New for 2023 – Lower Light Crane Training Rates Are Now In Effect

We made a decision to lower our training rates for 2023 for one reason…

The energy industry has been clawed back for years, now it’s ‘booming’ out there. We keep hearing and many business owners are saying the same thing: “…Our training budget has been chopped, changed or reduced!” We are here to help!

The energy industry in Alberta and Saskatchewan is now crazy busy right now. We are hearing: “Yes it’s busy but we can’t find people, we can’t find people to use the equipment so we are having to change things up and train other employees that haven’t used cranes in the past”. This is a big challenge for everyone and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

So why are we lowering our light duty crane training rates?

Simple, not to worry, our format for picker training has changed only a little bit, but we are traveling further and training fewer people on customer sites from previous times. Budgets for large-scale training have diminished which is an economic outcome of the politics of the world today.

We now charge a travel fee from our office in Edmonton, so it’s a per km fee only + accommodations if necessary and we now have a minimum charge rate even if there are only 2-3 operators (we do not provide individual training classes).

This is not a decision we took lightly, given the current upwardly mobile price of fuel, food, even accommodation fees are on the rise. As a business we can’t afford to absorb these on a continuing basis.

You as the customer won’t be loosing anything at all, in fact you will gain the experience, certification, document control you need all within a tighter budget you have to work with!

It’s a win-win and we all agree, our ‘stuff’ is always worth more to be sure and in some cases where it’s ‘specialized’ as we do also have, our price model hasn’t changed. Our heart of the line knuckle boom and mechanic service crane training price is what has changed.

Please feel free to contact us for more details, quote for training service, or to find out what we train on HERE.

We look forward to training your operators on all light cranes in Western Canada in the coming year.

Picker Truck Safety Training in Alberta

If you are looking for light duty picker truck safety training in Alberta you are at the right place.

We will provide your company with safety training for all LIGHT DUTY crane operators in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.

We don’t provide certification for any crane larger than 8-tons (Alberta standard), or 5.5 Tons in Saskatchewan.

Our light duty Picker truck Certification in Alberta program is recognized by ALL major operators and other industries in Canada, as well as OHS and many insurance companies.

Certification is required on ALL crane types lifting more than 2,000kg (first pick on the load chart), by OHS standards
IF your picker lifts more than 8-tons in Alberta (the first pick on the load chart), you must be an indentured operator (apprentice or journeyperson), per Alberta boom truck standards. You can read more about that HERE.
IF you have a winch installed on your picker and the winch is capable of a single part line pull of 5-tons or more, you are required to have an indentured operator (apprentice or journeyperson), at the controls of the crane. You can read more about that HERE.
If you are a business owner and you are looking for picker truck certification in Alberta for your operators, please contact us HERE.
If you are a business owner, your picker training may provide an insurance premium reduction, contact your insurance company to discuss this with them. Some offer that, some do not.
We only provide on-site training for companies with groups of 3 to 11 operators in a single day (for basic certification)
We do not provide individual operator certification
Individual operators may not attend another companies training program due to their HSE and site insurance policies.

We have been providing picker operator certification for the past 9 years in Alberta and work with a large base of customers, training on folding boom (HIAB) cranes, Carry deck cranes, Mechanic service cranes and more.

See our training programs HERE Simply click on the tab “CRANE SAFETY PROGRAMS” and choose the type of picker you have and the training you require.

We will be combining our program to create the following picker certification program:

1-day basic crane certification
2-day intermediate crane certification (1 day crane, 1-day crane control)
3-day advanced crane operations (days 1 and 2 above), and a full day of rigging certification.

For more information on this advanced program, pricing, time-frame, etc. please contact us HERE.

Light Duty Picker Truck Training in Alberta

Light Duty Picker Truck Training in Alberta is a simple process and for many companies it is required and necessary to have.

IF your picker truck has a crane that will lift MORE than 2,000Kg as shown on your load chart of the crane, it’s the first number on the far left side or initial heavy lift number, and it is MORE than the capacity shown above, you are required to provide specific training for that equipment to anyone operating the crane as per OHS section 69 of the current OHS guide.

the programs we offer are from a one-day program up to a 3-day program that offers picker truck operator safety training to rigging training and load control training in those 3 days.

The one day program is our standard program and one that is widely used and accepted by energy companies, municipal organizations, construction and building supply companies.

For more details and pricing on what each one consists of, please send us an email HERE or call us directly at 587-209-2589 to speak to an instructor about your specific needs.

The areas we serve are:

Eastern B.C
Alberta
Saskatchewan

If you are based in either B.C the capacity is limited to 5-tons and under or a maximum boom reach of 25′ or 7.6m reach
If you are based in Saskatchewan the capacity is also limited to 5-tons and under, no restriction on boom length.

Effer Light Duty Crane Operator Training in Lloydminster

Effer Light Duty Crane Operator Training in Lloydminster.

We just completed a full day operator safety program and we used 2 cranes due to the high number of operators that attended. The program keeps your operators compliant with the OHS section 69 standard, as well as many energy operators now require proof of training and certification of anyone who does work on many of their sites to have picker specific training.

Our programs are 1-day, basic operator safety programs that do provide a certificate for a 3 year period, just as you would with all your other certifications.

The 3-day program is far more in-depth and is primarily for experienced operators looking to expand their level of knowledge, but can be used for new operators as well.

Although the expiry time is still 3-years, the information is far more in depth and the practical evaluation also includes rigging training.

We provide on-site, at your location, using your crane so you can reduce your expenses and not have to send anyone out. We also now work with local hotels and bring smaller groups or individual operators (minimum of 4 to hold this course), if you only have one or two operators.

Call us or email us HERE to find out more details, costs, etc.

Knuckle Boom Crane Stabilizer Pads

Are you using the correct size outrigger pads for the job?

A question we ask during each of our training programs to every operator and the answer is typically the same one: “I’m using what is or was on the truck”.

While it’s a fair answer, it’s not the right answer. The response I provide to them is also easy: “what type of soil conditions are you facing this day? While that seems pretty easy, the truth of the matter is also apparent and that is, these small, largely unregulated crane sizes were put together by an installation facility with little to no regard to ground conditions and it is NOT up to the installer to even put pads on the truck at all.

When it comes to safe crane operation, it’s entirely up to the owner of the business to ensure that the equipment provided to the employee has ALL of the correct devices on it to ensure to the best of their ability, a safe operation at all times.

BUT…and it’s a big one, there are 1000’s of these little 2-ton up to 8 ton crane trucks at work in this region on the daily. Some bought brand new, some second hand, some through auctions, etc. The point I make is simply this, over time the “new” outrigger pads have deteriorated, fallen off the truck, pushed into the soft ground, replaced with make-shift pad made up to some 2×4’s or 2×6’s sandwiched by some 1/2″ plywood that has been nailed to hobbled together.

Now is this bad? Well I can dive very deep into this matter but when it’s been discussed 100’s of times previously by some great operators nd engineers, why not just point you in that direction of the information on their site.

You can read the article (one of many), HERE. By ALLMI a top trade association and highly respected in the UK.

Now back to the hobbled pad idea. Why is this so bad. Lets do a shallow jump and use some information most crane owners don’t get to see right away from the manufacturers:

Basic load calculation you should learn as a crane operator of ANY size crane is how to determine correct size pads for the application.

Know the soil you are working on in terms of PSI or yield strength (see chart below)

Once you have determined this (how will you determine this is also the challenge faced), you follow the procedures outlined by your company policy.

In this case we will look at the Fassi F65 it shows a ground pressure of 288 PSI (rounded) a ground pressure.

Picker Crane Certification in Alberta

Operating a light duty knuckle boom crane is a big responsibility, as these small ‘picker’ cranes, as they are often referred to, are capable of hoisting loads that can, if rigged wrong and moved incorrectly, WILL harm people and property if not handled properly.

Here at Light Duty Crane Safety, safe use of the crane is our #1 top priority, which is why all your crane operators should be on your customers site with fully certified operators who are experienced in their field.

If you are looking into what certifications are required to operate a crane in Alberta so you can be sure that if you take our crane operator safety program and you have all the proper documentation, you might have the safest company possible.

Certification vs. apprenticeship program or “ticketed”, there is a BIG difference, if your company operates any type of picker, crane, etc. with an initial lift (on the load chart, heaviest number shown) of more than 8-tons in Alberta or 5-tons in Saskatchewan, you or your operator will have to take the boom truck trade program in that respective province.

Our program is for the UNDER 8-ton crane size (or 5-ton in Saskatchewan or B.C), these smaller cranes are often seen as basic and easy to operate, yet we see more of these cranes having had incidents that were preventable and avoidable with our ‘certification’ training.

Our programs are 1-day or 2-day (some of our crane operator safety programs are 3 days as well), but for knuckle boom pickers, a 1 day will usually satisfy your OHS and fleet safety needs.

Crane Operator Certifications Required in Alberta – There are both CSA and OHS standards to legally operate a crane in Alberta and all other Provinces in Canada, there are requirements that an individual must meet. Alberta crane operator requirements include:

Basic Education – This is not a certification specifically related to crane operation, most companies require their crane operators to have completed secondary school to ensure proper comprehension of skills, such as math, rigging, drivers training etc. that is required for basic equipment operation.

Crane Operator Apprenticeship – Like many other trades, crane operators have a training and apprenticeship process that they must go through to be certified to safely operate a mobile crane. The most basic crane operator apprenticeships start at one year and may last for three years and up. Once completed, an operator will be given their Alberta Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship. From there, they will be able to pursue certificates of proficiency and qualification, as well as their journeyman certificate.

Hands on Experience – Once an operator certification is obtained, crane operators must begin to gain experience to be hired by most crane companies. Most crane companies will hire operators with a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship and allow them to work alongside more experienced operators to mentor them to eventually work on their own, while others will hire them and allow them to work with smaller mobile cranes outright.

To find out more information about what certifications are etc. Contact us for more details HERE