Events ahead

Crane and rigging industry professionals will be informed of the most important trends and issues facing their business at this year's SC&RA 2007 Crane & Rigging Workshop. Held from 20 to 22 September at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, US, the line up of events includes speakers, educational and breakout sessions, committee meetings, an Exhibit Center and a review of the 2007 Jobs of the Year, among others.

The opening session, Safety 24/7, will be presented by Bo Brasher, an executive at Results in Learning, which specializes in providing behaviour-based safety, leadership and intercultural diplomacy for organizations and companies operating in high risk environments. Brasher will discuss safety in the context of reducing on-the-job incidents to remain competitive. Participants will discover how to build a behaviour-based safety culture in which individuals take personal responsibility for safety resulting in reduced accidents, injuries and related expenses.

Loss prevention and accident avoidance are the topic of discussion at Near Misses – Lessons Learned, a workshop session led by Phil Hooper from Southern Industrial Constructors and Terry Young at Construction Safety Experts. Reporting and tracking near misses is an important element of creating and implementing a safety culture.

How to Develop a Rigging Planning Checklist will be led by Bill Smith at NBIS Construction and Transport Underwriters, which administers SC&RA's member insurance and risk management programme. Smith will help participants answer such important questions as: Are rigging planning checklists necessary? How do you implement a rigging planning checklist? Also, how can use of a rigging checklist affect your company's safety and productivity?

A panel of industry experts will discuss Navigating Crane Rental Agreements, an important discussion that will help companies determine what to look for when negotiating crane rental agreements and how to restructure or update existing crane rental contracts. The moderator of this session is Kevin Cunningham at NBIS Construction and Transport, and panellists include Harry Baker at Southwest Industrial Rigging, Delynn Burkhalter at Burkhalter Rigging, Robert Hileman at United Crane & Rigging Company and Robert Moore and Bill Smith at NBIS Construction and Transport Underwriters.

If you want to still be in business 20 years from now, marketing could be critical for your company's growth. To determine where your company is on the life cycle curve, be sure to attend the session Leveraging Your Success through Marketing. Presented by Andy Patron of FMI Corporation, this seminar will cover marketing versus sales; how to stay competitive in today's market; and how to organize your marketing and sales plans to capture your markets.

New Developments in the Gantry Industry will cover a range of topics in gantry technologies and equipment. Presented by representatives of leading gantry manufacturers, the panel will address the various types of equipment on the market, their capabilities, applications and plans for the future.

Even if your company does not use gantries, this session is worth attending to discover the capabilities of this specialty lifting equipment. Moderator is Randall Goddard of Atlas Industrial Contractors, and panel members include Ben Forster of Riggers Manufacturing, Kevin Johnston of J&R Engineering, Brian Wagner of Lift Systems and Craig Welch of Bigge Crane & Rigging

Breaking out

Two breakout sessions at the workshop include Risk Management for Cranes and The Critical Role of Operations in Building Long-term Relationships. Presented by John Davis of Crane Certification Association of America, the risk management session will explore hidden risks, safety regulations, operator competence, risk control and defensibility from the crane owner and/or user's point of view.

Davis will describe a range of details that are frequently overlooked in day-to-day operations. Included are suggested checklists that can help the crane manager maintain control of risks. Hosted by Andy Patron of FMI Corp., the session on building long-term relationships will explain the life cycle of customer-client relationships and how each element can be used to translate into future business.

There are two additional breakout sessions. Proper Crane Set Up will be presented by Robert Hileman of United Crane & Rigging Company and Earl Johnson, III, of Southern Crane. In this session, attendees will learn the elements of proper crane set-up, for example, ground conditions, assembly, and more. The session will cover crawler, tower and all terrain cranes.

Proper Methods and Operations of Platform Trailers in the Rigging Industry will be presented by Jim Yates of Barnhart Crane & Rigging. Yates will discuss the use of platform trailers on the jobsite and how to determine if they are appropriate for the job at hand. Also, he will address the various applications and advantages of platform trailers in today's industry.

Two educational sessions will be held Saturday morning, both of which should be interesting to all attendees. Resolving Problems & Disputes on a Construction Project will be presented by Jeffrey Rosen of Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus PC. Rosen will provide superintendents and general foremen the tools necessary to effectively manage unexpected problems throughout the project. The workshop wraps up with a presentation of the 2007 Jobs of the Year winners.

Aside from the topical educational offerings, the workshop will have opportunities for marketing your firm's services as well as valuable networking events, breakfasts and evening receptions. First timers do not miss the reception in your honour on Thursday evening.

The annual Crane & Rigging Exhibit Center will be held on Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with lunch provided. The always-popular event gives participants the opportunity to observe new products and services available in the industry