The article discusses how GPS, automation, and assistive technology in machines improve safety and productivity. Features like GPS tracking, automation in task control, and assistive tools for operators enhance efficiency and ensure safer work environments. Technology supports operators' growth and training, leading to higher profits and lower costs in the long run.

How acute is the need for new workers in the utility industry? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS), the raw numbers aren’t high but the percentage of expected growth is staggering. From 2023 through 2033, utilities is one of only two industries with an expected growth of 6% and only two industries have higher percentage growth expected at 7%.

Note that this article is about matching younger workers into utility jobs that are machine-oriented, mainly installation and maintenance of utility services. We won’t discuss office positions. Also, we’re talking about general trends among Gen Z workers, whose birth years are from 1997 to 2012 and whose ages in 2024 range from 12 to 27 years. These are documented generalizations; there will be variations within this group and some members will have few or none of these traits.

Austrian crane and aerial lift manufacturer Palfinger is scheduled to launch a new P6 Radio Remote Controller for its TEC (‘Technology’) loader cranes from January 2025.

Created in collaboration with Scanreco the controller is said to complement the Palcom P7 controller and complete the TEC range consisting of 11 models between 23.5 and 124.8 tonnes.

Winter can be a challenging season for trees, especially pines and other conifers. Understanding how these trees respond to the cold and what they need in winter helps to keep them surviving and thriving. In this blog, we’ll touch on some fascinating facts about pine trees and conifers, along with tips on tree health care to prep them for winter.

While working at a plaza in the Netherlands, a crane operator noticed a beehive-like structure reemerging from the dirt. It turned out to be a 500-year-old sewage pit with several rare wooden items inside.

Construction worker Sem Visser started digging into a square in downtown Alkmaar as part of a project to install an underground waste storage container. As he dug, Visser unearthed an old brick structure and alerted officials, the city’s heritage office said in a Dec. 3 news release.

Foselev Ardennes lifts 2.3-tonne load at a 90-metre radius to a height of 30 metres at an automotive manufacturing plant in France. “Lifting a 2.3-tonne load at a 90-meter radius to a height of 30 meters calls for a very high-performance crane,” says Christophe Blanchard. The seasoned project manager from French crane services company Foselev Ardennes knows what he’s talking about. Which is why he and his team opted for the Tadano AC 7.450-1 all terrain crane when it came to lifting a new air handling unit onto the roof of a PSA-Stellantis factory hall in Charleville.

As demand for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) continues to grow in the U.S. and globally, HDD equipment manufacturers have continued to expand their product lines. In many cases, it’s about breaking through barriers to new levels of power and performance. At the same time, advancements in technology have become a given as manufacturers seek to help their customers improve productivity, uptime, and serviceability.

MassDOT secures funding for drone project aiding infrastructure projects; Amherst explores new downtown design standards with consultants to enhance city's aesthetic and functionality.

The Aeronautics Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced recently that it has received $1 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and authorized to accelerate innovation in highway transportation.

Knowing bucket capacity and how to read a jib load chart are two critical elements of aerial device operation. While both tasks are straightforward, staying within the allowable capacity of the unit is very important. The platform capacity and material handling capacity provided by the manufacturer are not recommendations – they are absolute maximum capacities that ensure the machine is not overloaded. Overloading equipment can result in overturning or boom failure. Equipment damage may occur, resulting in costly repairs and a shortened, useable life for the aerial device. 

Biden administration Labor Dept. changes rule for vests, hardhats, gloves as one of its last acts. The U.S. Dept. of Labor announced Dec. 11 that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment standard for construction. The final rule explicitly requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it as protection against hazardous conditions.

Winter can affect many areas of the country, leaving snow and ice on the ground and creating slippery conditions. Cold, ice, or snow cover does not stop utility crews from performing line work. The damage from ice and snowstorms increases the workload and urgency to finish repairs. It also brings in new crews, who work long hours, to help restore power and repair damage from broken poles, downed wires, and fallen trees. The following outlines what utility companies and their line crews must remember when it comes to operating in ice and snow.

Britlift is helping to solve a lifting challenge for the world’s largest direct air capture facility of its kind.

Climeworks is a global leader in carbon removal via direct air capture and storage (DAC+S). Its technology draws CO₂ from the air and captures it for storage underground. The Swiss company recently opened its second facility, Mammoth, based in Iceland. It installed a 35t capacity overhead crane inside Mammoth in order to move its proprietary filtration systems called collector containers. However, it needed a bespoke lifting frame to ensure that the valuable loads were lifted safely and precisely.

A highly destructive tree disease has been successfully identified by detection dogs in the UK as part of a “groundbreaking” project.

Six-year-old cocker spaniel x labrador, Ivor, detected Phytophthora ramorum, having been trained by Canine Assisted Pest Eradication in collaboration with Forest Research.

The deadly tree pathogen can be fatal to more than 150 species including larch, an important species for timber.

A variety of detection training techniques, including initial scent recognition, were used to train Ivor to distinguish Phytophthora ramorum from other Phytophthora species found in the same environments.

One of the most critical components to influence the productivity and the safety of the utility crew on an aerial device is the boom. The boom’s ability to elevate, rotate and position operators into place is the single biggest factor in getting operators from the ground to an aerial worksite. To help keep the boom working efficiently, inspections should be completed on a regular basis – especially daily. The following outlines tips to remember while inspecting a bucket truck boom prior to use.

Luxuary Bahamas-based hotel Goldwynn Resort & Residences has taken delivery of a Stafford STF 7022 TL tower crane from Stafford Tower Cranes. 

Due to the crane’s location right on the coast Stafford said it had to take into consideration high wind factors. Despite this the crane offers a maximum reach of 230 feet and is capable of lifting up to 5,340 lbs at the tip. Safety and reliability are top of our agenda, says Stafford Tower Cranes. 

A Link-Belt Cranes 100-ton HTC-86100 truck crane played a key role in placing this year’s National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., an event organized by the National Park Service.

The National Christmas Tree, a cherished American tradition for over a century, symbolizes unity and hope during the holiday season. According to the National Park Service, this year’s treee is a 35-foot Red Spruce from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia. 

There are more than 660,000 street trees in New York City, and many of them are dangerously dehydrated.

Local arborists said street trees — which are peed on by dogs, mostly ignored by humans and occasionally surrounded by litter — are suffering during the ongoing historic drought. While trees in city parks receive more attention from caretakers, the pin oaks, blackgums, silver lindens and other trees along sidewalks are rarely tended to, said Nina Browne, community field manager at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Storms can wreak havoc on trees, leading to broken limbs, uprooting, and other issues. If trees have fallen and are causing damage, we are ready to assist with emergency tree services!  But it’s best to be proactive and with proper anchoring techniques, you can help ensure a tree’s stability to reduce storm and hurricane tree damage. This guide covers why anchoring trees is important, methods to anchor them, and steps to follow for best results!

In the construction industry, cranes are indispensable for lifting and moving heavy loads. But while the base crane itself is crucial, the real potential lies in the mastery of crane accessories. Understanding which tools to use and when can dramatically improve the functionality and productivity of your lifting operations. Let’s explore some of the latest innovations in crane accessories that every contractor should know to elevate their lifting solutions.

With increased demand from infrastructure projects and a global shift towards renewable energy, the global crawler crane market continues to grow. This crane type’s high load capacities and long booms are proving useful for wind farm construction. Niamh Marriott reports.

Manufacturers that include HSC, Kobelco, Liebherr, Manitowoc, Sany, Tadano, XCMG and Zoomlion are leading the industry, offering cranes with high lifting capacities and versatile boom configurations. Their cranes are not only crucial for traditional construction and industrial applications but are also widely used in the wind energy sector as the world moves towards sustainable renewable energy.

Caring for holly plants is generally easy as long as you understand the conditions in which they grow best.  These handsome and varied plants range in height from upright trees of 60 feet to creeping plants 12 inches tall suitable for rock gardens. So there is a holly for almost every garden! Tolerating acid soil, hollies are good companion plants for rhododendrons.  They’re known for their brightly colored, red fruit, but some varieties showcase orange, yellow, black or even white berries. The fruits sometimes lasts six months or longer, making hollies ideal ornamentals.

Lineworkers face the ever-present danger of electrocution as they work on or near electrical components. It is important and absolutely necessary to follow your employer's work rules, ANSI NESC requirements, OSHA regulations and the equipment manufacturer's information to reduce the chance of serious injury or death.  

Electrocution occurs when a person’s body is a path for electric current. The body becomes a path by touching, or getting too close to, two objects at different potential (voltage). The voltage difference causes the current flow. You do not have to touch an object to be a path. The electric current can jump through the air if the distance, voltage, and weather conditions qualify. 

Scott Young serves as president of Region North America for Volvo Construction Equipment, based in Shippensburg, Pa.

Young has some 23 years of construction equipment industry experience at both Ingersoll Rand and Volvo. He began his Volvo Group career in 2008. In his previous role, Young served as Head of Uptime, where he led teams to implement new technologies and business models focused on services and product support, in partnership with the Volvo CE dealer network.

In the construction industry, heavy machinery such as excavators and bulldozers is essential for getting the job done. However, loading and unloading these massive machines from trailers and moving them across city streets, sidewalks, driveways, or lawns to reach the job site presents significant challenges. Without the proper ground protection, the risk of damage to surfaces is high, and the resulting costs can be substantial.

In 2024, the construction industry in the U.S. continues to face significant challenges with workforce shortages, rising labor costs and economic uncertainty. Amid this backdrop, unions in construction are maintaining a steady presence, but the sector remains a battleground for discussions on unionization. Both unionized and non-unionized construction companies are grappling with similar issues, such as worker retention and the need for wage increases to keep up with inflation. Yet, unions provide a structured approach to addressing these challenges through collective bargaining, advocacy and training programs. 

To SENA or not to SENA…that is the question! Is it though? If you like speaking in a normal tone of voice, clearly communicating to your fellow workers, and maybe even enjoy the ease of taking or making phone calls without pulling your phone out of your pocket while high in the air, maybe, just maybe, a Bluetooth communication system like SENA would be a great addition to your tree care team. Yelling up into the air in fragmented sentences, highlighting keywords for you and the rest of the neighborhood is how we’ve always done it, but it does get exhausting and is not as professional as you could be.

For those considering a career in the construction trades, understanding where your inherent skills and preferred work environment align with the demands of the industry can be key to long-term success. The construction trades offer diverse opportunities that cater to various skill sets, physical demands and work environments.

Crane Institute Certification’s new computerised scoring tells an operator within hours whether he or she passed the OSHA-required practical exam.

When it comes to keeping your hands safe and warm in tough working conditions like harsh winters, the right gloves can make all the difference. Whether you’re facing cold weather, working with heavy tools, or handling metal, this roundup covers gloves designed to meet the demands of a variety of tough jobs.

A local arborist managed to rescue a cat in a tree in Rutland last weekend.

Shannon Hyde owns Sisu Tree Care. Typically his days are full of pruning, cutting trees and yard clean-ups in the fall. But he's also ready to jump into action to rescue animals, especially cats that get stuck in trees.

"Firemen, contrary to popular belief, they do not rescue cats out of trees," Hyde said.

This particular cat was up a tree for 48 hours when he got the call on Sunday.