The 2013 Crane & Rigging and Industrial Crane & Hoist Conferences made their debut in Indianapolis last week to a crowd of industrial and construction managers, crane operators, equipment suppliers, manufacturers and more. With presentations centered on safety, technology, and productivity solutions for crane and rigging professionals, attendees and exhibitors took away from the conference ideas and answers to questions about crane and rigging safety topics, industry trends, changes in standards and regulations, technology, and labor. Lined up to present these topics were industrial and construction professionals from safety organizations, contractors, manufacturers, government entities, and more.

"I really enjoyed the conference," said Bruce Bechtel, vice president, project management, Ace World Companies.

Attendees were able to interact with industry experts one-on-one in the exhibition areas and during the Coffee Break with the Experts, in small group breakout sessions specific to mobile cranes, overhead cranes, and rigging, and broad-topic joint sessions. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about:

• Simulators and mobile learning and their value for recruiting and training workers;
• Best practices for sling hookups that control the center of gravity and shares the load weight;
• The ASME P30 Planning for Load Handling Activities standard and the features and benefits of some of the top lifting planning products on the market
• Specific techniques for safe and effective use of rigging products like heavy-lift shackles, lifting devices like spreader beams, rail fastening systems for overhead rail-mounted and gantry cranes, and hoist brakes.
• Site and project management through crane communication methods, business process improvement techniques, inspection strategies, OSHA enforcement awareness, practical implementation strategies for OSHA crane regulation, analysis of the best accident prevention tactics.

They also participated in several hands-on learning stations, staged by Rigging Institute, NACB, HBC-radiomatic, InfoChip, and A1A Software, which were open during exhibit hours. The interactive sessions offered an opportunity to experience technologies and strategies for training, inspecting, and managing equipment.

"It was an excellent opportunity to introduce our training company to new companies. Alongside the presentation and inspection breakout we had an opportunity to have close contact with many of the attendees," said Mike Riggs, president, Rigging Institute. Riggs added that the event was a valuable opportunity for his company. "I would be pleased to do something similar next year," he said.

Source: Lift and Access Magazine