Crane accidents this year have caught the attention of construction executives, leading them to tighten up their internal hoisting policies. Key strat�egies include mandatory, independent inspections, worker certification and new communication technology. Private contractors are phasing in new certification requirements for operators as well as workers on the ground. Starting in January 2009, New York City-based Turner Construction Co. plans to require all tower-crane operators on its projects to hold a nationally accredited certification. �We felt that as far as tower cranes go, we had a lot more work to do out there,� says Cindy DePrater, the company�s Dallas-based corporate safety director. Turner does not operate cranes but plans to stipulate this need in subcontractor agreements. Mandatory mobile-crane licenses may follow later on, DePrater adds.
On Nov. 15, general contractor Flintco Inc. hosted the industry’s first standardized test for crane signalers, produced by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. The Tulsa, Okla.-based builder helped NCCCO develop the program, consisting of a one-hour written exam and 20-minute practical exam administered on a computer. Training and testing to a uniform standard will help Flintco prevent accidents and improve production, says Shawn Cosby, corporate trainer. Twelve candidates took the test. When NCCCO rolls out rigging tests next year as planned, it is expected to round out Flintco’s policy of testing operators and signalers. “Three sets of eyes for every hazard is so much better than one,” says Cosby, who worked as a crane operator in the oil fields, where he says petroleum employers have adopted zero-accident policies. “If one guy got hurt, it was a failed project,” he explains. “They said, ‘These are the rules; if you break them, you’re gone.’ The paychecks were really good, and most folks conformed.”