Online Crane Operator Hand Signal Training

If you’ve got anyone working around cranes, it is vital that they be trained in hand signals. The crane operator obviously isn’t going to be able to hear a worker when he or she suddenly sees a danger and starts screaming.

Radio communications aren’t always enough either. As anyone who’s worked around cranes will tell you the noise levels often make radio communication problematic. Additionally there are times when radios just aren’t going to available.

Whenever cranes are in operation it is mandatory that a qualified Signal Person be present. The qualified Signal Person must be trained and tested. Only the qualified Signal Person should perform hand signals, except in case of emergency when anyone on the job site can give a “stop” command to the crane operator. At certain times a third party signaler may be necessary to relay the signals to the crane operator if and when the Signal Person is not visible to the crane operator.

The Crane Operator Network has provided complete training for Signal Persons online. A 21 minute training demo is available for free and you can them take the complete course and get your Signal Person licenses for as little as $79.00/person (for 10 or more). You can either do it online or get a video shipped to you. They also have a testing center locator to get your people tested.

This is great training for first time Signal Persons or great refresher course.

Crane and Derrick Standard Finally Released

Eight years in the making, the new OSHA Cranes and Derricks standard has finally been released. Available online here, the new standard will be officially published on Monday (Aug. 8, 2010) in the Federal Register. It is set to revise the old standard (29 CFR 1926.550) that has been in place since 1971.

Numbering 1,070 pages, the standard is, to say the least, comprehensive and extensive.

The major changes are:

• Crane operator certification
• Synthetic slings (which didn’t even exist back in 1971) recommendations and specifications
• Clearer instructions for crane work around power lines
• Greater responsibility concerning the ground condition

Reaction has already been mixed with some saying that this new standard, in practice, changes nothing. Time will tell and hopefully, a decrease in lives will show those who voice those opinions to be wrong.