Features
ConExpo education sessions to feature Canadian content

Several sessions of particular interest to those in the crane industry are among the more than

120 educational programs on tap at the triennial ConExpo-Con/Agg trade show Las Vegas this March.

There’s even some Canadian content among the sessions in the “Cranes, Rigging, & Aerial Lifts” track, one of more than dozen tracks of educational content at ConExpo, which takes place March 7-11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

What follows are brief descriptions of the crane-related educational sessions. Unless otherwise indicated, they are applicable to all levels of industry experience.

• What Does Certification Have to Do With Qualification? happens March 7, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Objectives of the sessions include understanding the role of certification in qualifying personnel; knowing the latest state federal requirements; and learning “how employers have put certification programs to good use.”

Speakers are Graham Brent, CEO of the National Commission for the Certification of Cranes Operators; Thom Sickelsteel, branch manager with Barnhart Crane and Rigging; William Smith, executive vice-president of claims and risk management with NationBuilders Insurance Services Inc.; and Dr. Roy Smith, executive director of Workcred, an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute.

• Quality Crane Inspection: What is That? takes place March 7, 1-2:30 p.m. Considered a intermediate level session, for those with six to 10 years experience on the job, it covers “when cranes are required to be inspected, who can inspect them, what qualifies a person to be a crane inspector, and how to know if you received a quality crane inspection.”

The speaker is Raymond Feldt, a corporate inspection/training manager with Stephenson Equipment Inc., a Manitowoc Crane dealer in Pennsylvania and New York state.

• Responsibilities of Onsite Personnel for Cranes is on March 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Learning objectives include understanding the roles and responsibilities for each job on the site and the training requirements for those roles. Thom Sicksteel of Branhart Crane and Rigging is the instructor.

• Mechanics of a Super Lift takes place March 8, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and repeats March 10, 1-2:30 p.m. Rated as a novice session, for those with one to five years of experience, it covers “various considerations for managing super lifts, including how plans are developed and checked, technical challenges, and how to develop a lift manual.”

The speaker is Joseph Collins, heavy lift division manager for Becht Engineering Co. Ltd., which is headquartered in Liberty Corner, N.J.

• Crane Assembly and Disassembly Checklists is March 8, 3-4 p.m., repeating March 10, 9:30-10:30 a.m. “This session will review the specific responsibilities when assembling or disassembling mobile and tower cranes.” It also includes selecting the appropriate crane, understanding site preparation, and “pre-delivery inspection requirements.”

The speaker is Jeff Hammons, who has “27 years of experience in corporate safety and risk management working for major contractors, engineering firms, and transportation and crane rental companies.”

• The Case for Cranes and Telematics: Specialized Circumstances & Concerns takes place March 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m. The session will include discussions of the specialized challenges telematics presents for cranes, and look at “how telematic management systems assist their organizations in lowering costs using data fields specific to cranes.”

The panelists are Ken Burke, country manager for Sarens Canada Inc.; Mike Lauer, training manager and project/account manager at OEM Data Delivery, headquartered in Shelton, Conn.; and Mickey Hammers, equipment coordinator for Traylor Bros. Inc., headquartered in Evansville, Ind.

• Root Causes of Mobile Crane Incidents is presented March 9, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. “This session will analyze a large number of accidents of mobile cranes over the course of more than 20 years.” It will explore the root causes of crane accidents; how behavioral training of personnel can improve safety; and “guidelines for proper maintenance, inspection and repairs.”

The speakers are Soren Jansen a consultant as well as a director of ESTA, the European association for mobile cranes and abnormal road transport; and Klaus Meissner, director of product strategy for Terex Cranes.

• Planning Load Moves: ASME P30.1 and its Practical Application takes place March 9, 1-2:30 p.m. Geared toward the intermediate level (six to 10 years experience), this presentation and workshop “will show the attendees how to identify the proper equipment and methods needed for a unique load handling assignment.”

The presenters are Joseph Kuzar of Industrial Training International, and ITI founder and technical director Mike Parnell. ITI is based in Woodland, Wash., and has a training centre in Nisku, Alta. Kuzar and Parnell are both familiar faces in Canada, having conducted sessions at industry conferences in Edmonton in recent years.

• Working in the Blind: The Impact of Technology in a Claims Scenario occurs March 9, 3-4 P.M.

Aimed at the intermediate level (six to 10 years experience), the session will look at “the role of hook cameras and other technologies, both on the site and in legal scenarios,” how plaintiffs might use such information, and the “best practices in crane technology.

The speakers are Arthur Kirkner, vice-president of claims with NBIS; and William Smith of NBIS.

• Lift Director: Qualifications & Requirements happens March 10, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The sessions will review the responsibilities of lift directors “in a variety” of environments; identify the common elements of lift plans; and the “prevailing standards and best practices” for lift directors.

The presenters are Hank Dutton Jr. and Scott Richert, who are both senior technical specialists with Travelers, an insurance industry giant based in Hartford, Conn., and which is also the sponsor of the ConExpo educational programs.

Prices range from $69 for a single session to $395 for a pass to all sessions, which is also included in the show’s Supreme pack.

For more information, visit www.conexpoconagg.com/visit/education/.