SC&RA Crane & Rigging Workshop returns Sept 22-24

A scene from the 2025 SC&RA Workshop in Indiana. The 2026 edition is setting up in Omaha, Nebraska, from September 22-24. Photo: SC&RA

The annual event draws crane operators, safety directors and operations managers from across the industry for three days of education, peer learning and networking.

This year’s session lineup addresses the issues shaping crane and rigging operations today, from lift director qualifications and rigging engineering to insurance risk and technology adoption.

The Exhibit Center will feature 92 booths, which will once again put the industry’s best manufacturers, insurers and service providers in one room.

Session details

The Workshop opens Tuesday afternoon with registration and the Tower Crane Committee meeting, followed by the First Timers’ Briefing at 5:30 p.m.; an invitation-only reception connecting new attendees with SC&RA officers, staff, and fellow first-timers before the main program begins.

Wednesday kicks off the committee meetings, covering safety education and training (SET), labor, and governing. The SET Committee will feature a session on Hard Hat Courage, a newer initiative from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention built to confront the high rates of suicide in the construction industry. Engineered to scale, the cross-industry program equips companies of all sizes with construction-specific mental health and suicide prevention resources and education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the issue’s impact on the industry, how to recognize warning signs and how to access Hard Hat Courage’s resources. The Governing Committee meeting features Lessons Learned, a perennial favorite in which members share near-miss experiences and opportunities for improvement.

The Omaha, Nebraska, skyline viewed from the Missouri River. Photo: USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

The afternoon Opening Session will feature Derek Sather, chief risk officer at Sims Crane & Equipment, who will walk through the role of lift director and its essential safety responsibilities on crane jobsites of all sizes; covering ASME B30.5 requirements, recent qualification updates, and when and how OSHA standards apply.

Breakout sessions follow, with attendees choosing between a one-on-one session with National Interstate’s captive insurance specialists and a look at synthetic chain, an emerging product without a dedicated standard that is gaining traction in lifting and tiedown applications, presented by Joan Porquer of Murlink.

A second round offers a choice between rigging design and load conveyance fundamentals from John O’Connor, P.E., Patuxent Engineering Group, and a session on tower crane maintenance as a strategic operational advantage, led by Ryan Harrison of Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental. Wednesday closes with the opening reception, Where the Heartland Meets the Hook, sponsored by Jeff Martin Auctioneers and Link-Belt Cranes.

Tackling pressure points

Last year’s SC&RA Workshop was held in Indianapolis. The 2026 version is heading west to Omaha, Nebraska. Photo: SC&RA

Thursday opens with breakfast and SC&RA’s Rigging Jobs of the Year, one of the Workshop’s most anticipated segments. This year’s winners present case studies across four categories: PSC Crane & Rigging showcasing two honors, joined by Sarens USA and Mammoet Americas. A keynote session follows at 8:45 a.m.

The morning’s breakout sessions tackle two pressure points familiar to anyone running a crane and rigging operation. The first, led by a panel from Gallagher Crane Division, Emery & Karrigan, USI Insurance Services, and Brown & Brown, examines what underwriters actually evaluate in a risk profile. The second looks at technology adoption, with representatives from Fleet Cost & Care, Ribbiot and WrightPlan walking through tools already delivering results in the field.

The afternoon session on ASME P30.1 lift planning, presented by Kevin O’Neill of Bay Crane Companies and Mathieu Chaudanson of Lawrence K. Shapiro & Associates, covers the framework for developing effective lift plans, from defining scope to equipment selection and execution. It’s followed by a hands-on accident reconstruction session from Jim Wiethorn of ICC Forensics, dissecting a real incident step by step.

Finally, the 2026 Workshop closes with Boom & Bat, a nod to Omaha’s baseball legacy and a final chance to connect with peers; sponsored by Kobelco Construction Machinery USA, Manitowoc and National Interstate Insurance Company.

Register at scranet.org.

Read more in this month’s edition of Americans Cranes & Transport magazine.