The Oklahoma College of Construction (OCC) was published in the May issue of the American Crane & Transport Magazine. Previously Wade Vakulick, director of industry relations and safety, contacted American Crane & Transport and invited them to visit the OCC campus to gather material for their upcoming May issue, which deals with crane operator safety and training. Although the site visit ended up not working out, American Crane & Transport called Wade and held a phone interview. The content of the interview is published in the article.
The article is entitled, “How safe is safe?” and focuses on crane safety and training . . .
On May 12 Channel 9 News (News9) covered a story on the Oklahoma College of Construction (OCC) in response to the recent crane accidents that have been in national news . The coverage features an overview and demonstration of the OCC Crane Operator Training Program, which is designed to minimize crane accidents by providing the most skilled and experienced entry-level crane operators. You can visit www.ok-cc.com to see the video coverage or click on the image below for full coverage. Make sure to watch the video!
I recently received a note from one of our graduates, Johnny Rodrigiez. Here is what he had to say:
“To whom it may concern:
When I started classes at Oklahoma College of Construction I had some doubts. The one doubt that hovered over my mind was ‘will I find a job and find one quickly?’ It was less than a week and I was hired to work at an ethanol plant in Minnesota.
My wages at the plant are on a prevailing wage setup so, I was getting paid $42.75 an hour. Now every job does not pay like this but they are out there. Now if not for the College I don’t think I would be hearing things like “you’re possibly the smoothest operator I have seen in a long time”. I have the instructors in my crane course to thank for that and the school to thank for the training that aided me in landing a CAREER!!!”
When I receive testimonials from our graduates whose lives have been changed as a result of their experience at our college it just reinforces my commitment to continue to provide the best crane and heavy equipment training available in the industry.
Tim McCleish, a recent Heavy Equipment Operations Level 3 graduate, came to our Director of Training Services, Scotty Gecks, a few days before graduation about joining the IUOE Local 234 in Des Moines, IA. He asked Scotty if he had any advice. Scotty advised him to be honest about his training and background and to emphasize that he realized he was just entry-level. Tim agreed and said he just wanted a chance. Scotty also told him that they would probably have him do some equipment tasks up front to demonstrate his skills, and that getting a job operating equipment is just as much an audition as it is an interview. The following Tuesday after Tim’s graduation he called Scotty. “You’re not going to believe this. Not only did I pass the test, which they said was journey level, but I am also starting work next Monday at $24.00 per hour,” Tim said. Tim also said the fellow who tested him told him he had seen a lot of applicants from “schools like this” but that he was the best trained he had seen. Tim’s experience is living evidence of what graduates can accomplish in the industry when they are properly trained and certified at an accredited training school, like the Oklahoma College of Construction, and other NAHETS schools. Congratulations to Tim!
All of us have seen the “yellow metal” on the road side while driving to work, but many of us do not know exactly what those machines are capable of doing, let alone know how to operate them. Sure we know that a backhoe can move dirt around and dig holes. Surely it can’t be that hard to get in a backhoe and just drive it around. But the matter of fact is that you don’t use a backhoe just to drive it around; you use a backhoe to operate it, and that may take more skill and experience than one may think . . . and surely there is more to a backhoe besides just moving dirt around…
To illustrate what it takes to be a true heavy equipment operator on a daily basis, we’ll take a look at a video hot tip from a NAHETS online industry resource–Yellow Metal TV. In response to an actual question from a heavy equipment operator in Wisconsin, Blake Vernon–Heavy Equipment Instructor for the Nevada School of Construction (NVSC)–takes us through a specific scenario on how to jump a ditch with a backhoe while a form board is already in place . . .
Last month, seven people died when a crane collapsed in Manhattan, NY; two others died in Miami after a crane collapsed. The incidents have not only triggered modifications for crane safety in these cities, but in other cities across the country. With only 15 states and 6 cities currently requiring crane certification, these recent events have caused many to visit and revisit the proposal for city and state laws concerning the matter.
Background
With few state regulations in place, the federal government oversees crane safety, largely through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One requirement is having a “competent person” to inspect all crane equipment before use. Although few cities require some form of pre-operations inspection, this responsibility currently falls mostly to the employers, who have authority to designate a “competent person” to inspect cranes. Employers are also responsible to make sure all employees (crane operators) are “competent,” “qualified,” or “certified” to perform their tasks; however, there is no set regulation on specific training programs or certifications.
OSHA does recognize NCCCO certification as verification of meeting OSHA training requirements. The NCCCO is a private certifying organization for crane operation. The 15 states and 6 cities that require certification use NCCCO certification.
Taking effect March 28, three days after the March 25 accident, this is a local ordinance in the Miami-Dade County. The ordinance was proposed by Audrey Edmonson, County Commissioner of the Crane and Heavy Advisory Committee. The proposal requires trained experts to inspect all crane equipment, the certification of all crane operators, as well as a hurricane preparedness plan. This proposal will ultimately give inspectors and building officials authority to inspect and decide if the cranes safe enough to operate; they will also have authority to revoke or suspend building permits if the cranes fail to meet safety standards.
This ordinance also defines tower cranes as “permanent structures,” instead of “temporary structures.” This basically means that the cranes have to meet the same safety requirements as high rise buildings, which means there will be more requirements to meet.
On April 29 the City Council’s Housing and Building Committe will hold a hearing to discuss changes in construction site safety at high-rise sites. In light of the Manhattan accident, the participants’ main focus is to ensure that all sites are safe for all workers and the public who walk around the developments on a daily basis.
The Buildings Department also started inspecting all crane sites on March 20. New York City officials have also ordered that inspectors must be on site to raise or lower any cranes.
On March 12, 2008, the LoJack Corporation released the results of its annual Construction Equipment Theft Study. The reports indicated that construction equipment theft is still a growing problem throughout the industry. Here is a summary from the report . . .
For 2007, LoJack’s report breaks down construction equipment theft into various categories:
Professional Theft Rings Continue to Plague the Industry
In 2007 police discovered eight theft rings and chop shops with the LoJack system.
These discoveries led police to find an addition $2.5 million in stolen assets that were not tracked with LoJack equipment.
Popular Equipment Make Popular Theft Targets
Newer equipment types are more popular theft targets because of higher resale value.
In 97% of cases, the stolen equipment was recovered in the same state that it was reported in . . .
LoJack’s Guide to Theft Protection
Keep Good Records
Focus on Physical Site Security
Use Theft Deterrents and Proven Recovery Systems
About the Study
The 2007 LoJack Construction Equipment Theft Report is based on state theft statistics and equipment recoveries documented by LoJack in 26 states from January to December 2007 . . .
Please see the complete reports results at LoJack Annual Theft Study.
NAHETS would like to express thanks to the LoJack Corporation for its services in preventing and recovering heavy equipment theft. In addition to working with construction equipment, LoJack also specializes in securing automobiles, motorcycles, laptops, cargo, and more.
LoJack Corporation. (March 2008). “Local Annual Theft Study Reveals Construction Equipment Theft Continues to Plague Equipment Owners in 2007.” Retrieved March 25, 2008 from http://www.forconstructionpros.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=4&id=9670&pageNum=1.
The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) launched its new corporate website–www.NAHETS.org–on February 28, 2008. Unique from the existing NAHETS sites, NAHETS.org is an information-based site that focuses solely on sharing relevant company information and industry news with an expanded audience–partners, industry companies and associations, and employers.
What is the purpose NAHETS.org?
Already with a universal site (www.NAHETS.com), a leading job placement site (www.yellowmetalusa.com), and program and curriculum-based sites (www.heavy-equipment-school.com & www.yellowmetalbootcamp.com), NAHETS discerned the need for a website that was filtered to the business relationships of the heavy equipment industry. NAHETS.org is unique because its primary purpose is to communicate to industry companies, partners, and employers, instead of primarily towards students as other NAHETS sites.
Central to NAHETS.org is that it avoids the heavy traffic from students while maintaining a credible reputation for the industry. Although the NAHETS.com site is a more “all-inclusive” site, its heavy focus on students can detract from the experience of those not looking to attend the schools; i.e., partners, employers, and industry associations. NAHETS.org maintains enough design and information to be useful to students, but mostly meets the demands of non-student visitors by focusing on relevant content for NAHETS and the heavy equipment and construction industries.
Where did it come from? Who was involved? How long did it take?
The concept of “employers vs. students,” or in other words, the idea of website communication to the business relations of NAHETS, in addition to students, has been a goal of Executive Director, Matt Klabacka, since he founded NAHETS in 2005. After various evolutions of the main NAHETS.com site, Klabacka realized that one site, by itself, was not enough to create the desired student and business relationships. After discussing the matter with NAHETS personnel, Klabacka launched the NAHETS.org undertaking.
With ideas coming from Klabacka and other personnel, including Mike Martens (Director of Operations), Rhett Nielson (Creative Director), and Brian Thornton (Technology and Marketing Director), Klabacka turned the creation of the site over to Mike Wille, Internet Manager. Wille spent months designing and testing the site before its February 2008 take off.
What are its features?
Wille created the site using a modern design scheme, making it compatible with the appearance of related industry sites. NAHETS.org also incorporates the latest in website technology:
Cold Fusion to power the website with the most current information and news from a database
Video Streaming in the “Schools” and “Videos” sections
RSS Feed from the company and video blogs to the “News” section of the website
Just the beginning
This release of NAHETS.org is just the beginning. The site is designed to continually grow with updated company and industry information and news. We invite everyone to come back and visit the site frequently, as well as pass the word along to family, friends, employers, etc.
Brooklyn Hearing Scheduled for Crane Regulations
