The place to be

Through thought-provoking education sessions, informal discussions, a review of the 2006 Rigging Jobs of the Year, and the Exhibit Center, hundreds of attendees to the SC&RA 2006 Crane & Rigging Workshop, September 20-23, will stay on top of changes in philosophies, technologies, equipment and more. As always, this will be the crane and rigging event of the year.

The opening session will feature ELENA CARR, drug policy coordinator, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Her presentation will focus on the Drug-Free Workplace Alliance, a unique partnership between industry, labor and government that works to improve safety and health in construction. Learn about SC&RA's role in the alliance, the prevalence and danger of worker substance abuse, and resources available to help your company protect workers from substance abuse's potentially devastating effects.

Carr contributes to DOL extensive experience working with unions and businesses on drug related issues unions and businesses on drug related issues, having previously served as the director of the Substance Abuse Institute at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies, director of Workplace Programs for the Corporation against Drug Abuse, and employee assistance program Coordinator for the Association of Flight Attendants.

DON JORDAN, manager, Houston operations, Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau, will conduct a review of frequent and periodic crane inspection criteria. In addition to addressing OSHA and ANSI/ASME requirements, record keeping criteria and proper crane set up, he will cover the responsibilities of crane owners and operators.

Jordan began his crane and rigging career with the Operating Engineers after attending the University of Houston. He has worked in various crane and rigging positions in the construction, crane rental, and petrochemical fields. His titles have included heavy-lift specialist, equipment manager, turn around crane and rigging manager, and accident investigator.

He is a commissioner and an accredited practical examiner for the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. Jordan also is a former chairman of the Houston Business Round table's Crane and Rigging Committee. He played a significant role in the rewriting of Chapter 752, a Texas state statute that addresses the use of insulator links on cranes.

PHILIP BECK - a partner in the Atlanta office of Smith, Currie, & Hancock LLP - will offer legal advice during his “Resolving Problems &Disputes on a Construction Project” session. He has drafted, reviewed and negotiated designand construction contracts on behalf of owner, developer, general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, architect/engineer, consultant, surety, and construction manager clients. In addition, he has tried construction cases before various federal Boards of Contract Appeals, state and local administrative bodies, and state and federal courts, and has represented clients in dozens of arbitrations and mediations.

Beck has written chapters on construction contracts and construction litigation in more than a dozen John Wiley & Sons books and numerous articles for construction trade publications. He also teaches a course onconstruction law as an Adjunct Professor at Southern Polytechnic University and serves on the Board of the Associated General Contractors of America.

TERRY YOUNG, president of Construction Safety Experts, Inc., will show how to evaluate your company's safety program. The emphasis will be on measuring upstream safety activity and results rather than the traditional OSHA or insurance indicators. In another session, Young and SC&RA assistant treasurer,

RANDALL GODDARD, vice president of Atlas Industrial Contractors, will discuss two SC&RA safety videos and their accompanying documents, Recommended Practices for Telescopic Hydraulic Gantries and Safety First- a Team Effort.

Young is on SC&RA's Board of Directors. He also is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. In 2002, he received the International Risk Management Institute's Gary E. Bird Horizon Award. He regularly writes safety and risk management articles for the industry's leading magazines, including American Cranes & Transport.

JAMES STANLEY, president of FDR Safety will provide guidance on how you can change your safety culture and create a world-class safety program. Stanley was an OSHA official for nearly 25 years, rising to deputy assistant Secretary for Labor. He moved to the private sector in 1996, joining AK Steel as vice president of safety and health. In March 2005, he moved to FDR Safety, LLC, which specializes in safety and health consultation, including general safety and health program development, training, auditing, regulatory compliance, expert witness testimony and safety staffing on-site.

James Stanley, president of FDRSafety

In January 2003 Labor Secretary Elaine Chao appointed Stanley to the 12-member National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. He also has served on the National Safety Council Board of Directors and Executive Committee and as chair of the Association of Iron and Steel Technology Safety & Health Committee. In addition, he is an honorary advisor to the Board of Trustees for Safety and Health for Industrial Educationand Labor Development (SHIELD).

PETER FITTON, P.E., executive vice president of Process Group, Inc., will examine the responsibilities of the project manager. His session will focus on contract review, risk analysis, project organization, and planning versus scheduling.

In 1980 Fitton first became interested and involved in industrial construction with the firm Lackie Brothers - a Canadian National Rigging & Millwrighting Contractor. In 1988, he became a founding principal and director of the Process Group of Companies. In his current position, he has responsibility for construction management of major projects with significant scope, price and schedule risk content.

RON CHRISTOPHER, lift truck sales manager at Royal Tractor, will discuss fork lifts in the rigging industry, covering everything from forklift stability to rigging attachments to OSHA requirements. He also will address concerns regarding modifications such as what you can and cannot do, when and how

Christopher has 38 years experience in the earth moving, construction and material handling equipment related industries. For 17 years he held key management positions in product development, applications engineering, and after market support at DartTruck Company, a major manufacturer of off-highway mining equipment. In addition, he has been a construction truck sales specialist with Oshkosh Trucks and with dealers for Volvo White and Mack. In his current position he is responsible for all lift truck sales activities, including dealer development, sales training, product application reviews, and the creation of technical sales support literature.

KEVIN CUNNINGHAM and BILL SMITH, executives from NBIS Construction &Transportation Underwriters, Inc. (formerly SRS), will show what, when and how to position your company to obtain the most competitive workers' compensation program at your next renewal. They will share underwriting, safety and claims information management ideas to provide to your agent to ensure optimal terms for you company.

Cunningham, president and CEO, has over 20 years of experience in insurance underwriting, claims adjustingand loss control for the heavy equipment industry. Operating as a Lloyd's of London underwriter and managing general underwriter for Travelers, Lincoln General and AIG, he is responsible for SC&RA Member Insurance and Risk Management Program administration and for offering competitive insurance options to SC&RA members' agents. Cunningham is a recognized national speaker and author of numerous articles in American Cranes &Transport and other publications. He has been elected as Commissioner of the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), and is a faculty member of the Construction Safety Council.

Smith, vice president of safety-risk mitigation, has more than 25 years of experience in the crane, rigging and construction industry. Previously, he worked in various roles at the U.S. Department of Labor, Maxim Crane Works and the International Union of Operating Engineers. He has served as a main committee member, ASME B-30 Safety Standards for Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Hooks, Jacks, and Slings; Commissioner, National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators; the National Safety Council A-10 Committee for Construction Safety Standards; member of the Steel Erection Negotiated Rule making Committee for Subpart R and the Crane Advisory Committee Negotiated Rulemaking for Subpart N.

MARTIN HAYNES, sales and marketing director at Fagioli PSC Limited, will highlight the development of strand jacks. He will explain how they work through case studies. Fagioli PSC offers a range of jacks from 15to 560 metric tons capacity, each based onlift cables of 1 to 37 strands of 18 mm (3/4inch) diameter, seven-wire die-compacted, prestressing strand of guaranteed minimum breaking load of 38 tonnes per strand. Jacksmay be used singularly, in pairs, or in groups to give any lifting capacity required.

Don't miss SC&RA's Crane & Rigging Workshop. Visit www.scranet.org now and click on the Event/Registration button at the top of the site to review the program, learnmore about the hotel, and register. Or call SC&RA at 703-698-0291.