Whereas many think that digger derricks are just trucks equipped with a boom, a winch, and an auger, they can also be tracked vehicles, which outperform wheeled vehicles in rough terrain and sandy, swampy, and snowy ground conditions.

Hoists and hoisting operations have become safer over the years, but accidents still happen and sometimes they can be very serious indeed. Julian Champkin reports.

A properly maintained hoist, used as it should be by a trained and competent operator, is generally speaking a safe machine. Nevertheless its purpose is to lift a load to a height, which is an inherently dangerous situation. Regulations on the construction and use of hoists, and a generally greater awareness of risk, have in recent years reduced the number of workplace accidents involving lifting gear; even so, accidents still happen, as the recent examples of OSHA reports from the past 18 months show – and OSHA has several others from the same period. They include non-fatal injuries ranging from amputated fingers and toes to a crushed pelvis.

Last month, DICA participated in the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association’s (SC&RA) Annual Crane & Rigging Workshop in Dallas, Texas, which provided critical industry updates for users of cranes. The association reported nearly 600 people in attendance.

It takes training, trust and clear communications for a crane operator to safely lift and place tons of materials. The risk is high and the lessons for government contractors should be clear.

S.T.A.R. (Stop, Think, Ask/Act, Review) is a powerful tool that we can apply in any situation — personal or professional — to reduce the chances of being involved in an incident.

As an arborist, stopping is one of the first things we do upon arrival. When we arrive at a job site, it’s important to STOP and conduct a simple assessment that includes looking from a distance, noticing any dead limbs, or anything else obvious.

A new, three-mile-long Howard Frankland Bridge is being constructed over Tampa Bay in Florida, alongside the famous-yet-flawed original span. A mega fleet of over 20 Manitowoc crawler cranes is being used to drive sheet and concrete piles, adapted for use in the marine environment in partnership with dealer Walter Payton Power Equipment.

Engineered Material Handling (EMH) offers the G-Series crane kit to help users design, manufacture, and install their own cranes. By integrating the new EMH EG series hoist, users can expect more capability, including enhanced trolley adjustment, the company states.

The question of whether construction subcontractors are “employees” is in question once again, sparking debate among industry stakeholders over what that classification means and whether it’s necessary to ensure workers’ rights.

On Oct. 13, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to help employers and workers determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

any geographies had an extremely dry summer. How does drought impact trees? The lack of water adversely affects nearly all plant processes. Plants are unable to to produce food, which results in weakness and limits growth. Drought stress also increases the chance of harmful insect and disease infestation. Long-term drought can eventually lead to branch dieback and tree decline.

He’s back at it! Scott Sutherland of AJ’s Concrete Pumping in Vancouver, BC, and creator of the Canadian Concrete Pumper YouTube channel is using his platform to share best practices for concrete pump operators.

Simulation training offers virtual ‘seat time’ for crane operators looking to hone in on their skills and widen their career prospects in a fluid labor market.

Simulator training provides a competitive edge when it comes to certification and operator skills, while also preventing the wear and tear of equipment. As a win-win tool in a technology driven industry, the future of simulation training is bright. And the return for both operator and contractor, even brighter.

The Manitowoc 999, regarded as the contractor’s choice in the 275-USt crawler class for over two decades, extends its reign to the next generation with the introduction of the new MLC250.

You can’t miss it. Towering over Townsite for the past year, like some sort of gigantic stork, has been that huge, yellow, 183-foot-tall crane.

The crane and its operator are assisting in the building of the new wastewater treatment facility below Larch Avenue, where the old golf course used to be. Driving by, if you glance up, you may find yourself wondering, who’s up there? What are they doing? And how’s the view?

“The views from the cab of the crane are amazing,” said Rob Predinchuk, the crane operator who has been sky-high looking over the qathet region since August 2021.

TAIPEI, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scarlet Tech, a leading instrumentation and construction technology company, announced the launch of Hercules Wireless Hook Crane Camera System today. Hercules is a crane safety monitoring equipment for tower cranes, luffing cranes, mobile cranes, and other heavy-duty cranes. The whole system is an active safety technology that provides crane operators and safety managers with direct 2K live video footage of the surrounding area below the hook and other viewpoints on the construction site, serving as the second pair of eyes for crane operators and construction site HSE (Health Safety and Environment) managers to overcome blindspots and identify potential hazard zones.

PLEASANTON (KPIX) -- The Oakland Zoo has partnered with some local small businesses to recycle trees into compost with a little help from the animals.

Trex Donovan owns Buena Vista Tree Service out of Livermore. He's been in the arborist business for more than 20 years. All this week his crews are trimming dozens of trees at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

John Lukow, Vice President of Cranes for Custom Truck One Source, discussed the design features of the Load King Stinger PL-180, the company’s first A92.2 crane, live at The Utility Expo 2021.

The PL-180 is an all-new design purpose-built for aerial lifting. Immediately noticeable are the outriggers, which the company calls X-style outriggers and which are shared features among all of Custom Truck One Source’s crossover models. The structures of the outriggers all come to the center, underneath the bearing. “You have your outriggers tied directly into the bearing, tied directly into your seat, essentially. I have people talk all the time about how they don’t like the sort of twist you can get in some other boom trucks. You will not feel that on this crane.”

The alarmingly high rate of unemployed youth is what spurred a young woman in a white male-dominated industry to start a mining training facility, in the hopes of combating the plight of young people in communities.

New climbing crane design offers CO2 savings, minimised community impact, and cost benefits and could bring a step-change in the way windfarms are built, claims Vattenfall.

European energy company Vattenfall has said developing ever-smarter ways of constructing its wind farms will be crucial for it to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations towards net zero and to deliver more renewable capacity.

When it comes to lifting equipment, the electric utility industry tends to be more concerned about form and function than fancy bells and whistles. While technology is definitely playing a bigger role with today’s equipment, aerial lift manufacturers have provided a bottom-line lift by improving versatility and increasing efficiency.

Crosby BlokCam has introduced a new improved version of its X2 tower crane and M3 mobile crane hook mounted camera systems.

The updates include a new transmitter that can connect to up to two sensors upon request, a repeater that comes with ball joint mount, a new sensor with integrated audio and video plug and a new lithium-ion battery and charger option in place of the previous NiCAD battery.