“In our industry competency is a major issue. Like with any job, it’s possible for someone to make claims on their application about what they’ve done or their level of experience, but when push comes to shove – you can quite obviously see if they aren’t familiar with rigging gear or the cranes.

It comes down to the processes that a company has internally to verify the competency of each employee. Before allocating any employee to go anywhere near a crane, we must make sure that person has the right level of knowledge, skill and experience.”

The CrewSafe verification process has specific criteria that each operator needs to meet as set out by CICA. Once each assessment is completed and recorded, the documented evidence is saved on the system as a ‘resume’ of the operator’s crane specific experience.”

We also have robust internal procedures for determining an operator’s knowledge and competency. Michael continues,

We need to make sure they know the fundamentals… every aspect of crane operations from the rigging and team communication to the different crane models and correct crane modes. This enables us to determine where their level of competency sits and what role we are comfortable to allocate them… or where extra training and familiarisation are required.

We understand that ongoing training is an essential part of maintaining a high level of competency within our workforce.”

In addition to this, we also do regular inspections every three months. These include topping up fluids and other minor tasks. Plant pre-start occurs daily where a full check of all engines, oil levels, assessment of the crane and all workable parts is conducted. This process is to ensure everything is in proper working order prior to any lifting operation.

We also have to ensure that every crane meets CraneSafe requirements, Australian Standards, site requirements and our own expectations.”

Within this inspection process we measure the area, determine access routes and investigate any potential environmental impact of the bearing pressure from the crane. This includes assessing if there are underground services such as pipes, electrical or other infrastructure, as well as natural resources and protected heritage. There are a lot of different factors that need to be considered. Once that assessment is complete, we develop a lift plan and gain permits as required.

The industry has seen many incidents due to ground conditions being incorrectly assessed, so we take this very seriously. As a company, we attempt to mitigate these risks as much as possible prior to any job.

Our operators and crew also conduct a visual ground inspection prior to every job, as conditions may change from when they were originally assessed by the supervisor. Geotech reports are also helpful as they offer validity of ground conditions and confirm the ground has the capacity to withstand the pressure of the crane.

When we work on suspended structures, we have to make sure the travel path can hold the crane as it moves into the work area. This is another instance when geotech and engineering reports are required. We make sure a crane doesn’t go in unless we know the ground conditions are appropriate.”

Our commitment to crane safety

Two Way Cranes is the leader in materials handling and specialist lifting – and we never compromise on safety. We have decades of experience providing cranes and crews on everything from small builds to major civil infrastructure.

To take advantage of our expertise and our skilled CrewSafe team, contact us for all material handling solutions, with safety and quality guaranteed.