CRANE CERTIFICATION

[Sign Lady]

Hey folks!  Hope you are all well.  Just curious - how many of you still have not gotten the crane certification??

 

 

[plyda]

According to my research, it is not required if your lifting capacity is less than 2000 pounds.  Since our sky-hook and jib are both rated for 2000 so i have not pursued the certification.

[Sign Lady]

Well, that's good to know.  I didn't know that part of it!  

[Mad Scientist]

Wilkie and Elliott are lowering their capacity ratings to a maximum of 1950 lbs. regardless of the feather you are lifting because they are adjusting to the the hassle of sign companies training people who then quit and move on.   If you operate a crane that lifts over 2001 lbs. get certified by a federally approved outfit to avoid OSHA problems especially if something goes wrong.

 

Noticed the price of heavy lifting cranes dropping on the web.

[Signsfast]

I am going to have my sx57 derated. what do they actually do just slap a new load chart sticker on the crane and send you down the road?

[Sign Lady]

Didn't know you could do that either!  Don't know if that would work for mine because it is a 17 ton Manitowoc - I think the max it will lift is 11,000 pounds - even though we rarely lift that weight.  Just looks like there would be some kind of exemption for the small guys like us that don't do that kind of construction work/lifting every day.  They are going to eventually make it so the small guy can't survive!

[Signsfast]

2 hours ago, Sign Lady said:

Didn't know you could do that either!  Don't know if that would work for mine because it is a 17 ton Manitowoc - I think the max it will lift is 11,000 pounds - even though we rarely lift that weight.  Just looks like there would be some kind of exemption for the small guys like us that don't do that kind of construction work/lifting every day.  They are going to eventually make it so the small guy can't survive!

Im interested in if you can for a crane that size

Edited May 9, 2019 by Signsfast

[Mad Scientist]

You need to contact the crane manufacturer to see if they can provide user installable kits.  Some do.  If yours doesn't then sell it and call a crane guy who is certified and pay by the hour until you figure it out.  I pay a few hundred bucks and a giant crane I could never afford comes out for a few hundred bucks.  No maintenance, insurance etc.  If you do a lot of crane work then find a lighter load rating truck or get certified since this kicked into effect Feb. 7.

[Batch]

We had a company come out and certify 10 of our guys. 5 passed and I had to send the other 5 and 1 new hire down to Miami to pass the parts they failed (mostly the math part of de-rating jib booms). All 11 now are certified.

 

 

Then in 5 years we have to re-certify. But, my understanding it will be a much easier process.

[Sign Lady]

2 hours ago, Batch said:

We had a company come out and certify 10 of our guys. 5 passed and I had to send the other 5 and 1 new hire down to Miami to pass the parts they failed (mostly the math part of de-rating jib booms). All 11 now are certified.

 

 

Then in 5 years we have to re-certify. But, my understanding it will be a much easier process.

 

If you don't mind me asking, was it cheaper to have them come to you??

 

[Bryan Wilkerson Wilkie Mfg]

Licenses for federal crane certification starts at anything over 2000 there are a few States and municipalities that have a different weight limits (or in one case lifting height) that may  apply for their own licenses or permits. 

As to having a crane rerated it has to be rerated through the original manufacture of the equipment.

I cannot speak for other manufactures but we do a rerate kit for every crane that we have built. It is a fairly easy install and it limits the load that the unit is able to lift and it also comes with new load charts and operations manual plus it is registered with us as a rerated crane incase there is ever a question on it. This rerating can also be reversed in the future if your operators get their certification.   

[paul321]

Obtaining your Crane Operators Certification is not as difficult as some of you think it is.
There are several organizations that do this.  Look for them 
It is cheaper then de rating your crane

The biggest issue are, You are paying for it. Continuing Education for those you that employ others and for yourself.
                                        Employees who are now Certified and want more money, or think they can call their own shots
                                        You now have Certified Employees who hopefully will operate your equipment safer  

And You are ahead of the guys without any License. Its just another bump in the road  that we deal with 

                                        
 

[Batch]

8 hours ago, Sign Lady said:

 

If you don't mind me asking, was it cheaper to have them come to you??

 

 

It wasn't a great deal cheaper. It saved my guys from having to drive an hour each way though. I also think it helped for them to take the class and test in a familiar environment and on our equipment in our yard.

 

Though it was a little hectic shutting down most of our installers and service people.

 

 

[wizzy00]

Here in Canada, for most parts you require a 0-8 crane sign erectors  certificate. It has been around for a least 20 yrs. I use to teach it for our province, but now is taught by other organizations. The reason this was brought into play, was due the fact the number of crane accidents with sign trucks. The course, is pretty well common sense and easy. Now, I try to quiz other qualified crane operator, who have taken course with other organizations to see the quality of their training. Sometimes I am shocked at how bad or how goos their training was.

De-rating the cranes, I do not believe is a proper thing to do, knowing that the cranes can lift more than 2,000 lbs, someone will always break the the rules and lift more, hoping they won't get caught.

By the way my favorite question is, what do you do if you should actually it a hydro line, lifting one foot will kill you, the answers shock me.

Thanks for letting this old guy spout off, and take the course

[Sign Lady]

12 hours ago, Batch said:

 

It wasn't a great deal cheaper. It saved my guys from having to drive an hour each way though. I also think it helped for them to take the class and test in a familiar environment and on our equipment in our yard.

 

Though it was a little hectic shutting down most of our installers and service people.

 

 

Thanks for the info!  

[eddielehigh]

As far as I know in the state of Washington any truck with a wench attached to the boom is considered a  crane and you must have a operaters locence to operate it. It is the fixed cab license which half the trucks up here are not fixed cabs they are walk around 

[cleland James a.]

tree service co. dont have to certify .

i operate a 35 ton crane.got certified last year...they guy came to the shop.8 tested and all passed..anyone needing to certify get in touch with me and ill give you his info....great instructor..awesome class...

[alukard123]

a de-rated crane is not only the lifting chart label that gets replaced, they actually install a hydraulic valve that reduced the capacity of the crane for waht the loading chart says and limits the maximum capacity to #2,000.00, that device must be installed and certified by a 3rd party, it gets tested witha 2000 lbs load, and its something you would not be able to easily remove on site, and it limits you so you will not be able to over load the crane as it will not work with anything heavier.

 

We already got 5 of our technicians certified, it was a bit expensive but is well worth it. for NYC since any truck with a winch is consider a crane, we have been removing the cables off to use them as man lifts and we only install the cables a few days before we need to use them as cranes. 

 

[wizzy00]

Here in Canada, for most parts you require a 0-8 crane sign erectors  certificate. It has been around for a least 20 yrs. I use to teach it for our province, but now is taught by other organizations. The reason this was brought into play, was due the fact the number of crane accidents with sign trucks. The course, is pretty well common sense and easy. Now, I try to quiz other qualified crane operator, who have taken course with other organizations to see the quality of their training. Sometimes I am shocked at how bad or how goos their training was.

De-rating the cranes, I do not believe is a proper thing to do, knowing that the cranes can lift more than 2,000 lbs, someone will always break the the rules and lift more, hoping they won't get caught.

By the way my favorite question is, what do you do if you should actually it a hydro line, lifting one foot will kill you, the answers shock me.

Thanks for letting this old guy spout off, and take the course.

I just read the last post, if they do add a valve to de-rate the lifting capacity of the crane, it would be nice to have any the crane companies to confirm this, and not just replacing the load chart.