May 28, 2008

BRADLEY FEHR

British Columbia crane operators will have their skills assessed in the field, rather than at a central location.

British Columbia pilots on-site skills assessment for crane operators

Operator’s certificate program takes effect July 1

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

The B.C. Association for Crane Safety (BCACS) has launched a pilot program for assessing crane operators, which is a key part of the implementation of new safety regulations.

WorkSafeBC plans to require all operators of boom, tower and mobile cranes to pass a mandatory written and hands-on exam by July 1.

Currently, tower crane operators in B.C. are not required to have any formal training or experience.

But, after July 1, a crane operator must have a valid operator’s certificate. To be in compliance, crane operators must hold a document issued by the BCACS, which states that the operator has passed safety exams and is fully certified or is registered for assessment.

The implementation of these new regulations reached a significant milestone earlier this month when the BCACS launched a pilot program to put crane operators through a practical assessment.

“We are moving ahead with the pilot of practical assessment and making sure everything works properly, such as the training of the assessors and the tools they will use,” said Fraser Cocks, executive director of the BCACS.

“We had the first go at the practical assessment in the last two days and are officially involved in the pilot program and testing.”

According to the BCACS website, practical assessment means an assessment conducted by a third party assessor and supervised by the BCACS.

The assessment involves spoken questions, as well as the operator using the crane to show that they have the basic knowledge, skills and ability to safely operate the machinery.

Cocks said the initial stage of the practical exam includes setting up the crane and doing the usual checks.

The exam then puts the candidate through a series of tasks to see if their skill level is up to standard.

“We did three practical assessments yesterday (May 15). We are doing more today and we will have to wait and see how many we get completed. It will probably be another three or four,” said Cocks.

“We are making sure the crane operator’s knowledge is there on the practical side, by giving them a scenario they would run into on a daily basis.”

The pilot program tested crane operators on site with the support of Sterling Crane, which is one of North America’s largest crane rental supply companies.

“Assessors are going out to sites as opposed to having people come to a central location to be tested. This approach relieves the operators of that stress of being tested on an unfamiliar crane,” said WorkSafeBC manager of industry and labour services Don Nelson.

The practical exam tested incumbent operators — persons that registered with the BCACS before July 1, 2007 or an operator coming from outside of BC after July 1, and holds an acceptable certificate.

Incumbent operator status will end on July 1, 2008.

As of that date, all operators will be required to possess their documented proof of competency as issued by BCACS.

Once an operator is considered to be competent, they will receive written proof from the BCACS.

If the operator is found not yet competent after performing the practical assessment they would be allowed to continue operating with a Level One or Two Certificate as decided by the third party assessor.

An action plan and a follow-up date will be set following the completion of the assessment. The operator will be informed of this date.

Cocks said the BCACS will define all the tasks required on the practical exam and put them up on its Web site in the near future.

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