ABC Releases Report on Best Practices for Crane Safety

In June, ABC released a Construction Industry Crane Safety Summit Report compiling best practices and recommendations determined during the Crane Safety Summit held Sept. 25-26, 2008 in Houston.    

The Crane Safety Summit brought together 90 representatives from more than 60 commercial and industrial construction contractors, construction industry trade associations, employee groups, crane manufacturers, rental companies and insurers to discuss recent crane incidents and practical solutions often overlooked in the regulatory process.    

The Construction Industry Crane Safety Summit Report compiles general policies and positions based on individual participants" knowledge and experience.   Some of the guidelines include : using minimum operator qualifications based on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers" B30.5-2007 voluntary standard, “American National Standard on Mobile and Locomotive Cranes;” supervising both new and experienced crane operators; making sure crane operators are properly trained; and conducting “check-out rides” for operators who are new to the company, the type or model of crane, or who are operating a crane for the first time after achieving certification.  

The report also noted that, although there is consensus for a crane operator certification program based on the ASME B30.5-2007 standard, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training.   It is also not always feasible to customize training programs, although the industry would benefit from increased training courses and guidelines from crane manufacturers.  

Click here to read full article and report.