November 8, 2013 -- While dramatic displays of gleaming new cranes dominating the Las Vegas skyline might be the first image that comes to mind when thoughts of CONEXPO arise, it will also pay to check out the brand new seminars on key crane and rigging issues that will be a major feature of the next event scheduled for March 4-8, 2014.
Though it’s certainly true that “new iron” is always the big draw at a show like CONEXPO, this time around the event organizer, AEM, has assembled a stellar lineup of presentations on a host of crane and rigging topics, many of them sponsored by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). The speakers lined up so far are veteran safety professionals and experts in their field.
Appropriately enough, the seminar track kicks off on Tuesday, March 4 (the first day of the show) at 8:30 am with a presentation on 2014 OSHA Requirements for Crane Operator Certification, co-presented by Chip Pocock, Buckner Companies. Chip should know what he is talking about; as a member of the C-DAC committee, he was one of the 23 experts hand-picked by OSHA to develop the new crane rule!
Later that morning, NCCCO Commissioner, Bo Collier, Crane Tech, will discuss reliability measures for effective training. Internationally renowned tower crane expert and member of the NCCCO Board of Directors, Peter Juhren, Morrow Equipment Co., closes out the first day with a thorough analysis and explanation of the new ASME standards for tower cranes.
But wait, there’s more!
And that’s just Day One! Over half a dozen additional presentations are scheduled throughout CONEXPO week featuring seasoned experts such as Bill Smith (NBIS), Bob Berry (Sims Crane), Ray Feidt (Stephenson Equipment), Joe Collins (Becht Engineering), Hank Dutton (Travelers), Skip Ohman (Crosby), and Jim Wiethorn (Haag Engineering).
So CONEXPO visitors will have at least a dozen good reasons during their visit to tear themselves away from all the outdoor razzmatazz and hullaballoo to schedule a different kind of “seat” time by signing up for one or more of these sure-to-be-informative and entertaining sessions.