Do You Need Crane Training?

For Crane Training in Alberta, Saskatchewan or NWT, actually all across Canada we have a CSA “Standard” that each Province in Canada will take it’s own “standard” from to develop respective OH&S standards for.

While there is no “laws” per-se as we are always asked about in many phone calls, there is the minimum standard required to provide specific training for specific tools.  

Did you know that OH&S officers have the power to charge you or your operator with a criminal offence if warranted.  If that doesn’t get one thinking nothing truly will.

A crane gets no more specific to lifting than does a Rigid 300 power thread unit to…well threading pipe, it simply doesn’t.  

Some of the training that also isn’t required to do business is the following:

  • H2S
  • Confined Space
  • Fall protection
  • Ground Disturbance
  • Bear Aware
  • First Aid
  • And on.

But wait you say, if I don’t have those “tickets” I can’t get onto the customers site!!!  Ahhh, so it’s up to your customers NOT the law.  There is NO laws that state you have to have any of the listed “certificates” anywhere, but it is very good business practice to have them.  

Yet I ask you if you look at all of the tickets you are required to have in Alberta to work on a lease site or really, any site now how many of them have you actually used day-2-day?  Yet…you have a crane on a truck and it’s used either daily or when needed but companies are resistant to this very crane training by saying: “We do in-house training“, Good glad to hear it now can you tell me where you took your training some may ask?    Again we hear “Online” (no joke), “From a friend” or “From the dealer” (a whopping 2 hours worth) or “I’ve operated every type of equipment ever made by man and haven’t had an accident” (another interesting statement), and on.

So suffice it to say, due to the fact your operators have never had an accident means they have no bad habits correct?  It means the person who “trained” them in-house has all the current factory insight and is very current on the specific standard for the [insert any equipment here] correct?  You have a valid and proper daily operator checklist that is actually more than 5 questions right?  You are current with your insurance company documents yes? 

Listen, you might say bitter apples to this post, no worries you are likely not a fit for our training.  However if you say “perhaps we should visit this in detail”, you are a prospect.

Also, pricing…ahh the white elephant in the room, we are by no means the least cost to your company, heck we will tell you who is the cheapest in the provinces, they already know it and are not shy about it.  They also offer that price for a 1/2 day training.  

First aid – full day, H2S – full day, Fall protection – full day, Confined space – full day and you seek to find crane training for a 1/2 to save how much again?  We are definitely NOT a fit to work together. 

We have factory trained instructors, offer full documentation, COR-secor documents, end of day summary and much more, if you don’t see the value we are definitely not a fit to work together.  If you need to meet a budget take the balance of funds from another program, or try the online version fro Hardhat training, it’s a mix of stiff boom crane, RT and others mixed into a “knuckle boom” course.   

So we get right now, cost control IS king, we too are in the same scenario we have lowered our pricing just not going to compete with those who know the value of their programs and if you want factory knuckle boom crane training and are budget capped, call us we have programs for you.

I welcome inquires on our very specific training, but if you are seeking the cheapest, well ask me and I can save you a bunch of time.  We welcome all inquires no matter the ask, contact us HERE.

HIAB Type Crane Training Program

When it comes to your HIAB picker safety training, why not go with the ones who have been trained by HIAB as well as Palfinger.

We’ve been to both factories, one in Perrysburg, U.S.A and the other in Salzburg, Austria.  The course we went on was for more advanced in terms of time and materials by comparison.  We were there for 5 full days in each location and more, so one of the reasons when asked if we have a 1/2 day training, we do but it’s more a safety walk around than a “training” program.

Light picker training is generally regarded as unnecessary and that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Like all training you take, it’s up to you and your manager to ensure you have the proper certification for on-site services you provide.  

If you have an accident at any point with the picker, you will be asked about the training you provided and the certification to support that.  We provide you with all of that and a lot more.  

Our picker training IS recognized by all the operators in the region (WCSB) as well as municipalities, construction and other industries!

Email us HERE to find out about our training.  You can also get more answers by checking out our FAQ page as well

So lets get to what your operators receive with our training program:

  • 3 year certification
  • wallet card
  • certificate
  • PDF copy of certificate for your records
  • Other documents for insurance and COR/SECOR
  • and more

The state of economics in the WCSB is not good, we now offer a payment program to you but the payment details are given prior to the training.  Ask about our new payment program when you connect with us.  Contact us HERE 

Call us at (844) 334-8847

Knuckle Boom Crane Winch – Clearing up the confusion

Who would have thought that a winch could create so much confusion on a knuckle boom crane in Alberta, Saskatchewan and other provinces as well.

The winch shown to the left is pretty unique compared to the one below.  What is the biggest difference you ask?  Well the one on the left is controlled by the cranes overload system, meaning it is tied DIRECTLY into the cranes controls and safety overload system.

Now, most if not all now should be factory supplied winch systems in Western Canada, but there are literally 1000’s of the “old-school” winches in service today and the issue is BIG against these systems as many owners more than likely already know…no A2B or alternate that will automatically stop the winch function WHEN the block hits the boom tip! 

So here we have a photo of an old school set up below, simple, just a line in, line out and line back to tank for pressure more than likely.  The issue is not if it works, but if it works well!   I have 100’s of photos of destroyed boom tips on the knuckle boom cranes due to this one reason alone! 

You see when you operate the crane, are you looking at the knuckle boom crane winch or are you looking at the load you are handling?  Yes it’s a rhetorical question but when you have to move your head back and forth vs knowing the cranes safety overload system has your back…

YES I know, you need to still know your line in conjunction to boom position but we are not talking about that right now.

Oh before we go, in Alberta if you have a knuckle picker and it has (likely) and older winch system on it, either way if that winch is capable of a 10,000 pound (5-ton) 1-part line pull capability, you will be required by the apprenticeship standard to have a trade registered operator at the controls.

So as always…feel free to comment as you see it..

 

Did You Just Purchase a New Knuckle Boom Crane?

Brand New Knuckle Boom Crane We often are asked about our picker training for brand new cranes.

If you are in Alberta or Saskatchewan and just bought a new HIAB, Palfinger or any type of knuckle boom crane, you may already have experienced operators in your company and that’s great if you do (how much experience do they have?), or you got a contract with another company and are looking to add a knuckle picker to your fleet but are not sure of the regulations, standards, laws, etc. 

That is where we come in and will help you through the “stuff” out there.  We cut through the noise in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories to get you what you need…INFORMATION!

This is what we also so, we can help you and your operators gain a better understanding of the new crane you just bought and our 1 day program will give your operators one of the best foundations you can give them (due diligence as per OH&S) and to ensure they operate the crane based on the manufacturers recommended practice. 

NOTE – you are also required to review all of the operator handbook that was given to you by the dealer.  There are some great videos as well as “how-to” in those books and videos!

What you should do first of all is differentiate the crane from the truck.  The truck and the picker need to be kept separate in terms of what is required to operate them.  Truck carry capacity, deck length, etc should have been sorted out by the crane installer and the truck dealer BEFORE it was installed, but…as always the consumer MUST do their own homework.

SO you went out and bought a new knuckle boom crane we help you understand what you need in Alberta to operate the picker properly, legally and safely?  It’s pretty simple, if your brand new knuckle boom crane can lift MORE than 8-tons right up close to the truck (what the load chart will tell you), then by the standards set forth in the province of Alberta, you should have a trade registered operator at the control of that crane.  That is a 1 year apprenticeship program that will give your operator the ability to run a crane from 8-tons up to 45 tons in Alberta.

In Saskatchewan it’s a bit different and a bit confusing.  I’ve been told that knuckle pickers in that province are labeled as “power mobile equipment” or “Boom Truck” and as such, give you a maximum allowable rating of no more than 5 tons!

SO,  either way we can provide you with what you need, what your safety management team want, what the standards outline and most of all, what you as the business owner want…a safe operator that will look after your equipment.  We do that!

Give us a call at (844) 334-8847 or send us and email by clicking HERE

 

 

 

HIAB Crane Training – Wabasca

HIAB light duty crane trainingI’ve had the pleasure of working with many folks over the past 7 years and in Wabasca if you have ever been there, well it’s got great fishing lakes, really great people and well, for me it’s got light duty HIAB cranes to instruct on.

The HIAB-055-CLX is a pretty darn good little crane, with 3 hydraulic extensions on it it picks near 880 KG at 9.3m.  One of the biggest complaints I point out and see all the time is that when this crane or the larger HIAB 077CLX -3 is mounted on a Ford F550 regular cab chassis, these cranes in Alberta are typically installed directly in front of the rear axle, which you may or may not know, is a fulcrum point so when the crane is fully extended to the rear of the chassis when completed, IF and I say IF the crane operator actually picked up the 880KG or 1,930 lbs full extension and tried to lift it up past the 3m point, the rear of the truck nose-dives and then the front of the truck will lift almost fully off the ground. 

Then we are told, it’s supposed to be 100% stable directly behind the truck and how again is this possible?  This is the world of LIGHT DUTY knuckle boom cranes. 

There are training companies that have very nice manuals, well bound, look good graphically but I’ve had one in my hand from a large college here in Alberta and it’s so full of wrong information regarding “light duty knuckle boom cranes” that it’s actually borderline dangerous to give to anyone.

Feel free to call us anytime at (844) 334-8847 or send us an email by clicking HERE, subject : Light Duty Knuckle Boom Crane Training and you will hear from us in less than 2 hours time.

If companies follow the guidelines provided and look up the CSA standard they offer up in the manual, it’s not even correct for the type of crane.  YET…there it is.  So even after reporting this I was told; “As long as the company is doing it’s due diligence by providing training, then the specific standards are less apparent”.  So folks, here is our solemn oath and guarantee to you – you WILL GET the right standard for your crane, you WILL GET the proper and crane specific training for your small, knuckle boom crane, you WILL GET the most current standard and OHS standard that you can actually use in your COR or SECOR program.

That you can take to the bank.