Tower Crane Conference to focus on safety practices
Richmond, B.C. — Tower crane professionals from across North America and beyond will be meeting in Richmond this week for the second annual Tower Crane Conference, hosted by WorkSafeBC and the BC Association for Crane Safety (BC Crane Safety).
The sold-out conference, which will host more than 160 industry representatives, is designed for tower crane industry suppliers, owners, engineers, erectors and technicians. They will have the opportunity to hear and discuss the latest and best safety practices, including tower crane operation, inspection, standards, certification and new technology.
“There have been some tragic, high-profile incidents in recent years involving tower cranes, and this conference is an opportunity to share best practices and lessons learned so that we can address tower crane safety issues, and ensure the health and safety of workers and the public,” says Al Johnson, Vice-President, Prevention Services, WorkSafeBC.
The theme of this year’s conference is: “Taller. Safer. Stronger.” The keynote speaker is Dr. Story Musgrave, who was instrumental in repairing the Hubble Space Telescope and who understands the importance of equipment and worker safety.
There are about 300 tower cranes in B.C., with about 250 of them located in the Lower Mainland.
“While tower cranes are dotting the skyline across the province, particularly in the Lower Mainland, they continue to increase in height and lifting capacity,” says Fraser Cocks, Executive Director, BC Crane Safety. “Increasing construction activities and the development of high-rise commercial and residential structures is driving tower crane use.”
Between July 1 and November 1 of this year, there have been 22 crane incidents in B.C. Of those incidents, 58 percent were due to operator error, 37 percent to mechanical failure and 5 percent to control failure.
The one-day conference is being held on November 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel, 7571 Westminster Highway, in Richmond, B.C.
About WorkSafeBC
WorkSafeBC engages workers and employers to prevent injury, disease, and disability in B.C. When work-related injuries or diseases occur, WorkSafeBC provides compensation and support to people in their recovery, rehabilitation, and safe return to work. We serve approximately 2.4 million workers and 245,000 employers across B.C.
About BC Crane Safety
BC Crane Safety is responsible for the overall administration of crane operator certification in British Columbia. It provides leadership for health and safety development within the crane hoisting industry; serves as an advisory body on regulatory and safety matters; works closely with industry, labour and government to develop and implement new standards of assessment and certification; and provides leadership in the establishment, maintenance and support of industry specific assessment tools (theory and practical) which result in a BC Crane Operator designation.
For more information, contact:
Media Relations, WorkSafeBC
Email: media@worksafebc.com
Tel: 604.276.5157