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Mobile crane operators work in a rewarding, in-demand profession, and can make up to $60,000 a year or more. Getting a job in this field requires a unique skill set, however, as well as particularly specialized training in the field. Where do you get this training? And what skills can you expect to learn? Read on to discover what you’ll learn if you choose to pursue mobile crane training:
Preventative Maintenance
As a mobile crane operator, you’ll be responsible for some extremely heavy—not to mention powerful—equipment. For safety reasons, the cranes you operate should always be kept in tip-top shape, and that’s one of the skills you’ll learn in your mobile crane course
You’ll also learn how to keep the cranes you work within NCCCO-compliant conditions, ensuring the safety of both the operator and the other workers on the job site. NCCCO stands for the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. Preventative maintenance is an intensive job, so proper training is key. You’ll learn how to ensure all the mechanical parts are in working order: from hydraulic fluids to brakes, horns, lights, and everything in between. Your mobile crane operator course will also cover emergency equipment, such as fire extinguishers, as well as all the elements of the carrier itself.
Crane Safety
On any job site, safety is key, and nowhere more so than on a construction site that makes use of heavy equipment. Your mobile crane training will cover how to look out for your personal safety, as well as the safety of everyone else in the general area. You’ll learn how to identify any hazards that may be present, such as exposed electrical cables. You will also learn when it’s necessary and how to make use of all required personal safety equipment, including hardhats, gloves, and safety glasses.
When you’re operating a crane, there are many factors that can affect its safe operation. For example, carrying a load that’s too heavy for your particular equipment could unbalance your crane and lead to an accident. At a mobile crane training course, you’ll learn how the dynamics of heavy loads work, through the application of principles of leverage and stability, in order to understand how they affect your crane. You’ll also learn how unusual jobs, such as lifting a load from out of water or one that’s vastly off-center, will affect the operation of your crane.
Communication on the Job Site
Communication with your coworkers is key at any job, and nowhere more so than on a job site that involves heavy equipment. Indeed, using a crane in construction is rarely a one-person job. Instead, it involves a team of people, all working together to perform their tasks effectively. Sometimes, a job will involve several cranes moving their cargo in tandem. At other times, the crane operator won’t be able to see where the load is going and will need help from a signal person.
At crane operator school, you’ll learn how to communicate with a signal person. Mobile crane operators must familiarize themselves with ASME B30.5 hand signals: simple gestures to indicate which tasks should be performed. For example, a signal person might hold out an arm with their fingers closed and their thumb extended downward. This is the signal for “lower boom” and will tell the crane operator what they should begin doing.
Computerized Operator Aids
Of course, in this day and age, when you work as a crane operator, you can expect to have a lot of computerized help. While this will make your job easier in many ways, it can also mean an additional challenge. You’ll have to familiarize yourself with the computerized operator aids that are now a standard part of your equipment.
For example, many cranes come equipped with load indicators, which will digitally inform the operator exactly how much weight the crane is carrying and if it’s within safety limits. Your crane operator course will give you a good overview of all the most up-to-date technology your crane will be making use of.
Rigging
Any reputable crane operator course will give you plenty of field experience practicing rigging. Put most simply, rigging is the process of setting up your crane in preparation to move objects. While that sounds easy enough, as you might expect, there are many variables involved, and you’ll need a lot of practice to become confident at it. You’ll learn how to make use of wire rope, turnbuckles, jacks, shackles, and lifting bags. The right course will include plenty of time in the field, along with a classroom portion.
Practice on the Job Site
Your mobile crane training will offer you plenty of opportunities to actually use the cranes you’re learning about. There are multiple types of relevant equipment, and you’ll want to practice with all of them. When you enroll in a good mobile crane training course, it won’t simply teach you the ins and outs of the job in a classroom. You’ll actually spend a large amount of time working with the different cranes regularly used on job sites. You will have the opportunity to make mistakes in a safe environment with a skilled teacher so you don’t make them once you’ve been hired to perform an important job.
Finding the Right School
Of course, you’ll only learn the important things you need to at the right crane operator school; not just anywhere will do. Most critically, you will need to look for a school with an emphasis on safety, one that holds all their students to NCCCO standards and whose instructors are certified. You’ll also want a school that allows you a lot of time in the field, actually working with the equipment you’ll use. For example, if you’re able to do your training in the Pacific Northwest, West Coast Training is an excellent example of such a school.
