Beyond Training
Personnel Testing and Equipment Inspections Round Out Safety and Productivity Services
Crane Industry Services has a mission to provide excellence in training for crane operation, material handling, lifting operations, rigging, and jobsite supervision. In addition to training and workforce development, CIS offers equipment inspection, minor repairs and maintenance, qualification testing, and certification testing for organizations in construction, utility, and industrial work environments.
Training and Certification
Scott Bridge Co., a highway and rail bridge contractor in Alabama, relies on CIS for training and certification testing. Justin Woodall, safety director for Scott Bridge Co., says the company has had about 20 mobile crane operators certified under CIS’s tutelage. He likes that CIS instructors came to his company’s yard to complete the certification training process. “They were able to come to our location, do classroom sessions, and use our cranes in our yard to do the practical portion of the certifications. Their professionalism and knowledge about certifications, and being able to prepare our guys for written and practical exams to get their certification, impressed us the most,” says Woodall.
He also appreciates the availability of CIS instructors. “Their availability has been great. We’ve been able to get classes scheduled in a timely manner. And, we’ve had good success with our operators receiving certification and passing both written and practical exams.”
CIS provides mobile crane operator, tower crane operator, and rigger training and certification testing. It administers ANSI-accredited NCCER written and practical exams to meet OSHA crane operator certification requirements.
Equipment Inspections and Repairs
“Maxim Crane Works had the largest crawler crane in U.S. history, the Manitowoc 31000, at the construction site of the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta,” says Barry Garrett, crane specialist for Maxim Crane Works. CIS was called to conduct post-assembly inspections of the crane in 2015 for the national crane rental firm. “We can call on CIS to inspect any size crane, and as the world’s largest crane provider, that’s very helpful to us,” says Garrett. “Industrial contractors and commercial contractors are going to third-party inspectors, and it’s important to be able to trust those who inspect our cranes.”
Garrett says Maxim has had a strong working relationship with CIS for about seven years. “We couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with. They are in tune with our schedule—We don’t always have weeks or months in our scheduling for inspections. We give them a call and say ‘Hey, I need something tomorrow’ and they always do their best. That’s big because in our industry we get those same calls from our customers, and we have to jump through hoops, too, to answer those calls.”
In addition to crane inspections, CIS staff offers MagnaFlux testing of crane hooks and wire rope beckets. Magnaflux is a method of determining the structural integrity of heavy construction materials such as the thick metal featured in cranes. This method of testing is able to take a tour inside the molecular structure of metal, as well as its surface, and give inspectors a clear idea of how sound the equipment really is. “CIS makes sure none of those items, the hooks on blocks, the headache balls, or the beckets, exhibit cracks or fusions,” says Garrett.
Larger industrial contractors will require a load test be performed on the specific crane Maxim provides. Though Maxim will perform the load test, it has to be observed by a third-party inspector and meet all criteria specified in the crane lift plan. CIS will send a representative to be a third-party observer, in conjunction with Magnaflux inspection. “We also know Cliff Dickinson, president of CIS, is a renowned authority on crane accidents, and it’s nice to have a contact if there were ever a need,” adds Garrett.
When needed, minor repairs to equipment can be completed while CIS inspectors are on site, making the process as efficient as possible for customers. This might include changing a wire rope; repairing or replacing a remote control; or removing worn components and installing new. CIS will help customers keep equipment in safe, working condition and in shape to be productive.
“Whether you are looking for specific skills training or help with productivity and efficiencies, CIS is uniquely positioned to help you build a qualified workforce—including field personnel, site supervision, and management,” says Debbie Dickinson. Consulting services include lift planning; employee selection and skills leadership development; personnel audits; and tracking of employee qualifications for specific machines, configurations, and uses
