As a safety coordinator, one of the most disturbing things I saw in 2021 was a video of an employee who was looking down at their phone while walking, slipped off a curb, and ended up being hit by a vehicle. Thankfully, that employee has fully recovered and returned to work, but this incident was a stark reminder of the ongoing pattern of distracted walking that needs attention.

Proper cribbing and blocking helps operators set up cranes or other equipment safely on a variety of ground surfaces. Blocking provides a foundation for heavy loads such as outriggers. Cribbing is used to support the outriggers at greater height than blocking can provide.

The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (CCO) has launched a new certification program for operators of concrete pumps.

CCO developed this certification in response to numerous requests from industry so that users can garner the same increased safety benefits that users of other load handling equipment have seen through certification.

We are starting to see more and more synthetic grass being installed in front yards and parkways as an effort to reduce lawns and the attendant water consumption. But synthetic grass or turf can be very harmful to trees if it is installed too close to the tree trunk, blocking the flow of water and oxygen to the root system of the tree, explained arborist Nick Mook.

All terrain cranes are mobile, agile and a rental fleet rock star.

The all-terrain crane product line showed up in North America about 30 years ago. But they were not an overnight sensation. It took almost a decade for these cranes to catch on across the continent.

Heavy lift engineers Mustafa Al Abdulmohsin and Hussain Al Nassir, part of oil and gas company Saudi Aramco’s Heavy Lift Engineering Group, a division of its Transportation and Equipment Services Department, explain how the company is taking heavy equipment safety to new levels.

Tadano has harmonised its telescopic boom crawler line as the GTC range, continuing its global ‘OneTadano’ strategy. It follows the decision to bring all mobile cranes under the one brand by attributing its all-terrain cranes as ‘ACs’ and its lattice boom crawlers as ‘CCs’. The GTC line will not change in the United States where it is already being used.

Chris Forman with Aspen Tree Service of Colorado is commonly asked how to provide the right amount of hydration for your landscape while staying conscious of water costs and supply. Finding the perfect balance can save money while helping to preserve and beautify our environment.

When a contractor expands into a new line of business, one would assume it's adding a complementary service like concrete or utilities into the mix.

But Turner Mining Group, a five-year-old mining contractor based in Bloomington, Indiana, sees it a bit differently. It views its strong internal hiring results as a complementary service for the industry. So much so that it's starting a new standalone recruiting and staffing business, Turner Staffing Group.

Offshore installation specialist Jan De Nul Group has ordered a high-end crane simulator for two of its Next Generation Offshore Installation Vessels Voltaire and Les Alizés

A new directive involving cranes and derricks has been issued by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The directive addresses training, inspections and certifications. The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (CCO) has offered insight into the changes.

Synthetic rope and slings have become increasingly popular in below-the-hook crane applications. Synthetic slings can provide the same durability and strength as wire rope at a fraction of the weight. This weight savings helps make rigging more efficient and reduces the risk of injury on the job.

Reinder de Haan, global segment lead for transport and logistics at Mammoet, speaks to Cranes Today about the company’s work in the oil and gas sector.

In general, heavy machinery owners can use the wisdom they’ve learned about their personal vehicles to keep machinery in top working condition. However, work trucks and other pieces of construction equipment have special needs.

M Labs Simulations, developer of Vortex training simulators, has issued a new software release for its construction simulator training packs. This new release is designed to boost trainee engagement by featuring heightened visuals, greater training immersion and increased learning retention.

Palfinger collaboration develops a system to enable its products to be electrically powered whilst on electric trucks

Austran manufacturer of hydraulic lifting, loading and handling systems Palfinger, together with ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Mercedes-Benz Trucks, are developing a system that will ultimately mean Palfinger’s entire product line can be electrically powered whilst installed on an electric truck. Key to the system is that the electric vehicle and the Palfinger equipment can share power technology.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the last two decades, the average age of the American worker has increased by almost three years from 39.3 to 42. More notable, however, is the average within blue-collar industries.

Over the last decade, the world has benefitted from technological advances that allow for widespread access to information. The field of arboriculture is no exception; a plethora of training and safety information is available at the click of a button.

UK-based Premier Platforms has become the latest rental company in the UK to enter the spider lift rental market.
The company has taken delivery of a new Hinowa 17:75 MK2 at its Thirsk depot in North Yorkshire. The 17:75 offers 7.5 metres of outreach at an up & over height of 7.8 metres with a 230kg unrestricted platform capacity, on a machine that weighs 2,230kg and can pass through an 800mm doorway. The unit was purchased from Hinowa distributor APS