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PROFESSIONAL
CRANES TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS
Did you know
that until now you didn’t have to have any professional
qualifications to operate a crane in British Columbia? All that
was required of new hires was for job seekers to simply state
that they are a crane operator. While employers would still look
for experience and check references, there was still little to
ensure that a qualified person was hired for the job. Many
believe that this has contributed to a rise in workplace
accidents.
According to
officials, common crane accidents include contacting high
voltage power lines, cranes tipping over, booms bending due to
overloading, materials falling due to improperly secured loads
or rigging, structural failure of the crane itself and poor
communication between the operator and site personnel.
Given this,
hmmm.., terrifying proposition, given that tonnes of material is
being lifted above roads, sidewalks and buildings, WorkSafeBC
officials felt it was important to prevent future accidents. As
such new provincial regulations have been put in place requiring
all operators of boom, tower
and mobile cranes to be certified or registered for an
assessment by
July 1st,
2007.
By December 31, 2007, all operators must hold a certificate to
operate a crane that is endorsed by WorkSafeBC.
About 5,000
cranes are in use in B.C. in a variety of industries, including
construction, manufacturing and oil and gas. The province’s 250
tower cranes are primarily used in the Lower Mainland. For more
information about B.C. cranes or these new regulations, visit:
http://www.worksafebc.com/news_room/campaigns/crane_certification/default.asp
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