Crane Operators Test their Skills During September’s Regional Rodeos

Only one Regional Rodeo Qualifier event remains in the 2012 Crane Operator Rodeo, conducted by Crane Institute Certification and organized by MCM Events. In September, crane operators competed in crane safety and skills competitions created by CIC Practical Examiners in Houston, Texas, Wilmington, Ill., and Phoenix, Ariz. The last Regional Rodeo Qualifier will take place in mid-October before the top performers from all regional events will meet in Davenport, Fla., for the National Crane Operator Championship, later in the month.

The Crane Operator Rodeo underscores the need for appropriate operator skill levels to achieve safe crane operation. As the Event Partner of the Crane Operator Rodeo, CIC designed and oversaw the competition standards, set up the courses, and provided practical examiners as judges.

CIC Practical Examiners created three events for the Crane Operator Rodeo, which are based on the same concepts as the Crane Institute Certification practical exams for mobile crane operators. The activities assess the operators” load control, depth perception, and accuracy. Scores are based on overall precision and time.

The three Rodeo challenges included the Barrel Dunk, Barrel Weave, and The Pipe. In the Barrel Dunk, operators are tasked with dropping the crane’s headache ball into the barrel without moving the barrel outside of a perimeter or knocking the barrel over. During the Barrel Weave, operators maneuver a load, which is dragging a chain, through a slalom course without lifting the chain off the ground or knocking over any barrels. The Pipe event requires the operator to upright a pipe within a narrow perimeter and lay it back down again in the opposite orientation without tipping over any cones.

Regional Winners
On Sept. 12, Webber LLC hosted a Regional Rodeo Qualifier at Four Season Equipment Rental’s yard in Houston, Texas. The top two finishers at Webber’s Regional Rodeo Qualifier were John Blankenship from Deep South Crane & Rigging’s Houston branch and Joe Cowen III of Alliance Crane Service, Brenham, Texas.

On Sept. 15, more than a dozen crane operators visited the William E. Dugan training center in Wilmington, Ill. Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) hosted the event. Jason George, an operator for CG Enterprises, South Milwaukee, Wis., and John T. Rickert, safety coordinator for IUOE Local 150, Wilmington, both posted error-free runs during the regional competition.

In Phoenix on Sept. 22, John Seach of Marco Crane & Rigging and Jesse Pettit of Maxim Crane earned the first and second place positions, respectively. Technology Testing, a division of Marco Crane & Rigging Co., Phoenix, hosted the qualifier. Both operators had perfect scores, but Seach finished in less time than Pettit. Seach has 38 years of experience as a crane operator. He got his start with IUOE Local 324 in Detroit, Mich. Pettit has operated cranes for Maxim Crane in Phoenix for about 10 years.

In August, Empire Crane Company, Syracuse, N.Y., hosted the first Regional Rodeo Qualifier where Gregg Eldridge of Payne’s Crane, Bainbridge, N.Y., finished first, and Sean Noonan of Advanced Crane Services, Ringwood, N.J., placed second. The final Regional Rodeo Qualifier takes place Oct. 13 at Crane Institute of America’s facility in Sanford, Fla. The top finishers from each Regional Rodeo Qualifier will advance to the National Championship to be held Oct. 27-28 at the Ritchie Bros. Auctioneer’s facility in Davenport, Fla.