CLICK HERE to read the Crane Association of NZ December 2019 newsletter.

Wow, where did the year go?  With the last month of the year upon us – and hopefully a stunning summer – this will be my final column for 2019.

There isn’t much to comment on that I and others haven’t done so in past newsletters, but I’ll do my best to raise the bar (excuse the pun).

The Council had a meeting last month where we discussed the Association’s and industry’s achievements, as well as the challenges that have arisen.

While we haven’t made any more progress on those obstacles, we’re confident their journeys will come to end in the new year.

However, with this in mind, another concern has piqued our interest – mainly, Sitesafe’s work with Construction Health & Safety NZ (CHASNZ) around the variations in requirements for people to gain access to sites and other construction work areas.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Karl Leonard is a bit of a gambler – not the Roulette Table kind but one who is willing to throw his lot in to try something new.

More often than not, his gambles pay off.

The newest of two Crane Association of NZ Councillors, he trained as an automotive technician, landing himself a near decade-long career at North Shore Toyota.

He threw it in for a four-year OE, travelling Europe and Eastern Europe before learning enough German to get by in Austria for three years – where he also met his now wife.

Returning to the land of the long white cloud in 2009, his long-time family friend’s business was growing and expanding.  So, he knocked on the new owner’s door and asked for “a crack at that parts manager role”.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Warren Rogers is a practical man – his role is often complicated, so communication between him and his team of 45 staff should be simple.

That way everyone achieves the same goal – to go home at the end of the day in the same condition as when they arrived.

“We haven’t had a yelling or screaming match here in some years.

“That’s due to our clear, open and honest communications.  I think it’s important and it’s bloody simple; the job can be complicated enough so it’s important to keep that aspect of the job simple.”

As the Operations and Customer Services Manager for Fletcher Construction and Manager of the mobile equipment for Winstone Aggregate, safety is a key component of Warren’s style.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

A prominent member of the Crane Association of NZ is calling for the introduction of legislation to protect subcontractors financially when either end property owner, clients or contractors’ default on payments.
 
Albert Smith helps lead the Smithbridge Group that includes Universal Cranes, Auckland Cranes, Gold Coast Cranes and Smith Crane & Construction.
 
He’s also the brother of long-serving MP, Hon Nick Smith.
 
Now, Albert wants government to introduce a version of America’s Miller Act, and reintroduce the Liens Act that the Labour Government removed from the Statute Books in 1987.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Crane operators are encouraged to work with the nearest aerodrome when planning for upcoming projects in air spaces in support of safety requirements.
 
The Civil Aviation Rules require formal notification of any crane activity that:
 
Extends more than 60m in height above ground level at its site; or
Exceeds general tree height in the area by 18m and is located in an area of low level aviation activity
Is located below the approach or take-off surfaces of an aerodrome or heliport
 
More information regarding the requirement for notification and authorisation of crane activity can be found at the following link: Civil Aviation Rule Part 77 – Objects and Activities Affecting Navigable Airspace. Notification of a Proposal to Construct of Alter a Structure using cranes is done via submission of CAA form 24077/01A.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Occupational Health Nurse, Marietta Duffy-Burgess, highlights the pitfalls around prescribed and non-prescribed drugs in the workplace – and what one crane company is doing to manage the risk in this month’s The Technical Corner.

The crane industry is confronted with another form of risk which requires health professionals to assist PCBUs, with the growing reliance on medical therapy as the primary intervention for illness from GPs.
Additionally, employees who aren’t taking or managing their diabetes with prescribed medication – or any medical condition that requires prescription drug management appropriately – can be just as dangerous in the workplace as someone who is using illicit drugs.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.