Crane Industry Leaders Call for Tower Crane Training and Standards Improvements
4/22/2009
Actions Taken as Crane Accidents Recur
Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2008) -Representatives of the leading crane
industry trade organizations today announced their support for enhanced
training and rigorous new standards for safe crane construction, operation
and maintenance. The announcement came less than a week after a tower
crane collapsed in New York, the second such accident there this year.
Expressing concern about any accident that occurs in the crane industry,
Joel Dandrea, Executive Vice President of the Specialized Carriers and
Rigging Association (SC&RA), said the tragic loss of life was particularly
troubling and completely unacceptable. He expressed the industry's
sympathies to those affected by recent accidents in New York and Florida.
Dandrea said a recently formed SC&RA Tower Crane Task Force has taken
on the responsibility of reviewing recent tower crane incidents and related
issues in order to put forth a set of industry best practices intended to help
prevent accidents and injuries in the future.
"Tower cranes are a proven, reliable technology that have been used
successfully in construction projects since the 1940s," Dandrea explained.
According to industry statistics, about 2,100 are in use in North America on
any given day. Using a conservative estimate of 50 lifts daily per crane,
Dandrea estimated more than 105,000 lifts are executed safely every day.
To sustain this track record, Dandrea indicated the industry "…believes
it is our responsibility to take an active and progressive role in establishing
safe practices and standards for our industry and providing the information
necessary for members and non-member companies to reduce workplace
accidents and injuries."
Dandrea and other speakers also called for increased training and
certificationfor crane operators and others as well as enhanced standards
for crane operation. An advisory committee convened by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in July of 2003 and including
SC&RA representatives developed a recommended proposal for the Cranes
and Derricks Construction Standard. This advisory committee, known as
C-DAC, negotiated all aspects of a new standard and submitted its
recommendations to OSHA in July of 2004. The promulgation process has
since languished within the Department of Labor. In February of this year,
SC&RA wrote to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to express concern about
the lack of progress in adoption of the standard and the resulting disservice
to the industry, to workers and the general public. That letter came a full month
prior to a crane collapse in New York that killed four.
Other industry leaders representing the National Commission For The
Certification Of Crane Operators (NCCCO), the Association of Equipment
Manufacturers (AEM), and NationsBuilders Insurance Services (NBIS),
echoed Dandrea's remarks.
Graham Brent, Executive Director of NCCCO, described his group's role
in developing performance standards for safe crane operation. Through
comprehensive training and testing, NCCCO certifies crane operators and
others to ensure they possess the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary
for crane operation—knowledge which has been assessed by a professionally-constructed and validated examination. By requiring such certification of
personnel on their sites, employers stand to reduce their risk of accidents, as
well as the accompanying financial and personal loss, Brent explained.
Nick Yaksich, Vice President, Global Public Policy, at the Association of
Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) said his group and its member companies
are working to ensure contractors using tower cranes follow manufacturer's
erection procedures, operating and maintenance instructions, and perform all
recommended and required inspections.
Bill Smith, President of NationsBuilders Insurance Services, Claims and Risk
Management Services, called training and standards the two most important
issues facing the crane industry today. He indicated that his organization's data
showed that the largest percentage of crane accidents occur as a result of
human factors and not as a result of any inherent flaw associated with the
equipment or technology. NBIS is the preeminent national provider of specialized
insurance coverage for crane operators, lessors, contractors and subcontractors.
Industry leaders indicated that an international World Crane & Transport Summit
will be convened in October 2009 on crane and transportation safety to promote
harmonization of standards, increase common understanding and promote
acceptance of industry best practices.
—— Abstract from www.scranet.org
Tag:safety, tower crane, improvements ,
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