NEWS
8
ACT
MARCH 2014
HIGHLIGHTS
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Link-Belt Construction
Equipment announced its top
five dealers for 2013. Listed
in alphabetical order, the top
sales producers were Atlantic
& Southern, Lake City, GA;
Consultants F. Drapeau, Inc.,
Quebec, Canada; General
Equipment, Fargo, ND; Holt
Crane & Equipment, Houston,
TX; and Mardian Equipment,
Phoenix, AZ.
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Crane Institute Certification
(CIC) has added a specific
designation for friction crane
operators to its training
certification cards. CIC has
always certified operators
of friction cranes but is now
offering a special notation
designating “Friction” on
certification cards for operators
who take their practical exam
on friction cranes. A friction
crane operator has to engage
the clutch and control the
load with the foot brake and
levers at the same time. While
manufacturers no longer
produce friction cranes, some
lattice boom models are still
friction operated and controlled
using friction clutches and
brakes instead of hydraulics.
Trail King designs
‘transformer’
transporter
Picking and setting
transformers are steady work
for Crane Rental Corp. But
they needed a transporter
that would allow them to
haul, pick and set these giant
power industry components.
So they approached Trail King
with their idea for a dual-lane
transporter.
Engineers at Trail King
began conceptualizing a dual-
lane transporter, now known
as the TK360. After months
of thought and discussion
on the engineering of such a
massive project, a final design
was put into execution in May
2013, according to a Trail King
spokesperson.
The trailer took seven
months to manufacture and
was delivered to Crane Rental
last month. The new transport
system allows Crane Rental
to offer a complete haul, pick
and set solution for their
customers. Plus, the new
transporter is ideal for hauling
presses, bridge beams, heavy
vessels, autoclaves, and more.
The TK360 will allow Crane
Rental to diversify and grow
their business into multiple
specialty markets.
While this trailer isn’t
necessarily the first of its kind,
it was custom designed to fit
the customer’s needs and is
capable of being reconfigured
to fit any future needs, Trail
King said. At present, it is
designed to transform into
as many as five different
configurations to handle each
specialty haul.
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The Trail King TK360 dual-lane transporter was recently delivered to Crane Rental Corp. in Orlando, FL.
OSHA makes headway in extending
crane operator certification date
For more information about
new trailers and transport
systems see our Product
Focus: Trailers on page 32.
Early last month OSHA issued
a proposed rule to extend
the compliance date for the
crane operator certification
requirement by three years to
Nov. 10, 2017. The proposal
would also extend to the same
date the existing phase-in
requirement so that employers
ensure that their operators
are qualified to operate the
equipment.
OSHA issued a final
standard on requirements
for cranes and derricks
in construction work on
Aug. 9, 2010. The standard
requires crane operators on
construction sites to meet
qualification/certification
options by Nov. 10, 2014.
After OSHA issued the
standard, concerns were
raised about the qualification/
certification requirements.
After conducting several
public meetings, OSHA
decided to extend the
enforcement date so that the
certification requirements
do not take effect during
potential rulemaking or cause
disruption to the construction
industry.
“It’s really unfortunate that
OSHA has to delay a rule
that has enormous safety
benefits, but in the way of
the rulemaking process, it’s
necessary to fix the rule so
that OSHA can interpret it the
way that it was intended to
be interpreted,” said Graham
Brent, executive director,
National Commission for
the Certification of Crane
Operators.
The comment period will
end March 12 and then OSHA
will respond to the comments
on delaying the certification
requirement. Then comes the
process to fix the rule, Brent
explained.
Comments may be
submitted electronically at
the Federal e-Rulemaking
Portal or by facsimile or mail.
See the Federal Register notice
for submission details and
additional information about
this proposed rule.
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