percent of the mining workforce in Chile, according to Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer.*

So it appears that it is safe to say that women can experience success in construction and heavy equipment work, just as men can.

References:

*(1) Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2006. U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/nontra2006.htm

*(2) Craze, Matthew. (November 2007). Andean Women Use Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks. Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aAR9kj8RyLyU&refer=germany.

NCCCO was formed 12 years ago and is currently the leading Crane Association. The fact that Northern California College of Construction is approved by CCO means that we are held to the highest standards in the industry. When graduates leave our college, they take with them an outstanding crane certification that is recognized industry-wide. The employers that hire our graduates have a comfort level knowing that they went through a CCO certified school. Not only do they learn how to operate a crane, but most importantly-they learn how to operate a crane SAFELY.

To become NCCCO certified, each school must complete an application process, which includes information regarding instructor qualifications and program safety. NCCCO uses the expertise of one of the industry’s leading credentialing organizations: International Assessment Institute.

Being an NCCCO certified training school will assure potential students an prospective employers that Northern California College of Construction utilizes the highest standards in training and safety.Jeff Dorricott, College President

Our first start on July 16, 2007 was a huge success-the largest first start in the company’s history.  This is due to the high demand of heavy equipment operators in Northern California. 

The students at Northern California College of Construction our well on their way to a succesful career!

Jeff Dorricott

College President

The Northern California College of Construction opened its doors on July 16, 2007.

Historically, the male, non-traditional, college-bound student population has been under served. For women, non-traditional higher education is generally served through cosmetology schools, medical assistant schools, and career colleges. However, the male-dominated trades have been overlooked by the majority of the higher education community. Community colleges do serve a portion of the male population, but not to the level necessitated by educational demands.

In past years, students were given the opportunity to learn a trade by going to vocational schools. Unfortunately, these “trade schools” have diminished, and electronics schools are becoming obsolete. Electronics are no longer repaired-they are replaced. The training of welders, truck drivers, crane operators, and equipment operators have been lacking in recent years, leading to a shortage of well-trained professionals.

The educational community is not meeting the needs of several facets of the male population: the non-traditional, college-bound high school graduate, the high school graduate who is not college-bound, and the high school drop out. This large population is severely under-served by the traditional college educational products. Matt Klabacka, president of NAHETS, believes that the market is ripe for a product that provides an alternative to the current educational options, at the same time meeting the need for nationally certified heavy equipment operators.

Klabacka states: “Post-secondary students can be defined in five separate categories: the traditional college-bound student, the semi-traditional college-bound student, the non-traditional college-bound student, the non college-bound student, and the high school dropout. “

Northern California College of Construction aims to serve the needs of these students by supplying industries with a qualified, motivated, and skilled entry-level equipment operator.

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools, NAHETS was formed to improve upon and fill the needs of the equipment operator shortage around the country. A short review of Wikipedia shows that NAHETS is the nationally recognized organization to oversee quality and standards within the heavy equipment industry. NAHETS campuses utilize standardized curriculum produced by the National Center for Construction Education, and institutional standards.

Members schools and colleges of NAHETS must have the following:

* Full time campus director or college president
* Full time on site campus job placement director
* Full time on site campus financial aid director
* Full time on site campus admissions director
* Full time on site Heavy equipment training director
* Full time Certified heavy equipment training instructors
* 20 acre minimum heavy equipment training area
* 3-4 classrooms dedicated to training heavy equipment operators
* No other business conducted at training site
* Clean administrative facilities.

A heavy equipment training school that wishes to join NAHETS must have no other activity associated with the operation of the school. In other words, 100% of their operations must be dedicated to training heavy equipment operators.

“Our focus here at Northern California College of Construction is to equip
our students with a solid foundation to become successful as a Heavy
Equipment and Crane operators. We have built an educational environment
specifically aimed at providing technology with hands on learning practices.
We are here because we are passionate about what we do and that is what will
set our students down the path of success.”

Jeff Dorricott

College President

Jeff Doricott, president of the California College of Constuction, north campus, will be posting here. More to come on news from our campus.