Cranes and Lifting May/June 2021

THE DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR THE CRANE INDUSTRY / MAY/JUNE 2021

SPT MINI CRANES HAVE ARRIVED

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IN THIS ISSUE 10 Up Front SPT mini cranes now available.

14 CICA Presidents Report The industry settles into a new normal.

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16 CICA Regional Meetings Recent CICA Regional Meetings were well attended and insightful.

20 CICA Tech Corner The CICA Technical Committee examines the impact of Gross Vehicle Mass on structures like bridges.

22 Safety regulators Holding Redlich discusses compliance with safety regulators.

26 Working with health and safety regulators CICA is working with safety regulators regarding lifting personnel in work boxes.

31 Johnson & Young go big with Liebherr Johnson & Young discusses the performance of its new Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1.

34 Preston Group insights David Serg discusses the groups diversification and push into global markets.

38 Franna’s innovation New runner option provides greater lifting capacity where height is limited.

40 Baden Davis Crane Connection delivers Hawkesbury Cranes takes delivery of another used crane from The Crane Connection.

42 Borger Cranes and TRT celebrate 50th milestone Borger Cranes purchases 50th specialist TRT crane trailer.

52 Unapparelled time for equipment financing Mark O’Donoghue, Finlease founder and CEO explains more.

72 Pace Cranes launches all battery electric mini crane Preston Hire takes delivery of new all battery electric Maedas.

55 Manitowoc delivers Groves to Newcastle WGC Cranes takes delivery of two Grove GMK 5110-1s.

77 Resourcing the crane sector.

Jess Fox is well qualified but can’t get a full time job. Find out why.

58 Humma’s 25-year evolution DRA Group shares Humma’s development process.

62 Only with SpanSet Australia SpanSet Australia deliver bespoke slings in record time.

64 New Kato city crane for Cranes Combined Tutt Bryant delivers first Kato CR250Rv city crane.

46 Comansa’s new flat tops Comansa launches two new flat top models.

68 SANY and Ronco gathering momentum Ronco confirms Sany product is well received in WA.

48 Universal Cranes’ new AT40s Universal Cranes discusses the family succession plan and delivery of new Franna AT40s.

71 New small topless from Potain Manitowoc expands topless crane line-up with MCT 185.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

79 New Tadano for Coffs City Cranes.

Coffs City Cranes recently took delivery of a new Tadano ATF 130G-5.

82 A1A Software announces 3D Lift Plan winners La Grange Crane Services takes out the top gong.

84 UAA helps create indigenous pathways UAA sponsors a program which creates pathways for indigenous youth.

88 Working at Heights Association The second instalment regarding the importance of training when working at height.

90 Lift of the month.

May 2021 CAL / 3

FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM

WELCOME TO THE MAY/JUNE 2021 ISSUE OF CRANES AND LIFTING WE’RE ALMOST HALF-WAY THROUGH the year and with the COVID fog finally lifting, it’s clear the industry is in for a very busy period. Full confidence has returned to the most areas of the construction sector and projects postponed due to recent uncertainties are now back on the drawing board. By all accounts, enquiries and orders for new cranes continue at record levels and the used crane sector is buoyant.

With a return to busier times, articles in this issue are designed to remind everyone regarding vigilance around safety. Too many incidents continue in our industry. In April, a construction company was fined $500,000 following the 2017 death of a rigger working on the Barangaroo Ferry Hub project. He was hit by an unrestrained two-tonne metal headstock. This is a stark reminder that everyone has the right to leave for work in the morning with the full expectation of returning home safely at night. Ongoing training regarding safe work practices is certainly part of the solution.

The issue includes interesting insights into how the Preston Group is diversifying into a number of industry sectors in various global markets and how the collaboration between New Zealand manufacturer TRT, and major crane

hire business Borger Cranes, has led to a milestone 50th celebration. As you will see there’s a “new kid on the block” in the mini crane market, and Johnson & Young has generously shared insights regarding the new LTM 175—9.1. It’s quite a crane by all accounts. We’ve been very happy to collaborate with Underwriting Agencies of Australia by publicising their pledge to create pathways for disillusioned and indigenous youth in particular.

Australian designed and manufactured products is a strong focus in this issue with SpanSet Australia demonstrating how Australian Made was the only option for a time-sensitive lift. We cover Manitowoc’s ability to convert Grove all terrains from imperial to metric to meet Australian road regulations, and WGC Cranes examines the role these cranes will play in its recently opened Newcastle operation.

On behalf of the Cranes and Lifting team, we hope you enjoy the read.

Published by:

11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au CEO John Murphy E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Zelda Tupicoff E: zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Group Managing Editor (Northern) Syed Shah E: syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Editor Simon Gould E: simon.gould@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Marijana Mandir E: marijana.mandir@primecreative.com.au M: 0403 500 544 Client Success Manager Justine Nardone E: justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

Simon Gould Editor, Cranes and Lifting

Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director Blake Storey Design Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Subscriptions Frank Rapone T: 03 9690 8766 E: frank.rapone@primecreative.com.au The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

4 / CAL May 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Runner Hook & Sheave Option

The new runner option has been designed to create a higher lift point when the crane is operating in an area of low head room. The runner is adjustable and is designed for use with a swivel hook or with a sheave on 1/2 falls.

Key benefits: ⊲

Interchangeable between MAC 25 & AT 40 units with lower arm change

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Three configurations to gain hook height

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Runner with swivel hook – MRC 18t

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Runner with sheave 1/2 falls MRC 4.2t /8.4t

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Easily retrofittable to existing machines

Contact your local Franna Service Department for an estimate

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INDUSTRY NEWS CROSBY GROUP ACQUIRES BLOKCORP The Crosby Group recently announced it had acquired BlokCorp and launched a Technology Solutions business unit specializing in marketleading camera & alert systems for a safer and more efficient lifting industry.

The Crosby Group, a global leader in lifting, rigging, and load securement hardware, today announced that it has acquired BlokCorp Ltd (“BlokCorp”).

UK-based BlokCorp designs and manufactures innovative camera and alert systems for tower and mobile cranes. These advanced systems provide crane operators with critical visual and audio capabilities that enable safer and more productive lifting operations. The transaction marks The Crosby Group’s fifth investment since 2019.

With a growing platform of technology-centric products and solutions, The Crosby Group has announced the formation of its Technology Solutions business unit. This new division, inclusive of BlokCorp, Crosby Straightpoint, and the strategic collaboration with Verton, will enable a heightened focus on creating disruptive and integrated lifting technologies. The Technology Solutions business unit broadens The Crosby Group’s portfolio of products and solutions that delivers safety and productivity to every jobsite.

Robert Desel, CEO of The Crosby Group, said: “We are very excited to expand our technology offering with BlokCorp, a pioneer in delivering solutions for safer lifting operations.

BlokCorp, will bring tremendous value to our customers and channel partners and serve as a strong foundation to our new Technology Solutions division.”

BlokCorp solutions include BlokCam camera systems for tower and mobile cranes. Additionally, BlokCorp recently launched BlokAlert, an audio/visual warning system to alert crane operators when workers are in harm’s way. Going forward, the BlokCorp portfolio will go to market www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The new division will enable a heightened focus on creating disruptive and integrated lifting technologies.

under the brand Crosby BlokCam. Peter Hird and Ben Windass, CoManaging Directors for BlokCorp added: “This is an exciting new chapter for BlokCorp, our employees and our customers. Both The Crosby Group

and BlokCorp share a passion for safety, reliability, and innovation. With The Crosby Group’s global presence, we can expand our reach and better enable our customers’ safe operations, together.”

May 2021 CAL / 7

INDUSTRY NEWS SHAKING UP THE CRANE INDUSTRY Local crane companies Cranecorp and Tutt Bryant, two leading crane companies in Western Australia, whose respective track records and reputations are acknowledged in the market, have established a joint-venture.

Coming together with a shared vision of “Achieving New Heights”, the Cranecorp Tutt Bryant Joint-Venture aims to create a single “all-in-one” source of supply for cranes, heavy lifting, heavy transportation and alternative lift & shift solutions.

The joint-venture brings together the unique capabilities of two specialists, offering: • both companies’ combined experience, fleet composition and geographical locations that are unparalleled across Western Australia and beyond; • existing customers a full range of services and equipment while retaining the tried and true service experience they have come to trust from each of joint-venture party; and • prospective customers a broad range of services, equipment and innovative solutions not currently available from any other single provider.

Through the Cranecorp Tutt Bryant Joint-Venture, customers can be assured of a seamless experience with a single point of contact, common set of documentation and processes, extensive service support capabilities, and a 200-strong internal pool of labour.

The combined fleet of assets include: • Crawler cranes up to 1,600t capacity • Mobile cranes up to 500t capacity (shortly to be increased to 650t) • Specialised transport, including SPT, SPMT, gantry and alternative lift & shift • General equipment, including access, lighting, power, traffic management and more With the joint-venture, the capabilities and scopes of service include: 8 / CAL May 2021

With the joint-venture, existing customers can be assured of a single point of contact, common set of documentation and processes, and extensive support capabilities.

• Design and engineering • Project planning and project management • Turnkey heavy lifting and transportation • Equipment hire, both wet and dry

• Specialist labour hire The Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JointVenture is a unique proposition that seeks to provide customers with a strong and compelling choice to meet their major project needs. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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UP FRONT / SPT MINI CRANES

SPT MINI CRANES LAND DOWN UNDER Jones Equipment Sales recently announced it had been appointed as the national distributor for the SPT range of mini cranes.

Michael Khamas and Mitch Jones, Jones Equipment Sales.

JONES EQUIPMENT SALES HAS A STRONG background in civil engineering and construction and has been selling horizontal directional drills in this sector for 15 years. The business was recently appointed the National Distributor for the SPT range of mini cranes.

Mitch Jones, director and Michael Khamas CEO at Jones Equipment Sales explain more about the development and elaborate on their plans for the brand.

“For some time, I’ve been importing, selling and supporting horizontal directional drills for numerous customers. A business associate, who works with cranes, suggested I should look at the SPT range of mini cranes as they were not represented in this part of 10 / CAL May 2021

the world.

“We had a good look at the website and then contacted the SPT factory.

We had a number of conversations and meetings before accepting the role as National Distributor for Australasia, for the full range of SPT mini cranes,” said Jones.

“Being an overseas manufacturer, we obviously had a good look at the quality of the product in relation to compliance and Australian Standards. The machines are powered by Yanmar motors and all other components are top quality.

SPT are in the top three of world manufacturers specialising in mini cranes. They are good at what they do.

SPT has a dealer network throughout Europe where the brand is popular.

They are also represented in Malaysia,

Singapore and Korea. We can see the SPT mini crane range being a viable alternative and a competitive product to the other available mini crane brands on the Australasian market,” he said.

According to Khamas, the decision to work with the SPT product wasn’t taken likely, and both he and Jones wanted to be sure there would be demand for the product.

“With planning and due diligence and after conducting market research.

We investigated crane hire businesses and end users asking which brand of mini crane they would be most interested in, beyond the brands already on the market. Interestingly SPT came up time and again. We then entered into the agreement with SPT,” he said.

“We would have had products here www.cranesandlifting.com.au

much sooner, but COVID slowed down shipments of product. But we are here now and we want the market to know SPT mini cranes are here and ready to go,” he said.

Khamas confirmed there were a number of SPT units operating in Australia with crane businesses buying these direct from the factory.

“There are some units already operating in the market and we have spoken to the owners of these machines.

We were reassured to hear that SPT is a good quality and reliable brand of mini crane,” he said.

“We have also been impressed with the quality of the cranes we have seen. Obviously, pre-delivery is being conducted on everything and they have been CraneSafe approved to ensure they meet Australian and also EN 13000 standards. Every nut and bolt is tagged to confirm it has been checked and every machine is tested by the crane inspectors,” said Khamas.

The full range of SPT cranes will be available through Jones Equipment Sales says Khamas.

“We will be bringing in the full range with capacities starting at 2 tonne with the SPT 199 ranging up to 10 tonne capacity with the SPT 1009 with three models in between. The SPT 199 is only 600mm wide and will fit through a standard doorway. It has a lifting capacity of 2t at almost 2.0m and a maximum working radius of 5.9m. The SPT 1009 has a lifting capacity of 10t at 2.5m and a maximum working radius of 19m. You can also increase the reach with a jib and fly,” he said.

Remote control is standard on all models and each feature the Yanmar diesel engine and also an electric motor, says Khamas.

“You can drive the crane into a building and hook it up to a power source and there will be no concerns about emissions in enclosed areas. We can also provide non marking tracks for when the cranes are operating in more sensitive buildings. There is also a fully battery model on the way. This has already been successfully launched www.cranesandlifting.com.au

SPT Mini Cranes’ compact design provides versatility in confined operating areas.

in Europe and we’ll see this product arrive in the coming months.

“They are extremely versatile cranes.

You can work with them underground, on top of buildings and the safety features are state of the art. All of this is backed by a full two year warranty,’ he said.

Jones explains how he plans to bring the SPT range to market through the appointment of dealers in each state.

“We are in talks with a number of potential dealers across the country.

Right now, we are close to securing a dealer in Western Australia. They have their own service and support set up which will be important for customers.

We are also speaking to potential dealers in Brisbane and Victoria. We are close to having a comprehensive network of

dealers for the product in place. All are super excited to get their hands on the cranes,” he said.

According to Jones the business will be targeting a number of markets with the new range.

“We know the hire market will be interested in the range because we have had a number of conversations with some of the larger players in this sector.

We are also talking to commercial glass handling and commercial window installing companies. Plumbers and air conditioning contractors who want to fit units into hard to reach areas of industrial facilities have been in contact with us.

“We have been talking to contractors who work in the utilities sector, servicing power stations for example, May 2021 CAL / 11

UP FRONT / SPT MINI CRANES

The remote control is a standard feature on all models.

“We have been amazed at the different types of enquiries we are receiving from industry sectors and applications you wouldn’t normally think required a mini crane, but they do. We now have demonstration machines available and we have numerous bookings from potential customers wanting to put them through their paces.” during shutdowns. They need smaller mini cranes to be able access tight spaces and service various pieces of equipment which might be one or two levels high.

It’s impossible to get a larger mobile crane in for this type of lift. We have been surprised at the level of interest from some fairly obscure industry sectors, and we haven’t really launched the product until now,” said Jones.

Khamas addresses the issues around bringing a new brand into a market traditionally dominated by one brand and distributor.

“Realistically, the SPT mini crawlers are extremely price competitive, but we are focusing on the quality of the product which comes with a full 12 / CAL May 2021

two year warranty. We are aware that a number of the larger crane hire and general hire companies are very interested in this development. When one supplier has been in an industry for some time, they can get comfortable because there is no competition. Now there is competition; we think it will shake up the market a little,” he said.

Khamas goes onto explain how SuperService will be working closely with Jones Equipment and the SPT product.

“SuperService will be managing all of our pre-deliveries and also the two year warranty. They will also be managing any repairs Australia wide. Right now, anyone operating on the east coast can

have their crane serviced by SuperService and they will fix any warranty related issues; not that we expect many,” he said.

“We want the market to understand we are all about meeting the customers needs. When a customer spends $200K on a crane, and if there is an issue, he wants to be confident it’s going to be fixed quickly and the crane will be back to work earning money. SuperService has facilities in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne as well as a growing fleet of service vehicles. We will be working with them to provide the quickest service we can if and when there is an issue,” said Khamas.

Khamas explains his background in cranes.

“I’m a mechatronic engineer by trade and my first job out of university was with Favelle Favco cranes, an Australian manufacturer of one of the worlds largest and strongest range of cranes. I also worked with Kone Cranes, so when Mitch mentioned the SPT venture I jumped at it. I love cranes.

“We are excited by the potential.

Obviously, we are providing a viable option when businesses are considering purchasing a mini crane but we are just as excited about the prospect of growing the overall market for the mini cranes.

“We have been amazed at the different types of enquiries we are receiving from industry sectors and applications you wouldn’t normally think required a mini crane. We now have demonstration machines available and we have numerous bookings from potential customers wanting to put them through their paces,” he said.

According to Jones, one of the benefits of working with SPT is shortened delivery times.

“We will obviously be carrying stock but it will only take four to six weeks for product to be shipped, pre delivered, CraneSafe tested and in the hands of the customer. We will also be offering a range of accessories including jibs and flys, none marking tracks and also commercial glass handling attachments.

All of these will be fully tested during the pre-delivery process,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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CICA PRESIDENT’S REPORT

RETURNING TO SOME SEMBLANCE OF NORMALITY As the State and Federal Governments work hard to stay on top of the pandemic, CICA members have been able to attend regional meetings and Industry Days as the crane sector returns to a new normal.

ONE YEAR AGO, WE HAD OF NO INKLING OF the duration of the COVID 19 pandemic that would change all of our lives.

The extent or duration of shutdowns imposed in response to the pandemic that started in March and which caused the cancellation of most of our regular activities. Thankfully, we have been able to commence meeting together again and, in this issue, you’ll read reports from some of the CICA regional meetings and Industry Days which are a welcome sight. A very positive development is the story of Tally the guide dog. This is a heartening read and from all accounts I have heard from those who attended, how great it is to be able to meet and socialise once again.

The Demonstration Day in MacKay was well attended and gave CICA members the platform to demonstrate and educate local Government on how cranes differ from other heavy vehicles regarding their manoeuvrability, agility and impact on road assets. As each State plans their “Conference Substitute” Industry Day, I would encourage all CICA Members to consider the opportunities that come from inviting key stakeholders to CICA events like this.

When we show what cranes can do and how we, as an industry are promoting safe and progressive initiatives, doors open, and networks are created.

Further to our ongoing lobbying for improved road access, CICA met with the NSW Minister for Roads and Infrastructure to further progress more favourable boundaries around the 14 / CAL May 2021

review of structures in NSW and the corresponding access this would provide to our NSW members.

A significant level of CICA resources are continuously allocated to road access improvements across varying states. This issue will never leave us and we will never stop pressing for better results.

THIS ISSUE This issue we read interesting articles from several contributors. Linda Toseland, WHS Compliance Lead from Dunn’s Twin City Cranes talks about her role in helping Dunn’s TCC in providing a robust system of work to downgrade a WorkSafe Victoria Prohibition Notice back to an Improvement Notice; and to then achieve compliance to lift personnel in a work box.

Both the initial Prohibition Notice, and then the Improvement Notice were based on an outdated Victorian safety alert which had created the unique Victorian situation of requiring an independent secondary braking system on a winch for a crane to be deemed compliant in the use of lifting personnel.

The work of the team at Dunn’s TCC following the issuing of these notices has opened the door to a revision of the work box guidance material so that it is relevant and up to date. The CICA steering committee is collaborating with WorkSafe Victoria and other stakeholders to do this and we are very optimistic that a more modern and relevant guidance for the lifting of personnel will be attained.

CICA president Tom Smith.

When we think of working in the crane industry, people’s minds will often go to those working as crane operators. However, as the interview with Linda highlights – there are many facets of the crane industry, with many people of varying skill sets, who are essential to progress and who make valuable contributions and have a fulfilling career.

Michael Selinger from Holding Redlich has also made an excellent contribution to this issue, clarifying the Prohibition and Improvement Notice process. Many crane companies do not fully understand the difference or how to challenge either one in an internal audit, and fo those who don’t understand how a prohibition notice can be withdrawn and a week later an improvement notice can be introduced, I suggest you read this piece. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

UPDATE ON MATTERS IMPACTING THE CRANE INDUSTRY The last National Reference Group meeting was well attended and interesting. One of the matters that arose during this meeting was the issue of insurance companies and an emerging trend to review the boundaries of some insurance cover. Throughout the last year or so it has become apparent there is pressure from insurance underwriters to reassess their risk profiles associated with mobile plant and in particular, some mobile cranes and mobile crane activities. For many years our policies were mirrored across the industry with common activities such as working on suspended platforms above water requiring specific nomination for cover, along with other specifics such as nominating the specific value for “on hook” liability. We have noticed in the last year, the appetite for some players in the insurance market to walk away from large fleet values and to narrow down their exposure to what seems to have become a very risky insurance industry from the perspective of underwriters.

Specifically, in the last few months, those members who have cranes 250 tonne capacity or greater may notice, (depending on your underwriter), a greater level of control around relocating these machines during wind farm service provision in their non-roadable configuration. If you are not aware of these changes, please take additional note of your policies at point of renewal to ensure you fully understand these changes.

CICA UPDATE I am sad to report that Heidi Hervay will be leaving CICA to take up another employment opportunity. For those of us who have had the pleasure of meeting and working with Heidi, we will miss her energy, hard work and positivity. As with all of us who dabble in the crane industry, once we’re in we never seem to find a way out, so true to form – it seems she’ll still be involved with the crane industry in her new role, so we will still get the opportunity to catch up. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The first quarter this year has been a busy period for CICA, and we were encouraged by the results of a recent membership survey asking for feedback and ways to improve what we do for our members. The feedback was positive, and the takeaways will continue to be analysed for ways to improve our members’ benefits and help support and grow the crane and construction sectors.

Over the coming months, we will get some vision of the State Industry days

CICA BOARD Tom Smith – President Ben Pieyre – Vice President Danny Adair – Director Danny Black – Director Andrew Esquilant – Director Marcus Ferrari – Director David Solomon – Director Bart Sutherland – Director CICA OFFICE Brandon Hitch Chief Executive Officer 03 8320 0444 0428 228 048 ceo@cica.com.au Alice Edwards Project Engineer 03 8320 0440 alice@cica.com.au Patrick Cran CraneSafe and CrewSafe Technical Officer 0488 004 274 pat@cranesafe.com.au Damien Hense Road Safety Liaison Officer 03 8320 0460 0488 007 575 damien@cica.com.au

which are our National Crane Conference alternative for 2021. As this detail starts to emerge, we will keep you informed and provide some detail of venues, dates and programs. For now, take care, and I look forward to seeing you all in person in the near future.

Tom Smith CICA president managing director – McKay United 0439 130 567

Jed Kenwright Road Technical Officer 0439 556 867 jed@cica.com.au Julie Turner CICA Executive Assistant / Office Manager Direct: 03 8320 0411 Email: julie@cica.com.au Ashleigh Gould CICA Administration Officer – CraneSafe And CrewSafe Direct: 03 8320 0466 Email: ashleigh@cranesafe.com.au Michelle Verkerk Marketing and Media Communications Officer 0410 003 759 michelle@cica.com.au Unit 10, 18-22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 (PO Box 136 Mount Waverley Vic 3149) Phone: 03 9501 0078 Fax: 03 9501 0083 Email: admin@cica.com.au Website: www.cica.com.au

For information, please visit our website or call the CICA office.

May 2021 CAL / 15

CICA REGIONAL MEETINGS

REGIONAL MEETINGS ATTRACT STRONG PARTICIPATION During February and March this year, CICA held Regional meetings in Mackay, Queensland and Newcastle, New South Wales – both well attended by CICA members and representatives from the crane industry.

IN NEWCASTLE, BRETT CONNELLAN FROM the Mental Health Movement delivered the keynote address. Connellan’s story is inspirational. Aspiring to become a professional surfer, he was surfing his favourite break 150m off Bombo Beach, near Kiama on 30 March 2016 when he was attacked by a shark. Fortunately, he was surfing with his mate Joel Trist who heard his friend’s screams and despite knowing Connellan’s blood would likely attract the shark, paddled as fast as he could towards him, brought him to shore, and with an off-duty nurse applied life-saving tourniquets. Underneath, his wet suit, three-quarters of Connellan’s left thigh muscle was gone, leaving a wound so deep his bone was exposed.

During his recovery, Connellan found himself in ‘mentally dark places’ fearing he wouldn’t walk unaided and would never surf again. He ‘dug deep’ and together with his family, friends and professionals, like his physio approached his recovery in stages. Today, Connellan is back surfing and mentally tougher than ever. He shares his experience through Mental Health Movement encouraging businesses to adopt mental wellbeing programs for staff.

Most participated in a brief survey after Connellan’s presentation with 100 per cent of participants feeling more confident in managing their own mental health after the presentation and 93 per cent changing their perception of mental health.

“I have had further correspondence with a number of parties who were there on the day, and they are enquiring about implementing mental health strategy in their own workplace. This is a huge 16 / CAL May 2021

Brett Connellan from the Mental Health Movement told his inspirational story.

credit to CICA for organising the regional meeting and inviting me to speak. It’s always amazing to see the flow on effect from creating a bit of awareness in this space and the power of being able to provide that change in the workplaces for CICA members is something that will be felt far beyond the event,” said Connellan.

George Grasso, UAA’s global chief services officer was inspired by Brett’s story and very interested in hearing more about aims and objectives for the Mental Health Movement. So he invited Brett to present more detail about the program.

“We were really impressed with the aims and objectives of the program and we could see it would fit our business and help manage the mental wellbeing of our

various teams. We’ve signed up to the program and we are excited to see what results we derive from it,” said Grasso.

Michael Forrest from Boom Logistics spoke about the importance of vigilance when preparing and maintaining equipment in readiness for work.

The presentation also examined the importance of monitoring tyre pressure across all types of mobile cranes, prior to, during and after lifts.

Members of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator brought members up to date with issues relating to road access and compliance and this presentation was followed by a vibrant and interesting assessment of the domestic economy by Bank of Queensland Chief Economist Peter Munckton. It appears we are in for a busy couple of years with the construction sector continuing to receive major government funding.

Michael Selinger, Partner, Holding Redlich, spoke about the importance of understanding employer obligations when it comes to temporary labour and highlighted important case studies including the Omnibus Bill.

Scott Greenow from Transport NSW then explained how the Road and Maritime Services is working with CICA’s membership on issues relating to road and bridge access explaining how data captured with telematics systems can speed up the access approval processes.

For many, the highlight of the meeting was the evening’s fund-raising event. Once again, the industry was incredibly generous donating prizes for the auction and this was reflected in www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Two Way Tally made a guest appearance. Tally’s succesful training has been possible as a result of the industry’s generosity and particularly that of Frank and Nichole Zammit from Two Way Cranes.

the amount of money raised. $27,000 was raised for the NSW Guide Dog Association. The auction item packing the biggest punch was Tim Tszyu’s signed boxing glove which went to Sydney heavy hitter, Larry Fuller from

that of Frank and Nichole Zammit from Two Way Cranes. Tally has been accepted into the final stage of the Guide Dog training program which is wonderful news. Only a few puppies from each in take make it to the final training stage.

“It’s always amazing to see the flow on effect from creating a bit of awareness in this space and the power of being able to provide that change in the workplaces for CICA members is something that will be felt far beyond the event.”

Fuller Mobile Cranes.

Everyone in attendance was delighted to meet ‘Two Way Tally’ who made a guest appearance with her Guide Dog Puppy Trainer, Virginia. Tally’s training has been possible as a result of the industry’s generosity and particularly www.cranesandlifting.com.au

MACKAY CRANE DEMONSTRATION DAY OUTSTANDING SUCCESS In February, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) was invited to participate in a Heavy Vehicle Access Workshop and Demonstration Day in Mackay. This was a collaborative event

with the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) designed to educate and to demonstrate to local councils how mobile cranes perform on the network and to develop an understanding of how to manage road access to support industry and keep their communities safe.

The Demonstration Day attracted key road stakeholders including the National Heavy Vehicles Regulator (NHVR), Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and multiple local government representatives from road sectors throughout the region.

Various QLD Branch members including Steve Gonano, Bryce O’Brien, David ‘Chalky’ White and CICA Queensland Chairman Wayne Matherson, worked with LGAQ to stage the Demonstration Day. Wayne Matherson was appointed as the CICA QLD Chairman in late January and this was his first meeting in his new capacity.

“I’ve spent some time as the ViceChair working with Steve Gonano and the team, so I was pretty comfortable with what to expect. I’m passionate about what we do and about the industry as a whole and I think this will help me in the role,” he said.

Matherson and the committee felt the Demonstration Day would help various road stake holders to better understand cranes and the challenges around road access the industry is faced with.

“We felt it was important for these key stakeholders to get to know cranes a little better, by touching and feeling the machines and watching them operate..

Common feedback received from the engineers and stake holders we spoke to, was that cranes look very different on paper. They look at the size and the weights of the crane which obviously make them nervous regarding road access issues,” he said.

The Demonstration Day was supported by Damien from Crane Logistics who brought along his Demag 220t all-terrain and dolly, and Flash from Universal Cranes, North Queensland who brought his five axle 130t all-terrain, four axle 90t and one of his 20t Frannas.

May 2021 CAL / 17

CICA REGIONAL MEETINGS

The support and participation from Crane Logistics and Universal Cranes, North Queensland contributed greatly to the success of this day.

The various road stake holders got to see a demonstration of manoeuvrability and they were able to walk around, sit in them and ‘feel’ the cranes first-hand.

Branch Regional Meeting attracted the largest attendance for such a meeting with 60 members and industry representatives and representatives from TMR and NHVR in attendance.

“The key undertone at most Queensland meetings is road access, it’s the single largest issue we face as an

“The key undertone at most Queensland meetings is road access – it’s the single largest issue we face as an industry. Almost all of our meetings cover information and updates relating to the topic including performance and compliance as an industry.”

“People in the crane industry love their cranes and we could see interest levels surge as they understood how manoeuvrable and gentle these machines actually are. We felt the demonstration provided a good educational platform for attendees and the feedback was 100 per cent positive,” said Matherson.

The following day, the Queensland

industry. Almost all of our meetings cover information and updates relating to the topic including performance and compliance as an industry. The topic can be challenging in an open forum but the session was constructive with a number of positive responses coming from it,” said Matherson.

David Hartigan, general manager

from Field Engineers presented a paper on multiple crane lift capacity requirements and safety factors from an engineers’ perspective.

“The topic was really interesting and David is a very engaging character. We understand the legislation, the rules and guidelines we have to work within but it was interesting to see how the engineers work when they are preparing a design lift and why these factors exist,” Matherson reported.

Charles Power (Partner, Holding Redlich) explained the importance of understanding employer obligations when it comes to casual labour.

The meeting concluded with a networking dinner which everyone enjoyed.

“They are always long days, so the evening function provides an ideal environment for everyone to catch up and network. It was obvious, that everyone has had enough of sitting at computers and meeting ‘virtually’ so it was good to see everyone together and catching up once again,” said Matherson.

The Mackay Crane Demonstration Day was an outstanding success..

18 / CAL May 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

CICA TECH CORNER

HOW CRANES IMPACT ON STRUCTURES Determining the impact a vehicle will have on a structure can be critical in allowing crane access.

STRUCTURES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND culverts play a significant role in Australia’s road network. For the heavy vehicle industry, especially special purpose vehicles (SPVs), they are often the critical factor in access decisions made by road managers.

Determining the impact that a particular vehicle will have on a structure is complex and involves a large number of variables. Some of these variables relate to the structure itself (material, span length, bridge type etc.) and some relate to the vehicle (axle spacing, axle

mass, suspension performance, trackwidth etc.). Due to this complexity, comparing the impact of vehicles over a structure can sometimes produce results that are not intuitive to understand.

It is quite common that a bridge impact comparison between two vehicles is dependent on the structure’s span length (i.e. the distance between supports). Even though a particular vehicle may be heavier, it can have a lower impact on structures with spans of a certain length. An example of this is shown below where a 3-axle crane and

LARGER IMPACT ON BRIGDE

4-axle crane are crossing the same bridge.

Assuming each axle has a mass of 12t, the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of the 3-axle crane is 36 t and for the 4-axle crane the GVM is 48 t. Even though the 4-axle crane has a higher GVM, only two axles are ever on the bridge at the same time, meaning only 24t is acting on the bridge. For the 3-axle crane, all three axles can be on the bridge at the same time, meaning all 36 t is acting on the bridge. Therefore, it is likely that the 3-axle crane has a higher impact on structures of this span length.

The axle spacings and total wheelbase determine the “concentration” of the GVM. Generally speaking, the more concentrated the mass, the higher the impact on structures. This is shown to the left in the 3-axle vs 4-axle crane example where the 3-axle crane had axles closer together leading to a more concentrated GVM. However, as the span length gets longer, the total GVM of the vehicle will eventually become the dominant factor and the heavier vehicle

In the example, the span length of the bridge is long enough that the total GVM of the vehicles is the dominant factor and the concentration of the mass has less of an effect. This results in the 4-axle crane having a larger impact on the bridge.

Axle spacings determine the concentration of the gross vehicle mass.

20 / CAL May 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

LARGER IMPACT ON BRIGDE

It is common that a bridge comparison between two vehicles is dependent on the structure’s span.

will begin to have a higher impact on structures, even if the mass is not as concentrated.

In the example shown above, the span length of the bridge is long enough that the total GVM of the vehicles is the dominant factor and the concentration of the mass has less of an effect. This results in the 4-axle crane having a larger

as trucks and SPVs as these have a much larger impact on structures compared to cars. In the design process, calculations are conducted to ensure the bridge can withstand the impact induced by these vehicles. As time has progressed, the vehicles that bridges are designed to withstand have grown in size and mass to try and keep up with industry trends.

Most structures on public roads in Australia are managed by local councils and state road authorities. A common method that structure managers use to assess whether a particular vehicle can be approved to cross a structure is by using a comparison assessment. impact on the bridge.

As a general rule, individual axle mass/axle group mass is often the critical factor for short span bridges and culverts whereas total GVM is often the critical factor for longer span bridges. This is often why some cranes are not allowed access over certain bridges or culverts even if vehicles with a higher GVM are approved for access.

There are tens of thousands of bridges along public roads in Australia, all of varying age and quality. These bridges were designed to allow usage by certain vehicles, specifically heavy vehicles such www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Therefore, new bridges are generally built to much higher standards than older bridges and can carry heavier vehicles.

Most structures on public roads in Australia are managed by local councils and state road authorities. A common method that structure managers use to assess whether a particular vehicle can be approved to cross a structure is by using a comparison assessment.

The vehicle in question will be either compared against the design vehicles used when constructing the structure or compared against other vehicles already approved to access the structure. This

is a desktop-based comparison and generally speaking, does not require visual inspection of the structure. If the results of this comparison show that the vehicle in question has less impact on the structure than the comparison vehicle, then the vehicle is approved for access.

If a vehicle performs worse than the comparison vehicle, some structure managers will still allow access across a structure as long as certain conditions are followed. These conditions reduce the impact that the vehicle is likely to have on the structure. An example of a condition could be imposing a speed limit when crossing the structure to reduce the dynamic impact of the vehicle when going over bumps. Another example is directing the vehicle to be in a certain lane when crossing the structure so that the vehicle uses a stronger section of the structure.

Structures are tools to allow people and products to get from point A to point B. For an efficient economy, the road network (including structures) needs to support the usage of efficient vehicles. Heavy vehicles are increasingly becoming larger and heavier to increase efficiency and allow the construction of larger infrastructure. It is important that structures in the network keep up with this demand.

May 2021 CAL / 21

CICA SAFETY REGULATIONS

COMPLYING WITH SAFETY REGULATORS Crane hire businesses need to understand the right steps to take when working with safety regulators.

WHEN YOUR BUSINESS IS FACED WITH a prohibition or improvement notice issued by a safety regulator, it is very important to know your rights and what steps you must take. This article will take you through a number of scenarios including: • What to expect when a SafeWork inspector visits your site; • Responding to the notice; • Seeking a review of the notice if you believe it is unreasonable or inaccurate; or • Determining what you need to do to ensure you have complied with the notice.

WHAT ARE INSPECTORS LOOKING FOR? When an inspector arrives at your worksite, they will be looking for any hazards or risks to safety present at the worksite. Inspectors can commence an investigation in response to an incident, complaint or even as part of a targeted compliance blitz. For example, SafeWork NSW has identified the following targeted risks in the crane industry: 1. Unsafe slinging; 2. Dangerous load movements; 3. Invalid high risk work licenses; and 4. Substandard machinery and defective equipment.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF THE INSPECTOR COMES ON SITE? You are required to allow a SafeWork inspector to enter your worksite as they have statutory rights of entry.

The broad powers conferred to inspectors under the Model Act significantly restrict what you, as a site manager, can do when an inspector comes on site. Inspectors are required to identify themselves on request, but after this step has been taken they cannot be denied entry.

Once on site the inspectors will 22 / CAL May 2021

the inspector believes has been or is being contravened; • The details of the contravention; and • The date on which the contravention must be remedied or prevented.

The improvement notice may also include directions on how the contravention is to be remedied but usually the notice will only reference and require compliance with applicable codes, standards or regulations.

Michael Selinger, Partner, Holding Redlich

start their investigation. This may involve talking informally to workers or by exercising their powers to obtain statements. Inspectors can request copies of any documents, take samples, inspect equipment and take video footage or photos.

If an inspector suspects there is or has been a breach of the Model Act or regulations they will make the decision to issue a notice onsite, most likely a prohibition or improvement notice.

WHAT IS AN IMPROVEMENT NOTICE? An improvement notice requires a person to take steps to remedy or prevent a suspected contravention, or a likely contravention, of the Model Act. In general terms, an improvement notice is issued if the inspector considers that the current workplace is unsafe in a material respect and needs remedying. For example, if the inspector considers that there is an unsafe practice of slinging loads.

An improvement notice is required to state that: • The inspector believes a person has been or is contravening the Model Act; • The provision of the Model Act that

WHAT IS A PROHIBITION NOTICE? Prohibition notices are more onerous than improvement notices as, unlike improvement notices, they prohibit any work being performed while the notice is in operation.

In the event an inspector reasonably believes there is an activity, or there may be an activity, involving a serious health and safety risk due to an immediate or imminent exposure to the hazard, the inspector can issue a prohibition notice to stop the worksite from carrying out an activity.

Prohibition notices can stop a specific activity being performed in all or part of the workplace and/or prohibit the use of certain equipment or procedures previously used in connection with the activity.

A prohibition notice is required to state that: • The inspector believes there are grounds for issuing a prohibition notice and on what basis the inspector has this belief; • The activity involving the risk; and • The provision of the Model Act that the inspector believes is being contravened by the activity; The prohibition notice may also include directions on how the contravention is to be remedied. In most cases, this will be a change in the way that the work is being performed. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

WHAT DO YOU DO IF A NOTICE IS ISSUED? Firstly, you need to review the notice to confirm the terms and details are accurate. The notice must identify the section of the Model Act that the inspector alleges has been contravened and must state the grounds on which the inspector believes there is/ or will be a contravention. If the inspector has referred to any SafeWork publications or Codes of Conduct, you will need to confirm these are not outdated and still apply to your worksite.

You should also record your own account of the inspection. You can then review this account against the inspector’s decision. This is crucial as the validity of a notice will depend on if the inspector’s belief was actually reasonable at the time of the inspection. Any information that will indicate this belief is unreasonable will be important during the review process. For example, if the inspector has based their opinion on an incorrect belief of the facts, then this will mean the notice may not be valid.

Both improvement and prohibition notices are time sensitive and generally require compliance between 7 and 14 days. There are significant financial consequences if they are not complied with, including, for improvement

Recording accounts of inspections is key. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

notices being personally liable for fines up to $50,000 and up to $250,000 for companies. In the case of noncompliance with a prohibition notice, it may result in fines of up to $100,000 for individuals and up to $500,000 for companies. All notices need to be displayed at the worksite.

As such, you will need to ensure managers are notified as soon as possible after a notice has been received and then seek legal advice on whether you will review the notices or comply with its terms.

HOW DO YOU REVIEW THE NOTICE? You can seek a review of the inspector’s decision in the event that you disagree with the basis of the notice being issued.

You may consider the inspector has formed an inaccurate view of the facts or you may disagree with the inspector’s conclusion that you have failed to take reasonably practicable steps to control the risk. In either case, it is important to consider reviewing the notice so that you are not taken to agree your business has potentially breached the safety laws.

You can review the decision by seeking an internal review by the safety regulator This review is a free procedure.

In cases of an improvement notice,

the operation of the notice will be suspended once the review process starts.

This means until the review process is finalised you will not be required to comply with the conditions of the improvement notice.

In cases of a prohibition notice, you will still need to comply with the terms of the prohibition notice while the review process is undertaken, unless the reviewer uses their discretion to suspend the operation of the notice.

Once the notice has been internally reviewed, the safety regulator may confirm, vary, set aside or substitute the decision. This means that in the event you apply for a prohibition notice to be reviewed, the regulator may substitute this decision by issuing an improvement notice if they considered it to be more appropriate.

In the event you are unsatisfied with the internal review, you may appeal the internal review by way of external review.

This review is usually determined by the industrial tribunal in your state or territory. However, this approach should be carefully considered as it may not mean that the notice’s operation is stayed during the external review. For example, in the recent Queensland Industrial Relations Commission judgment of MPG Constructions Pty Ltd v The Regulator under the WHS Act [2020] QIRC 235, the QIRC determined the construction company failed to provide a proper basis for why a stay of an improvement notice should be granted while the external review was being undertaken. Instead, the QIRC determined staying the improvement notice would only escalate the risk identified by the inspector and frustrate the operation of the Model Act TIME LIMITS FOR REVIEW There is a time limit for seeking internal review. For improvement notices you must apply for internal review within 14 days of the notice being issued or before the end of the period of compliance, whichever date is earlier. For prohibition notices, you must apply for internal review within 14 days of receiving the notice.

May 2021 CAL / 23

CICA SAFETY REGULATIONS

Once the notice has been internally reviewed, the safety regulator may confirm, vary, set aside or substitute the decision. This means that in the event you apply for a prohibition notice to be reviewed, the regulator may substitute this decision by issuing an improvement notice if they considered it to be more appropriate.

HOW DO I COMPLY WITH A NOTICE? The notice should provide for how you can rectify or remove the identified risk.

Depending on the risk, this may be a relatively straightforward procedure or may require a significant change in your worksite operations. Again, you will need to review the information contained in the notice and carefully consider how you will comply with the inspector’s directions, if any.

It is very important that the

requirements for compliance are communicated to all workers and subcontractors who may attend the site.

Importantly for improvement notices, you need to make sure the timeline for compliance is reasonable in all the circumstances. If the timeline is unreasonable you will need to contract the inspector or SafeWork. Under the Model Act an inspector has the power to extend the compliance period so long as the period has not already ended.

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LESSONS FOR EMPLOYERS Given the potential financial risk in failing to comply with improvement or prohibition notices, managers need to be responsive when any notice is received.

They need to consider the terms of the notice, seek legal advice and ensure that the conditions of the notice are communicated to all workers.

This article refers to the harmonised Work Health and Safety legislation (Model Act).

The laws in Victoria and Western Australia are similar, although there are differences in monetary penalties. Western Australia is shortly to implement the Model Act. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to use CICA-Assist.

Authors: Michael Selinger, Partner and Declan Johnston, Lawyer at Holding Redlich

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CICA MEMBER PROFILE

(LtoR) Melanie and Jon Dunn with Linda Toseland.

WORKING WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATORS FOR A BETTER INDUSTRY OUTCOME. In late 2020, Wadonga based Dunn’s Twin City Cranes (DTCC) were issued with a Prohibition Notice by Worksafe Victoria. DTCC successfully appealed the notice and consultation with the regulator has allowed CICA to form a steering committee and begin discussions with Work Safe Victoria around lifting personnel using work boxes.

IN LATE 2020, WORKSAFE VICTORIA attended a remote site that Dunns Twin City Crane’s (DTCC) was contracted to lift and lower underground workers in a tunnel that has a depth of 55m. A workbox was the only practicable method of access.

WorkSafe Victoria inspectors, from various divisions, attended the site 26 / CAL May 2021

several times before deciding to issue a prohibition notice. They believed the use of a crane, without an additional aftermarket braking system, to lift personnel in a work box, placed an immediate and serious danger to the health and safety of personnel accessing the tunnel. The notice was issued based on the content of the safety alert created

in 2008: Braking and operational requirements for the cranes using workboxes to lift of personnel.

Linda Toseland joined Jon and Melanie at DTCC approximately six months ago, which was a couple of weeks before the work box notice was issued. DTCC is a family owned and operated business established by Jon and Melanie Dunn in www.cranesandlifting.com.au

2004. The DTCC fleet includes Frannas with 10t to 25t lift capacity, all terrains ranging from 40t to 130t, various city cranes and a crane borer. The fleet also includes a range of MR, HR, semitrailers, floats and crane trucks. The fleet continues to grow based on the need and demands of the district. This was her formal introduction to the crane industry.

“My role as Work Health and Safety (WHS) Compliance Lead was a newly created role. The role is designed to assist the business in development of all facets

requiring an additional aftermarket braking system to be fitted to crane when used with a workbox.

The prohibition notice was appealed and overturned within the seven-day timeframe as the reviewer deemed the work to not pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of personnel.

Several weeks later WorkSafe Vic, issued an improvement notice based on the belief the crane was posing a danger to the personnel’s health and safety, with the inspector providing the same remedies to

“Like most industries, complacency followed by a lack of understanding of roles and responsibilities under the regulations are the main issues. From what I have seen in the industry, there are high levels of awareness of foreseeable industry specific hazards, however the understanding of the WHS requirements and where management/ leaders, operators and client’s accountability start and finish is cloudy. of operational compliance. My focus is to document a safety management system that fits the businesses goals, legal obligations, values, needs and means enabling us to “getting the job Dunn” safely. My hope is that I will eventually learn more the practical side of the crane industry in a ‘hands on fashion’,” said Toseland.

“Whilst I am relatively new to the crane industry, I have fond childhood memories of helping repair proline borer cranes owned by Flower and Sons of Trafalgar, which were used for relocation of houses, SES power poles and factory erection and other crane related jobs.

“This coupled with my practical background as a fitter and machinist and experience working in a wide range of industries in both maintenance and safety lead roles has enabled me to hit the ground running within DTCC, combined with Jon and Mel’s skilled and welcoming approach to business,” she said.

The Liebherr LTM 1090-2, involved in the work box prohibition notice does not have an aftermarket redundant braking system fitted. It is worth noting that Victoria is the only state worldwide, www.cranesandlifting.com.au

the hazard as the prohibition notice.

DTCC addressed the inspector’s concerns by providing a robust system of work coupled with minor updates to the service records sheets contents, which was based on the health and safety solutionInspection and maintenance record for bridge and gantry cranes issued in 2008 by WorkSafe Victoria. It is worth noting the compliance was achieved by using other means outside the suggested approaches on the improvement notice but still provided a safe system of work and was outcome based Consultation with the regulator has allowed CICA to form a steering committee that along with other key stakeholders has begun discussions with Work Safe Victoria on amending the safety alert and creating work box guidance material that is better suited to current technology and practices.

Toseland explains the difference between an “Improvement Notice” and a “Prohibition Notice” and what companies should do if they receive one.

“A Prohibition Notice is issued if an inspector has reasonable belief that the activity poses immediate danger

to the health and safety of employees, contractors, public or volunteers. The notice can direct a person not to carry out the activity or not to complete it in a specific manner, until the inspector is satisfied that the matters that give or will give rise to the risk, have been remedied.

“Whereas an ‘Improvement Notice’ will be issued by an inspector, if they can form the reasonably belief that a person, 1) is contravening a provision of the OHS Act or the regulations or, 2) has contravened such a provision in circumstances that make it likely that the contravention will continue or be repeated.

“The inspector may issue to the person an Improvement Notice requiring the person to remedy the likely actions or the direct contravention. This also includes breaches of worker compensation requirements,” she said.

Toseland explains what she sees as the most common misunderstandings people managing cranes have in regard to WHS requirements.

“Like most industries, complacency followed by a lack of understanding of roles and responsibilities under the regulations are the main issues. From what I have seen in the industry, there are high levels of awareness of foreseeable industry specific hazards, however the understanding of the WHS requirements and where management/leaders, operators and client’s accountability start and finish is cloudy.

There are key parts of the WHS legislation everyone should know about, says Toseland.

“While there is no legal requirement for any business to comply with AS4801, ISO1800 or ISO45001, all offer a good framework to begin the safety review process.

“The key elements that all businesses should have implemented include.

• Risk management – good understanding of what hazards exist in the business and how you will control them.

• Good understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each position including site supervisors and clients.

• Good consultation process, your May 2021 CAL / 27

CICA MEMBER PROFILE

employees will know where the issues are and mostly likely know how to fix or manage the hazard. By having a good relationship where employees feel they have a say and are listened too is a massive part of getting safety right.

• A plan with targets and objectivesdocumented and reviewed and actioned.

• Documentation – having solid policy and procedure that matches what you do within your business that is implemented and understood, is critical.

• Review and monitor the hazards and risks to achieve continual improvement.

• Training and assessment of employees understanding.

• Injury management process- If injury occurs make sure you look after your employees and get them the treatment a care they deserve.

“The level of training and content is also something that each industry does differently. Holding a licence and being competent are two very different things.

An employer must provide a safe working environment this includes providing training and continual reviews when the training is completed. To strengthen the industry and prevent serious incidents it is critical to teach our people and do it well.

Toseland explains the implications of So Far As Reasonably Practicable (SFARP) and the five categories of assessment.

THE VICTORIAN OHS ACT 2004, UNDER SECTION 20 This requires a duty holder to: a. Eliminate the risk to health and safety SFARP; and b. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk to health and safety, then reduce it SFARP. “When assessing risk, the legislation is clear on how this should be undertaken,” she said. “SFRAP is made with five considerations. The first step is to establish the likelihood of the event taking place. Then the consequence needs to be assessed, of what could happen.”

28 / CAL May 2021

SECTION 20A AND 20B: Likelihood of the hazard or risk concerned eventuating by the consequence the degree of harm that would result if the hazard or risk eventuated – Likelihood x Consequence = Risk The higher the consequence and the likelihood the higher the priority to manage the risk should be. Most people in the industry can relate to this process as a part of Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS).

STATE OF KNOWLEDGE- SECTION 20C – OF THE OHS ACT What the person concerned knows, or ought reasonably to know about the hazard/risks, and ways of eliminating the hazard/risks (eg. through design.)

The knowledge factor of SFARP, takes into consideration, what a normal person in your role, should know about the task/ hazard. This also considers what others in industry and within your organisation know about the task/hazard. The hurdles you should consider what is your role, the roles of others and what they should being doing and finally what does industry know other discoverable information about the matter.

A duty holder is expected to proactively seek knowledge about the hazard and

control measures. This means that the duty holder needs to proactively seek information about the hazard, illness or potential injury.

AVAILABILITY AND SUITABILITY- SECTION 20D OF THE OHS ACT 2004 This requires you to consider, what is available on the market and can the work process be changed to eliminate or reduce the risk. When considering if something is suitable it is important to consider several issues including 1. Is the control practicable; 2. The feasibility of implementation; and 3. Does the control introduce other risks that may be higher in likelihood or consequence and the availability of the control?

COST OF THE SOLUTION SECTION 20E This is often forgotten about and while it is important to have a safety bias when reviewing a solution, it is the duty holder’s obligation and right to consider cost as part of the SFARP. The ability to afford the solution cannot be taken into consideration.

“The greater the consequence and likelihood of the degree of harm the less influence cost should have on SFARP” says Toseland.

CICA has formed a steering committee and discussions with Work Safe Victoria around lifting personnel using work boxes have begun.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR ALL TERRAINS

THINKING BIG WITH LIEBHERR Johnson & Young’s new Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 goes straight to work on Melbourne’s Westgate Tunnel.

EARLY IN 2021, LEADING MELBOURNE crane hire business, Johnson & Young Cranes took delivery of its Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1. Directors Brent Young and Reece Johnson discuss the reasons behind the purchase of the crane and how the Melbourne construction sector has fared during the COVID pandemic.

“The COVID pandemic has certainly caused disruptions throughout Victoria and other states, no doubt, but as far

as our industry and our business is concerned, but being part of the essential service works on projects including the Level Crossing Removal Project and the Metro Tunnel we were fortunate to be able to work through the Victorian lock downs,” said Young.

The Level Crossing Removal Project is Victorian Government program to remove 75 level crossings in Melbourne.

After pledging the project at the 2014

Victorian state election, the Andrews Government committed $2.4 billion to remove the first 20 crossings by 2018.

The remaining 30 are expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of $6 billion to be funded through the privatisation of the Port of Melbourne.

Prior to the 2018 state election, the Government committed to removing a further 25 level crossings, using a new prioritisation framework.

Bridge construction is requiring fewer, but much larger lifts in terms of capacity.

The Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 is the perfect machine for this type of work.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

May 2021 CAL / 31

IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR ALL TERRAINS

The Melbourne Metro Rail Project involves then construction of a 9km long tunnel connecting the Sunbury and Dandenong railway route. It will connect to the Dandenong and Sunbury lines at the south-eastern side of South Yarra Station and the western part of South Kensington Station respectively.

Estimated to cost $11bn, the Melbourne underground metro is the biggest project of Melbourne railways, after the City Loop. Construction started in 2018 and operations are expected to start in 2025. The first section of the Metro Tunnel was completed in April 2020. The construction of the permanent structure under Grattan Street is underway along with the station’s entrances at Grattan Street west and Royal Parade.

Over the last 18months Johnson & Young has been updating its fleet, selling some older and buying the latest models.

Johnson goes on to explain the reasons behind the new acquisitions are how they are benefitting the business.

“We’ve added a third Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 and in January of this year we took delivery of the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1. We ordered the LTM 1750-9.1 approximately 18 months ago and, at the time, we were looking at the LTM 16508.1 but there was a delay on that model and when we compared the heavy lifting charts of the 750 and the 650 it was apparent the 750 charts were far greater and we went with that,” he said.

“Part of the reasoning involved the amount of heavy lift infrastructure we could see coming and also wind farm maintenance work. We could see this type of work was in the pipeline with customers calling for bigger cranes with more unified lifting ideology. With infrastructure work for example, you can see the various segments of bridges are getting much larger with bridge construction requiring fewer lifts but much larger lifts in terms of capacity.

The Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 is the perfect machine for this type of work,” said Johnson.

The 9-axle machine features the very latest mobile crane technology and includes Liebherr innovations such as 32 / CAL May 2021

VarioBase, ECOdrive and ECOmode.

With its many jib combinations along with the Y-Guy system, the LTM 1750-9.1 can achieve hoist heights of up to 154m and radii of up to 112m. The

add any additional equipment required.

Thanks to the new luffing fly jib configuration, the LTM 1750-9.1 has moved into a higher load capacity class in the area of wind farm applications.

“The LTM 1750-9.1 really bolsters our position and capabilities in being able to offer our customers even more options in terms of capacity and the heavy lifting scope of works we are capable of managing.” automated lifting of the luffing jib has the added benefit of 3.5m lattice sections for improved height and load capacities.

The new Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 is far stronger than its predecessor and the use of refined static calculation methods means that lifting capacity values have been increased across almost the entire working range making the new LTM 1750-9.1 an 800t crane. It has higher lifting capacities across almost the entire working range, and it has greater capacity for wind farm application due to new luffing jib configuration.

The wide-ranging experience that the design engineers and structural engineers have with thin-walled boom profiles has enabled the popular calculation models and approaches of the Finite Element method to be further refined.

Supported by the high- performance Liccon Software, the real load-bearing structure of the crane is simulated even better in the static calculation model. Liebherr has now transferred the latest findings and methods, which had already been applied in the LTM 1650-8.1 to the LTM 1750-9.1. The most recent calculation standards have also been taken into consideration.

The result is that the lifting capacities of the 750t are now higher than originally calculated across the vast majority of working ranges.

The new load capacity tables also contain a table with the nominal max. load capacity of 800 tonnes. Operators of the LTM 1750-9.1 now have the possibility to update the crane software with the new tables and, if necessary, to

More than 10 tonnes of additional load capacity can be generated for the mounting of wind turbines on 90 and 100-metre-high towers. The LTM 17509.1 is also much stronger in the area of heavy load lifting, such as the loading of transformers onto ships, with typical working radii of 12-16 metres. The gain in load capacity in such applications is in excess of seven tonnes.

Liebherr now additionally offers load capacity tables for three wind velocities for this crane and for the latest new developments, giving the customer significant support in both job planning and operation.

Young explains what the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 means to the business and how its increases its ability to manage a broader scope of works.

“The LTM 1750-9.1 really bolsters our position and capabilities in being able to offer our customers even more options in terms of capacity and the heavy lifting scope of works we are capable of managing. For us, it was about filling the gap in the market.

The Liebherr LTM 1400–7.1 is a solid crane, but in comparison it was limited in some of its capabilities for the heavy lifting side of our business,” said Young.

Young goes on to explain how the LTM 1750-9.1 has been performing.

“Our first lift was on the Westgate Tunnel project and everything went faultlessly with the crane. The Liebherr product is extremely reliable as we all know. It allowed the customer to have the machine set up in the one position and service all the works and meet a very tight program. The Bridge beam www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 is far stronger than its predecessor and with higher lifting capacities due to the new luffing jib configuration, making it ideal for wind farm applications.

weighed 52t and the crane was operating at a radius of 26.5 meters. The crane’s configuration was 49.1 meters of boom with 204t of counterweight.

“Everything went like clockwork which is always a good thing. We lift a lot of beams with a lifting beam which removes a lot of manual handling problems which in the past have been inherent with using a more traditional sling technique.

“The beam enables the riggers to not have to handle anything other than connect the clutches directly above the lifting points. Theses beams are weighty items and most needed for type of work will be over 5t which again requires www.cranesandlifting.com.au

lifting capacity in the crane to be able to provide that option. This was the first job for the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 and the customer was really impressed,” he said.

Johnson explains how the crew has responded to the new crane.

“The crew from the 400t capacity Liebherr has essentially jumped up to the 750 and they were well prepared for the arrival of the crane so when it arrived, we were ready to hit the ground running. We’re really proud of how the group has embraced the crane, and it’s obvious they are going to enjoy working with it into the future,” he said.

Johnson and Young were impressed

with the service provided by the Liebherr team throughout the delivery program.

“We worked closely with John Stach and his Melbourne team with Ben Autenrieth managing the commissioning process of the crane.

“As per usual, they’ve done an amazing job for us especially with the turn around. We had the crane off the boat, to our yard and commissioned within the shortest possible time frame,” he said.

“Even though the Liebherr team was under pressure with tight time frames, they worked really well with us, and did what was required to get the crane out to work,” said Young.

May 2021 CAL / 33

IN FOCUS / PRESTON GROUP

THE CONSTANT PURSUIT TO FIND A BETTER WAY David Serg, Chief Operating Officer for the Preston Group of Companies discusses the dynamic growth of the business both domestically and internationally, despite the challenges of a global pandemic.

SERG STARTED WITH THE ORGANISATION in 2008 and whilst the business has always adopted a mantra of looking forward, he finds it humbling to look back and reflect on the evolution that has transpired during this time.

“When I joined the team, it was a hire business with branches in New South Wales and Queensland and plans to embark on a US venture. We have grown and developed significantly during this time and can now proudly describe ourselves as a truly international group of varied businesses. Markus Preston and I describe the Preston Group as being a diversified management and investment group overseeing market leading specialists businesses within the industrial services sector,” he said.

There are three core pillars of the Preston Group which include capital equipment sales through YELLO Equipment, specialised equipment hire/ rentals through Preston Hire Australia and New Zealand and Preston Rentals in the USA, Canada and Europe; and finally, equipment servicing handled by SuperService nationally.

“The constant pursuit to find a better way underpins everything we do within the business. This philosophy has been in our DNA from day one, originating with the creation of the SuperDeck in terms of designing and finding a better way to provide loading platforms to the market. This approach then flowed into the expansion of the Preston Hire fleet as we looked to find a way to lower the cost of cranes whilst also providing customers 34 / CAL May 2021

with unique solutions. This quest led to us being an early adopter of mini cranes and carving out a sizable share of the market for this category. Our pursuit has proven successful in the past and we are confident it will continue to guide us to further success in the future,” said Serg.

“Our business is vertically integrated providing a structure that can be complex and requiring substantive financial managerial investment. Over a number of years, we’ve worked hard to get to the point we’ve arrived at now. We like to be different and take an independent path in the way we approach business, traits hold close to us.

“The past 12 months has seen a major shift in how our Management Team operates.

we

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Preston Rentals US recently introduced the SuperCrane category to the business

Preston Group has been established to oversee and collaborate with the management of each business, providing support and consultation with the appointed General Manager. This provides us with a whole business perspective whilst the individual business units still receive the focus and local expertise from their local management team.

“This change in structure was introduced during 2020 with the help of an Advisory Group we work with. This group also built an impressive 10-year vision for the business defining clear goals and aspirations to hit by 2030.

“We recognise a 10-year vision requires a detailed approach on how to make our goals a reality. To accompany our vision and provide necessary structure and milestones, we work closely to a five-year strategic plan that provides the framework for short term targets. We are on course with the plan and we are certainly focused on growing our international footprint whilst also continuing to have a level of diversity.

“It’s been really interesting from a group perspective as we regularly receive enquiries from all over the world. We receive enquiries for our products, from people who want us to take on their product and from people who are interested in partnering with us. This insight into the market and opportunities to consider partnerships greatly strengthens our competitive advantage,” said Serg.

Serg discusses the success of the business as a result of the integrated business model.

“The Preston Group approach allows us to improve our competitiveness by suppling varying services ourselves. We view the evolution of the business as a journey, we are not all the way there yet but we would like to get to a point where we can deliver right across the supply chain both locally and internationally.

“Of course, this takes a lot of work and there is a degree of risk. It’s like most things, if you make the investment into something, continue with it for the longer term and make the right moves, it should pay out for you. It’s this type of thinking www.cranesandlifting.com.au

that has led to the broader context of being diversified. By this we mean diversification from a product perspective, a geographic perspective and a business perspective that we believe will provide us with a competitive advantage and continue to separate ourselves from the pack,” he said.

Serg goes on to discuss the major milestones for each of the business divisions.

“From a Preston Hire Australia perspective, it’s fair to say it’s been an interesting year with the COVID scenario.

We decided early on that we wouldn’t change our approach, we believed construction would be held in high regard by the Federal and various State Governments based on figures quoting construction contributed approximately nine per cent of GDP, so we continued on and actually put the pedal to metal.

“Through the pandemic the Australia businesses have done quite well, revenues have been stable and experienced growth in some markets. This was offset by what happened in Victoria and the challenges in that state, however overall, we are grateful for the position we are in and proud of the steps we took.

“The Preston Hire Australian business has seen significant changes from a managerial and operational perspective.

Markus and I have been very active in the management of this business up until 18 months ago when we recognised the need to appoint a General Manager to focus on Preston Hire and allow us to take a broader management of the group.

“Stepping away from day to day operational and team management tasks allowed us to review the equipment fleet holistically. Whilst it has continued to grow, there have been changes to the direction we are taking that are more considered and appropriate for the longterm. A review of our assets determined our strength in the mini crane and hydraulic crawler crane markets, therefore some assets that did not fit this direction have been sold and investment into new machines that complement our fleet have been added,” he said.

“Preston Hire has tended to focus May 2021 CAL / 35

IN FOCUS / PRESTON GROUP

on smaller capacity cranes in the past, however a growing demand for a machine delivering capabilities at the other end of the spectrum prompted the Preston Hire management team to acquire an 80t SANY machine. This machine has performed exceptionally well, has been on hire since day one and prompted the team to order another that is on the way.

“From an overall group perspective, we are headed towards a scenario where we will be operating 200+ cranes in the fleet and we see this as one of the targets for the broader business. Cranes in Australia are an important part of what we are doing for customers and we see this trend being replicated in our other global locations,” said Serg.

Last year Preston Hire Australia also moved into the rail sector says Serg, paving the way for other business divisions within the Preston Hire structure to launch.

“Rail is a really interesting sector and Preston Hire now has a number of pieces of equipment servicing this industry.

There has been a significant push from governments in and around the rail sector in terms of infrastructure investment.

The Preston Hire team have created a very compelling product offering that has allowed them to enter this space. There is a high degree of compliance required to service the rail sector which required the team to give a huge amount of effort and commitment to get our offering right to break into the market.

“Following the lead of a dedicated division for Rail, Preston Hire Australia is in the process of now introducing their SuperEarthMoving division with construction equipment being the focus and a fleet of excavators arriving as we speak. This is going to be a major focus for the Australian market and we expect everyone will see some noise in market as the Preston Hire team spread the word.

We are pleased with the progress Preston Hire Australia is making and the ability for them to provide solutions to a broader group of customers,” said Serg.

The SuperService business is largely a labour service business. SuperService plays an important role in supporting and enhancing the other businesses within the 36 / CAL May 2021

David Serg and Markus Preston.

Preston Group, whilst being its own standalone operation.

“SuperService supplies labour support and services to both the Preston Hire business and YELLO Equipment.

Currently SuperService is operating in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and in time, we see this progressing into broader areas. Initially, the business was set-up to service our own equipment, however it was quickly identified that the market needed more resourcing in this space resulting in SuperService rapidly growing as they completed service work for third party businesses. With skilled technicians able to complete all types of heavy machinery work for cranes, access equipment, forklifts, manual handling equipment, trucks and even airport equipment, the breadth of coverage is wide,” said Serg.

Serg goes on to highlight the successes Preston Group has seen in other overseas markets.

“Outside of Australia, 2021 sees Preston Hire New Zealand celebrate its fifth anniversary later in the year. The business started in Auckland servicing the North Island and with growing demand, the kiwi team proudly expanded to include a South Island operation providing localised service and support,” says Serg.

“The NZ team are now servicing

the whole of New Zealand providing SuperDecks and a growing crane fleet which is headed towards 20 cranes in total with plans for further growth. The NZ team have an excellent reputation in market and are truly dedicated to providing the best local service available.

This has played a significant part in the opportunity to expand and service more customers,” he said.

“We’ve been operating in the US for 10 years and up until a few months ago, this was purely with the SuperDeck product. Entering a new market like the US took a while to build brand awareness and reputation. The construction methodology is different there and you are dealing with different contractors who end up being renters. But we have been progressing the business and it is really starting to mature.

“Preston Rentals US recently introduced the SuperCrane category to the business and purchased seven mini cranes based on our knowledge and experience of their competitive edge in market. With a new branch based in Colorado and an experienced Crane Manager charged with introducing the brand to the crane business in the US market, we are already seeing great wins from this team. This expansion has all taken place during the last 12 months completely organised www.cranesandlifting.com.au

and managed remotely due to travel restrictions. It was challenging at times, yet we are pleased with the way it has taken shape,” said Serg.

“Because the business is maturing, we are now looking to expand not only the product offering but also the way we structure the business geographically and will be looking at changing the way we approach this market.

“We are about to appoint a new General Manager and an Industrial Crane Manager for the US. We are also working in the North Hampshire area so we can cover Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington and we are looking to open another branch to cover the Florida region. Currently Preston Rentals has coverage in Nevada, Texas, Colorado and California so we are looking to expand the teams footprint as the business grows,” he said.

Preston Rentals had been servicing Canada, albeit infrequently from the US business, but six months ago management established a new operation in Canada, aptly named Preston Rentals Canada.

“We have a General Manager running the business based in Vancouver. He has generated business very quickly having already installed platforms in Vancouver, Ottawa and recently secured a job in Quebec. We see Canada as presenting a significant opportunity for us,” said Serg.

In Europe, Preston Rentals continues to expand its product range and whilst it is early days for this continent, we do see the product offering reflecting that of our other hire/rental businesses in the years to come.

The third pillar of the business is equipment sales which Serg describes as a new and exciting venture for the business to have undertaken.

“We launched YELLO Equipment in the second half of 2020 and have been delighted with the swift entry to market.

We often need to remind ourselves that the team at YELLO haven’t even been trading for 12 months yet have accomplished so much in a short time and really established their brand and built a strong customer base. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“YELLO Equipment is the authorised dealer of SANY Excavators in QLD and NSW and are thoroughly enjoying demonstrating the extensive capabilities of these machines. Every market needs a new contender from time to time to keep everyone accountable! Backed by machinery that delivers exceptional quality with a competitive price tag, the YELLO team expect business will continue to exponentially grow,” said Serg.

Serg goes on to discuss the SuperDeck product and highlights forthcoming changes for the retractable loading deck industry as a whole.

“While we are the clear market leader in retractable loading decks, we are obviously aware that there is other equipment in the market and there is always going to be competition at varying levels. Recently, we have put together an internal taskforce which is examining competitive products, examining the standards applicable to retractable loading decks and how these standards might be improved.

“We are looking at the whole situation very closely and believe this is an area that

can be improved upon. Whilst it is not obvious, the sheer amount of welding that goes into the construction of a SuperDeck is significant and necessary. The strength in the product, how it’s been engineered and how it goes together has resulted in it being the market leader for a long period of time and over multiple markets.

“In any category, you are always going to find varying levels of standards in products and there doesn’t appear to be any industry body regulating retractable loading decks, that we can see. As an industry leader we believe we have a responsibility to address this as an industry wide issue,” he said.

“It is evident we have a lot happening across each of our business units which is necessary as we strive towards our ambitious vision for 2030 and beyond.

It is an exciting yet demanding period in our evolution. I’m confident we have the right vision, strategy, capability, people, products and attitude in place as we compete as a proud Australian business both locally and on an international stage.”

The constant pursuit to find a better way originated with the creation of the SuperDeck in terms of designing and finding a better way to provide loading platforms to the market.

May 2021 CAL / 37

IN FOCUS / FRANNA PICK AND CARRY

Matherson Crane Hire has been working with the engineering team at Franna for over 12 months on this project and are very happy with the outcome.

UNFILTERED ACCESS WITH NEW FRANNA RUNNER OPTION New runner option creates higher lift points where low headroom is an issue.

THE LATEST INNOVATION FROM FRANNA is here. The new runner option has been designed to create a higher lift point when the crane is operating in an area of low head room. The runner is adjustable and is designed for use with a swivel hook or with a sheave on 1/2 falls.

The runner hook and sheave option has been developed by the Franna engineering team as a result of customer feedback. Michael Atherden, principal engineer at Franna explains.

“This design project is a great example of working directly with our customers to develop innovative solutions which help them overcome the challenges they face in the industry.

Since the initial prototype, we have significantly increased the available capacity of the runner, particularly in swivel hook operation,” he said. “We are pleased to bring this option to market and look forward to working on more customer-led solutions in the future.”

38 / CAL May 2021

Key operational benefits include: • interchangeable between MAC 25 and AT 40 units with lower arm change; • three configurations to gain hook height; • runner with swivel hook – MRC 18t; • runner with sheave 1/2 falls MRC 4.2t /8.4t; and • easily retrofittable to existing machines.

“We have been working with the engineering team at Franna for over 12 months on this project and we are very happy with the outcome,” Wayne Matherson, managing director of Matherson Crane Hire & CICA QLD chairman said.

“This small jib can be used in conjunction with the fall block or a fixed hook and its’ purpose is to greatly improve the head height clearance in restricted situations.

“It has many applications but so far, we have installed machining equipment

“This design project is a great example of working directly with our customers to develop innovative solutions which help them overcome the challenges they face in the industry.”

in low doorways, reduced customer down time by replacing furnace doors without the need to remove ventilation hoods above and installed Gantry cranes up on their rails with great ease and success.”

Matherson continued, “It was an absolute pleasure working with the Franna team to produce this very cool and very useful attachment for our 25t Frannas.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au

© Tadano Ltd. 2020 Tadano and Demag are trademarks of or licensed by Tadano Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

The new AC 450‑7

Benchmark on 7 Axles.

The new Demag AC 450‑7 is in a class of its own: With a carrier length of 15.99 m and an outrigger base of 8.45 m, it is as compact as a six‑axle crane, and yet is as powerful as some eight‑axle cranes. In fact, the Demag AC 450‑7 can reach lifting capacities of up to 25 tonnes when its 80 m main boom is fully extended, and that is without even using the SSL system. Bring in SSL, and the lifting capacity goes up to an unbeatable 37.9 tonnes.

In addition, Demag is using a new Sideways Superlift design for the first time ever in the AC 450‑7 – one that makes handling and setup easier. The system can be extended with an 81 m luffing jib, and the sections of this jib can also be used to assemble fixed extensions.

Above. Ahead. Always.

IN FOCUS / BADEN DAVIS CRANE CONNECTION

CRANE CONNECTION DELIVERS AGAIN The Baden Davis Crane Connection recently delivered a Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 to Hawkesbury Cranes, the third crane they’ve delivered to owner Ernie Jungherr.

The selection of cranes for the Hawkesbury Cranes fleet is designed to meet customer requirements.

“MY FATHER STARTED HIS BUSINESS when he purchased a 20 tonne PPM 230 ATT crane from Denis Gow. He began subcontracting to General Cranes from their Smithfield depot. I have always loved mobile cranes and from an early age a real highlight was getting to go out with Dad when he was working and watching him operate the cranes. I guess you could say cranes have always been in my life,” said Jungherr.

“My first job was as an apprentice motor mechanic and at weekends I would work for Chapman Cranes. I couldn’t wait to complete my apprenticeship and when I did, Bob Chapman offered me a full time job for which I have always been grateful. I have been in the industry ever since.

“In June 1999, I purchased my first crane from Brambles. It was a 16-tonne Franna and I began subcontracting back to Brambles at their Wetherill Park depot.

When Gillespies brought Brambles in 40 / CAL May 2021

2003, I left and moved onto my first long term job, which was for six months, working with McConnell Dowell in Kurri Kurri,” he said.

Hawkesbury Cranes is a family owned and operated business, says Jungherr.

“My wife Joanne and I run the business and without her advice and professionalism I know we could never have gotten this far or grown the business to its current size. I am eternally grateful for Joanne’s support and guidance.

Jungherr explains how the fleet reflects the nature of work his customers are likely to require across a broad spectrum of industries and applications.

“The work we carry out heavily influences the make-up of our fleet. We need to be versatile enough to provide our clients with a fast and efficient service to meet their daily requirements.

“We are constantly trying to update and increase our fleet to take advantage of the

latest crane innovations and safety features provided by the manufacturers. A lot of our work is in the water utilities sector but we also do work for local councils, defence facilities and some construction sites. Typically, our clients require us to mobilise 24/7 for breakdowns and callouts which can happen anytime of the day or night. To service this type of demand we need to understand their needs to properly carry out their work in a safe and efficient manner as well as utilising our machines in the best possible way,” he said.

The Hawkesbury Cranes fleet is indeed varied and includes: • Liebherr LTM 1060-3.2 • Liebherr LTC 1045-3.2 • 2 X Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 • Kato KRM 13H • Franna AT20 II • Maeda MC 405 • 2 X Maeda MC 305 • 2 X Maeda MC 285 www.cranesandlifting.com.au

• Maeda MC 104 • Palfinger 1800EH on Isuzu Truck Jungherr explains more about the relationship he has with Anthony Davis and how the Baden Davis Crane Connection team has helped to source the right cranes for his fleet.

“My dealings with the team at The Baden Davis Crane Connection have always been very satisfying. We’ve purchased three cranes from them over the years and the result has been very positive each time. The manner in which they managed the delivery of the new Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 has been no different.

“We are a very busy crane hire business and we simply don’t have the time to research the used crane market to see what is available. A call to Anthony Davis to explain our requirements is all it takes, from there he and his team do the heavy lifting,” he said.

“They manage the whole process, from locating a crane which can be from anywhere in the world, to bringing it to Australia, managing the quarantine processes, Cranesafeing and respraying the crane. Their service removes the pain for us and Anthony goes above and beyond to help iron out any problems that may arise during the entire process from ordering to final delivery.

“I have been particularly impressed with the abilities of their paint shop, and in particular the skills of their painter Adam Harrington. Adam is a master spray painter and at the end of the day it is his prowess and skill that makes our cranes standout from the crowd when they are on site. We have purchased three cranes from Anthony a Liebherr LTM 1060 and two Liebherr LTM 1040s, including the latest

Baden Davis Crane Connection boasts its own inhouse spray painting team.

acquisition, and all were late model, low hour machines,” said Jungherr.

Jungherr explains more about the services he provides to customers and geographic area he covers with the business.

“We mainly work in the Sydney metro area but we will travel and work as far south as Kiama and as far North as Newcastle, it all depends on what our customers need.

“We are a customer focused business and their requirements drive what we do. We have adapted to the changing market demands well, always adhering to the safety requirements and changes to site safety. There is now a demand for site inspections and lift plans which we provide on a regular basis with all paperwork completed prior to any work commencing. This is all part of our customers’ Work Health and Safety policies and site requirements,” he said.

“These days, we are increasingly

required to supply Lift Plans to our customers and we achieve this by using our CAD drawing software to plot the best set up position for the crane to achieve maximum lifting capacity. We have a great team of workers with a good mix of younger and older guys, myself included.

“We can help the younger ones by sharing our knowledge and experience and teach them the way we were taught.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to happen these days with the short term courses available for the younger generation. I firmly believe you cannot complete your ticket in a week and expect to know very much about our industry.

When I completed my dogman’s ticket back in 1985, it was at Granville TAFE. I studied for six months, two nights a week and it was a hard slog. But over that time, you soon worked out if it was going to be the career for you, but that’s the way it was in those days,” said Jungherr.

Hawkesbury Cranes has purchased a number of cranes from The Crane Connection over the years. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

May 2021 CAL / 41

IN FOCUS / TRT CRANE TRAILERS

HUGE MILESTONE CELEBRATED – 50 TRT CRANE TRAILERS FOR BORGER CRANES Borger Cranes understand the benefits of specialised and purpose built crane trailers from TRT. BORGER CRANES TOOK DELIVERY OF ITS 50th specialised crane support trailer in April 2021. All 50 trailers have been designed, engineered, and manufactured

by TRT. Shawn Borger, Borger Crane’s general manager and Bruce Carden, director of sales and innovation for TRT provide background to the milestone delivery and emphasise the importance and value of these specialised crane trailers.

TRT has been providing Borger Cranes support trailers for over a decade. Their first foray into TRT specialist support trailers was with their first 500t Liebherr all terrain, says Carden.

“With the first trailer for Borger’s, we engineered and manufactured four sets of Bogie Bogie B doubles or what are called ‘running Bs’. They were designed to carry a 15t slab on the B and on the A trailer. One problem a crane support trailer solved for Shawn and Nathan was weight distribution when transporting counterweights. And, they were having issues with staff not being able to secure weights correctly - they didn’t have to move the weight too far, fore or aft, to make the drive weights or the weights on the axles of A or B trailer, illegal.

“So, of course they were open to designing a solution that enabled the operators to chain the weights down to the trailer to a position that would ensure that they got it right every time.

“Shawn and Nathan could see the value with this type of trailer, as they were able to mitigate any risk to the business related to overloading. And by having the equipment positioned correctly on the trailer meant safety is improved and overall risk reduced.

“It’s been a terrific journey with Borger’s, and this is a major milestone 42 / CAL May 2021

and privilege to deliver their 50th trailer.

We have other customers that have been with us and bought repeat trailers for a longer period of time too, but this is the first time we have had a customer that has bought 50 specialist trailers, in that period of time.

Shawn Borger confirms the new trailer was designed for the new Grove recently welcomed into the fleet and provides insights into the reasons he continues to rely on trailers from TRT. “The trailer is designed for our Grove GMK5250XL-1 which will be based at our Glendenning depot. Receiving our 50th TRT trailer is a major milestone for our business and there are a number of reasons why we continue to work with the team at TRT. “We’ve been working with TRT for

over a decade now. Their trailers are very different to a standard trailer in that they have fittings and guides for the crane parts such as counterweights which fit straight onto the trailer. No chains are required which makes mobilisation and demobilisation much quicker and safer and we can be sure the trailers legally adhere to the road regulations all of the time. The trailers are made from high tensile steel which makes them very strong and light weight,” said Borger.

“The team at TRT has proved to be innovative with the solutions they provide for us. TRT is a great company to deal with, they always provide ideas that we might not have considered previously and the fact that they sell cranes as well, puts them way ahead of the game, in my opinion,” he said.

TRT’s manufacturing team celebrates the 50th Crane Support Trailer for Borger Cranes. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Crane support trailer with TRT’s patented Versalock, ensuring accuracy of axle tare weights.

Being the Manitowoc agent in New Zealand and Queensland, provides TRT with a significant advantage when designing specialist trailers says Carden. He also confirms customers are increasingly examining custom made solutions for their crane fleets.

“We have access to all of the Manitowoc drawing data that we need in order to configure these trailers correctly.

They all have different dimensional constraints so we need to be able to obtain the drawing data to be able to design where the equipment is going to go on the trailer and how the restraints are going to be best engineered in order to make it secure and in the correct location.

“But to date, we have probably designed and manufactured as many trailers for Borger’s for other crane brands, predominantly Liebherr Cranes.

With the 3D modelling ability we have, and the fact that we can obtain a STEP file from the crane manufacturer, we can easily create the same solution for a Liebherr, Tadano, Demag or any other crane OEM brand” he said.

“One of the key requirements for customers is the overall whole of life costs. This cost takes into account the purchase price of the trailer and also, it’s www.cranesandlifting.com.au

running costs. A large part of the return of investment with a crane support trailer is the time saved in transport and setup to and from site.

“We have provided a combination of different styles of trailers for Borger’s over the years. In some cases, we build them what we call a light-weight Skel trailer, which is at the cutting edge of technology.

“It needs to be, because for some cranes we need to get 30t of pay load on a three axle semi-trailer which is operating 6 X 4 prime mover. To do this the trailer has to come in at a tare weight of less than four tonnes, and this throws up a number of engineering challenges.

“If you are building a trailer which tares four tonne, it’s got 30t on its back, anyone can do the math to see what the multiplier is. If the trailer weighs more than four tonne the customer can’t get the 30t of counterweight on and so the trailer is rendered useless for that application.

So, it’s got to be a cleverly designed trailer to transport at that mass. There are not that many companies in the market that can do this, we are proud that we have the skill and ability to be able to put together a package like that.” he said.

“Different configurations can be required depending on how

counterweights are made up. For example, it might be two 15t counterweights or three 10ts. If that’s the number then that’s the style of trailer we will engineer for the job. Conversely the customer might say to us, as Borger’s do, they have a particular crane which is sent long distances to wind farm applications for example, as a support crane.

“In that case and considering the distance travelled, the customer would rather have us put together some B double configurations so they only have one truck towing multiple trailers and over long distances which is the most economical methodology to get that crane mobilised and de-mobilised.

Depending on the area, it may be roadtrain compatible. For us, it is a matter of sitting down with the customer and going through the specifications for the crane, the various modules of counterweights and having a good understanding as to how the customer is going to operate that particular piece of kit and in what environment,” said Carden.

Carden talks about the ability to retrofit or refit TRT trailers to fit new cranes as they come into a customers’ fleet.

“We have a standard chassis which is designed out of high tensile steel, keeping the tare weight to a minimum. As I said earlier, with the upper works of the chassis there are various configurations available.

“Our patented Versalock system enables the upper works furniture on the May 2021 CAL / 43

IN FOCUS / TRT CRANE TRAILERS

trailer to carry the various components of the crane with our special bolting system, providing two advantages to the operator. One, they can move furniture forwards and backwards and bolt them down to ensure they get the axle weights absolutely perfect, every time. And secondly, if they want to repurpose one of their trailers for another crane, they can unbolt and move it or put new furniture on, again getting the axle weights absolutely perfect – without buying a new trailer” he said.

Carden then discusses the processes involved in ensuring the trailer is tailor made for the operation.

“From the time we cut the European sourced steel (which we do in house with one of our high definition plasma cutters), press the steel, fold it and start fabrication, right through the TRT onsite paint facility and finally trailer assembly, it takes five weeks. That’s the actual time for manufacture, but most of the time is required up front, sitting down with our customer and examining how they want to configure their crane, and from there, we design the total solution.

“In the case of Borger’s new Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1, there will 10 crane support trailers in total, including three sets of B doubles. The equipment trailer is going out first and that trailer has the outrigger pads for the crane and this will also transport a base slab and the hooks.

“This trailer enables the crane to be set up on its outriggers onsite, first.

The next set of trailers will be classed as the “number two set” of trailers which in this instance are a B double set. The design of these is quite unique, as they can carry the counterweights for the new 650t, and they also feature removable headboards and stanchions which will enable Borger’s to convert the trailers back to flat decks. So, when they are on a wind farm project, they can use them for carrying different types of payloads.

“There are also some inserts in the decks to carry different head-boards to carry the counterweights for their Demag CC 2800 crawler. To make all this happen there is a consultative process with the customer of about two to three months, 44 / CAL May 2021

before a piece of steel is cut. Throughout this design process, we confirm the specifications, the applications and we then work through two or three iterations to ensure we have a trailer that solves the problem for a customer and then we confirm a final design. With the recent trailers for Borger’s 650t, we started the discussions just before Christmas 2020, and the first of the trailers was delivered at the end of May. Shawn Borger confirms specialist trailers aren’t the only TRT product he utilises within the business.

“We are also a big fan of the outrigger pads developed and manufactured by TRT, we have TRT pads on all of our cranes. They are a premium product, so you pay a premium price. We understand they will be expensive to build, but in our

opinion, they are the best pads on the market. They are rated with certificates, which is also important. Ground pressure is a major issue these days and site engineers are looking for a lower KPA and the certification for the pads helps when thye are on site. The pads that TRT are building suits the cranes we are operating today,” he said.

“Again, we wanted to ensure that we developed a solution specific to the industry, a crane pad that had the strength to support the largest cranes on most surfaces, but that also helps reduce risk through safety. We use the same high tensile steel as the trailers, but it’s the honeycomb construction that minimises the tare weight for transport and yet has the footprint for certification,” Carden explained.

TRT outrigger pads with Borger 750t Liebherr. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / COMANSA TOWER CRANES

COMANSA LAUNCHES NEW FLATTOP MODELS Comansa’s extension of the flat-top tower crane range, including the new 21LC600 and 21LC650 incorporates ergonomic improvements and modularity novelties that facilitate optimisation of use on site.

COMANSA ADDS TWO NEW MODELS TO its successful 21LC series, as an evolution of the 21LC550 model, with two options: 20 and 25 tonne maximum load, which can be assembled with ranges of between 30 and 80 metres with configurations every 5 metres, allowing a maximum point load of up to 4.95 tonnes. Both models incorporate an optional boom configuration that allows the total range to be extended to 85 metres at the tip. Compared with the 21LC550 model, load capacities are on average 16 per cent higher for the 21LC600 and 23 per cent higher for the 21LC650.

The first of the new features in these models is that they have a shorter, modular counter-jib, ranging from 24.4 to 16.4 metres and having up to 5 possible configurations. This concept has a precedent in models 21LC750 / 21LC1050 / 21LC1400 and offers greater adaptation to the work configuration in reduced spaces.

46 / CAL May 2021

Both crane models come as standard with the CUBE cab in its L version.

As a standard feature, both crane models offer the double trolley system with automatic changeover (called DT in the data sheets), and incorporate, as a novelty, the optional availability of single trolley (ST) which simplifies maintenance work while increasing load capacity in short boom lengths.

Another of the strong points of these models is the improved access to the turntable and the rotating part: the cathead has been redesigned to facilitate the passage of lifting cables, including a welded ladder that allows access to the highest part without the

need for the cab platform. Access to the cab platform is now direct via the turntable thanks to the folding ladder, preventing falls while working on the upper level and also being easier to transport.

As a standard feature, both crane www.cranesandlifting.com.au

models offer the double trolley system with automatic changeover (called DT in the data sheets), and incorporate, as a novelty, the optional availability of single trolley (ST) which simplifies maintenance work while increasing load capacity in short boom lengths.

The height, which is self-supporting with a built-in base, can reach up to 85.8 metres. Also, the tower sections are 2.5 sqm for both models.

Taking advantage of the launch of the new cranes, a new climbing cage is presented: J3A-11, which follows the concept of the J3-20, with greater length and distance between rollers, a saving in scale recovery time, thanks to the auxiliary hoist included, which can also be transported in standard containers or trucks.

With regard to the lift engines, the standard for the 20-tonne versions is 50kW, while for the 25-tonne version it is 65kW. The 110kW engine is optional for both versions, with a speed of up to 290 m/min and maximum capacities of 1,570 metres of cable.

The Effi-Plus technology, fitted as

standard, significantly increases lifting and lowering speeds for light loads, shortening working cycles without increasing power or consumption.

The modularity, an inherent quality of COMANSA cranes, allows certain boom sections to be interchangeable within the 21LC-crane series, which enables rental companies to reduce their stock, optimising their investments, as they can order these

A cutting-edge design that is safer, more comfortable and provides operators with total visibility of the load and workspace, so they can carry out operations more easily, thanks to the digital control technology incorporated.

As is customary with COMANSA’s Flat-Top models, assembly is easier, faster, and safer, providing a longer life for the structure.

The modularity, an inherent quality of COMANSA cranes, allows certain boom sections to be interchangeable within the 21LCcrane series, which enables rental companies to reduce their stock, optimising their investments, as they can order these new cranes with a shorter boom length if they have previous cranes of the same series in stock. new cranes with a shorter boom length if they have previous cranes of the same series in stock.

Both models come as standard with the CUBE cab in its L version, with the XL available as an option.

The 21LC600 and 21LC650 FlatTop tower cranes can be used for the construction of residential and commercial buildings, as well as power plants, mining, bridges and other highcommitment infrastructure.

The first of the new features in these models is a shorter, modular counter-jib, ranging from 24.4 to 16.4 metres. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

May 2021 CAL / 47

IN FOCUS / FRANNA AT40

FRANNA’S UNIVERSAL APPEAL Leading Brisbane crane hire business Universal Cranes, adds another Franna AT40.

UNIVERSAL CRANES RECENTLY TOOK delivery of the latest addition to its Brisbane fleet, a Franna AT40. New Brisbane branch manager, Ben Smith, describes the machine as a very versatile and reliable addition to the fleet.

“We received our first AT40 in the Brisbane fleet mid 2020. Our customers are very quickly seeing the value the crane adds to the projects they engage us for. The crane has been busy on various 48 / CAL May 2021

projects from the day it was delivered,” he said.

With the extra lifting capacity, the Franna AT40 is capable of managing lifts normally in the domain of smaller slew cranes.

“We are finding projects we would have typically managed with a 50t to 80t slew crane can now be performed with the AT40 due to its ability to “walk with the load”. The customers are finding

several benefits in terms of hire rates, time savings and greater efficiencies on the worksite with the introduction of the Franna AT40,” says Smith.

The group has purchased three AT40’s since they were released to market in 2019. The first unit went to the group’s operation in Guam in the Micronesian Islands to support the crane fleet in work mainly for the US’s Department of Defence. The higher pick www.cranesandlifting.com.au

We have six MAC 25’s in the Brisbane fleet and we want to offer our customers more flexibility. If a job is a bit too much for a MAC 25, we now have the capacity to jump in the AT40 and send this out to get the job done. Or we can plan the lift around the AT40 depending on the requirements for the job,” said Smith.

The AT40 is advantageous as the ‘ready to lift’ duration is much less than with a slew crane. A slew crane requires pads to be put down, outriggers to be set

after working as a Civil/Structural Engineer for the last eight years.

“Universal Cranes is a family business and I have been involved over the years in various forms. I was last involved 10 years ago, as a lift engineer working on lift studies, whilst I was still at university,” he said.

For the last five years, Ben has taken an active role on the advisory board for the Smithbridge Group, the parent company for Universal Cranes.

“We are finding projects we would have typically managed with a 50t to 80t slew crane can now be performed with the AT40 due to its ability to “walk with the load”. The customers are finding several benefits in terms of hire rates, time savings and greater efficiencies on the worksite with the introduction of the Franna AT40.”

With the extra lifting capacity, the Franna AT40 is capable of managing lifts normally in the domain of smaller slew cranes.

and carry capacity offered by the AT40, has proved ideal for the work.

A second AT40 was delivered to the Brisbane branch in April 2021 and the Universal Cranes team is happy to welcome it to the fleet.

“Having multiple AT40s gives us greater flexibility to support the work that’s just a bit too much to do safely and efficiently with the Franna MAC 25s even with the SuperLift counterweights. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

up and the crane to be prepared before it is ready to lift. The Franna AT40 offers considerable advantages to customers in terms of saving cost and reduced set up times from arrival to site to hook in the air. Smith explained that these were the main benefits realised by Universal Cranes clients.

In terms of operation, the Universal Cranes team has been impressed with the performance of the AT40 and how it handles.

“There are some differences in the controls of the AT40 compared to the MAC 25, it’s obviously a larger crane with a second rear axle that takes a bit of getting used to. The operators have gained competency around the new controls in a short period of time and there’s been great feedback from the operators,” he said.

The AT40 provides customers with valuable flexibility in a highly competitive market. As a family business, Universal Cranes prides itself on its family business style service but with a wide breadth of machines in the fleet to deliver ‘Big Company Options’ to customers across a large geographic spread.

Ben Smith recently joined Universal Cranes as the Brisbane branch manager,

“The business is going through a journey of generational succession planning that my father Albert Smith, has put a lot of energy and effort into engaging the next generation to be involved in taking the company into the future. Part of the Smith succession plan includes my brother Joe who is the main allocator and dispatcher for the Brisbane operation. Joe’s involvement was another positive for me moving into the business” said Smith.

Although Joe and Ben have followed different career paths to get there (Joe is a carpenter by trade), the brothers are now working alongside each other in the Brisbane office of Universal Cranes. Joe joined Universal in 2015 and has moved into the allocating dispatch role in the past 18 months.

“The Brisbane branch includes Frannas, mini cranes and slew cranes which range from a 13t city crane to a 450t capacity all terrain. To support the mobile and casual hire crane business we run a crew of between 55 and 60 personnel and we are currently in recruitment mode,” Smith explains.

Smith described how critical it was for Universal Cranes to understand their customers businesses, what their needs are today and what their needs are likely May 2021 CAL / 49

IN FOCUS / FRANNA AT40

Brothers Joe and Ben Smith are an important part of the succession plan for Universal Cranes.

“We are constantly examining the work we are tendering for and compare this to the capabilities of our fleet. We are always looking for cranes which will add value and versatility to our fleet and for this reason we purchased a Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1, a 250t capacity all terrain.” to be in the future to help determine what cranes the company invests in.

“It’s important for us to stay close to the markets we operate in to ensure the direction we take and cranes we add to the fleet aligns with the markets and meets their needs” said Smith.

He then goes on to discuss the mix of the Universal Cranes fleet, the focus on both pick and carry cranes as well as all terrains.

“We are constantly examining the work we are tendering for and compare this to the capabilities of our fleet. We are always looking for cranes which will add value and versatility to our fleet and for this reason we purchased a Liebherr LTM 50 / CAL May 2021

1230-5.1, a 250t capacity all terrain which arrived in early March. This a terrifically adaptable crane featuring a massive main boom and impressive charts as well as a number of features we find are well suited for the metro Brisbane area,” said Smith.

Universal Cranes also offers lift engineering capabilities, which sets the organisation apart from others. With the family business’ roots in engineering and civil contracting it’s naturally part of the team’s culture to focus on engineered lifts and knowing how to get the job done.

“We continue to invest time, money and energy to ensure our safety and operational systems are running

effectively and efficiently. The systems and procedures are designed to support our teams in the field who are involved in the high risk work we conduct. These safety processes continue to be a key focus for the business,” explains Smith.

“The roots of the business are in civil contracting, so we understand the industry and the businesses that operate in that sector. My grandfather was a civil contractor in New Zealand and a big part of our business culture is we know what it takes to get the job done,” he said.

Despite having roots in civil contracting, Universal Cranes works across a number of market sectors around Brisbane and South East Queensland.

Universal Cranes has branches in Roma, Gladstone and sister company branches located in Ballina, Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and North Queensland. There is also the National Projects and Heavy Lift Division which typically features the crawler and rough terrain cranes available for projects all across Australia. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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Mobile and crawler cranes

IN FOCUS / EQUIPMENT FINANCE

ONCE IN A GENERATION FINANCIAL INCENTIVES Mark O’Donoghue, Finlease founder and CEO, speaks with Cranes and Lifting about how growing businesses can capitalise on the Federal Government’s unprecedented financial incentives.

IN THE OCTOBER 6TH, 2020 BUDGET THE government announced a number of incentive programs providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for private enterprise to seize the day, expand their businesses under the umbrella of very significant cashflow support provided by the government over the next 18 months and beyond.

“As serial optimists, we can see substantially improving circumstances for so many industries, including those who have remained buoyant through the last 12 months due to infrastructural or civil based activity,” he says.

Finlease, which was founded by O’Donoghue in the 1980s and has since grown into a team of 70, provides over $500 million in equipment finance each year.

“We arrange equipment finance for business owners all around the country, with many clients that have been with us for over 20 years,” O’Donoghue says.

“We finance everything from a single motor vehicle or piece of equipment, through to millions of dollars’ worth or machinery or property.”

Sourcing finance from a range of 20 capable and competitive institutions enables Finlease to spread loans across a number of lenders, ensuring business owners are not tied to just one bank that has them locked up with all securities.

“Equipment finance allows companies to spread a greater portion of the overall debt to a broader base of financiers, which means less exposure to their existing bank, greater competition between financiers to drive lower interest rates, often better approval conditions 52 / CAL May 2021

and a broader base of competitive lenders to assist in financing future growth,” O’Donoghue said.

FORWARD THINKING FINANCE Despite the challenges of 2020, O’Donoghue expresses optimism about the current financial and business landscape. He adds that as COVID transitions from a here and now reality into a historical fact, mainstream financers are looking at the present and future landscape for clients when looking to approve finance.

“The combination of improving employment numbers, significant government project spend and tax incentives, as well as the desire of Australians to emerge from the COVID hibernation, bodes well for 2021 and beyond,” O’Donoghue said.

While the Federal Budget’s support for businesses is far-reaching, O’Donoghue notes two key incentives.

First, the October 2020 budget enables businesses to deduct the full cost of eligible capital assets acquired from 6 October 2020 and first used or installed by 30 June 2022.

Additionally, the government will allow eligible companies to carry back tax losses from the 2019-20, 202021- or 2021-22-income years to offset previously taxed profits in 2018-19 or later years.

“These government incentives are once in a generation – this is significant,” O’Donoghue said.

“If good profitable businesses are thinking about expanding and undertake that expansion before the

Mark O’Donoghue, Finlease founder and CEO.

30th of June 2022, the tax breaks they can obtain through the 100 per cent write-off are mind-bending.”

O’Donoghue, who is committed to expressing financial environments in ‘plain speak’, outlines a hypothetical example of how crane hire companies can capitalise on these incentives.

“Barry owns AAA Crane Hire Pty Ltd, which has an annual turnover of $8 million,” he explained.

“Over the years, Barry has bought many cranes as well as other support equipment, and has depreciated all of those assets using the simplified depreciation pool – claiming 30 per cent diminishing value depreciation each year.

The closing balance on this depreciation pool as of 30 June 2020 was $3 million.

“Despite the challenges of the COVID environment, AAA has had a busy year, resulting in a trading profit of $1 million for the year ended 30 June 2021.”

According to O’Donoghue, this result would usually have created a tax www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“We’ve built our business by looking after clients long-term. We’re a small business like our clients, and because we spend all day looking at companies, we understand what they do and provide good advice and alternatives.” bill of $260,000, however under new tax incentives, Barry has an option to claim 100 per cent full expensing of the entire depreciation pool balance of $3 million, equalling the total written down value of all cranes and support equipment.

“This one off tax incentive allows AAA to show an actual loss for tax purposes of $2 million in 2021,” O’Donoghue said.

“Not only does this mean that AAA will not have to pay the $260,000 tax bill for 2021, but Barry will also be able to ‘carry back’ the $2 million tax loss on any tax AAA may have paid on profits for the prior two financial years.

“As AAA did in fact make profits of $1 million in both the 2019 and 2020 financial years, the temporary loss carry back incentive provides the opportunity for the total tax paid of $550,000 for those two years to be repaid as a refund once AAA has concluded their 2021 Tax Return,” he said.

“We’ve built our business by looking after clients long-term. We’re a small business like our clients, and because we spend all day looking at companies, we understand what they do and provide good advice and alternatives,” he said.

To advocate for its clients, Finlease will work with two or three of the various

capable lenders, who will in effect be competing for their client’s business.

“Then we’ll analyse what these lenders are offering and recommend the best outcome,” O’Donoghue said.

“The trick is to know when the terms are fair relative to what the market is offering, or whether they need to be adjusted slightly. It may be as simple as wanting a longer term or a higher residual, or perhaps a lender is insisting on a deposit when others would approve 100 per cent finance.

“At our core, we’re committed to negotiating better outcomes for our clients and looking after them for the next 20 years,” he said.

Equipment finance allows companies to spread a greater portion of the overall debt to a broader base of financiers.

TRANSLATION AND ADVOCACY O’Donoghue explains that while the financial eco-system can appear complex, for businesses looking to capitalises on government incentives, planning ahead is critical.

He adds that it’s important to seek finance approvals early and ask for more than is initially needed as an upper limit, as finance approvals do not incur a cost and do not need to be used. Having existing finance approvals in place also allows businesses to act quickly when opportunity arises.

Finally, O’Donoghue suggests that businesses work with professionals who specialise in equipment finance, as they have the experience to negotiate the right outcome and have access to the broadest lending market. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

May 2021 CAL / 53

SPT MINI CRANES HAVE LANDED! SPT Mini Cranes are focused on product safety, versatility and functionality.

SPT Mini Cranes comply with Cranesafe, Australian and EN 13000 Standards.

Capacities start at 2 tonne with and range up to 10 tonne capacity.

The SPT 199 is only 600mm wide and will fit through a standard doorway. It has a lifting capacity of 2t almost at 2.0m and a maximum working radius of 5.9m. The SPT 1009 has a lifting capacity of 10t at 2.5m and a maximum working radius of 19m. There are 3 models in between.

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Reach can be increased with a jib and fly.

Remote control is standard and models feature the Yanmar diesel engines and an electric motor.

When you are considering your next mini crane you now have a viable option.

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IN FOCUS / MANITOWOC

TAKING GROVES TO NEWCASTLE WGC Cranes recently opened a new branch in Newcastle and welcomed the delivery of two Grove GMK 5110-1s.

WGC CRANES (WGC), A MEMBER OF FREO Group (Freo) which in turn is part of Marmon Crane Services Inc (Marmon) recently opened a branch in Newcastle appointing Blake Furner as the new branch manager. In mid-March, Furner took delivery of two Grove GMK 51101’s which had been previously been operating in the United States. Both machines required modifications to comply with Australian regulations; a process that was managed by the Manitowoc team in Sydney.

As a result of under-utilisation of assets in Marmon’s North American operations, the opportunity arose to transfer several cranes to Australia which had not been as severely impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. Freo and WGC have continued to search for growth opportunities in Australia and this resulted in the establishment of the Newcastle branch.

With Furner’s solid understanding of the Newcastle market the two new Grove GMK 5110-1’s were required to be modified to comply with Australian standards and New South Wales road regulations. The equipment needed to be road ready, crane ready and CraneSafe certified before they entered the WGC fleet.

“Once they landed, a few conversions were needed, imperial to metric and miles per hour to kilometers per hour for example and we engaged Manitowoc team to ensure this happened,” said Furner.

On arrival in Australia, Todd Carney and the team at Manitowoc were engaged to assist with applying the technical modifications required to bring the machines in line with Australian Standards.

“We received the cranes just before Christmas and during the early part www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“The Grove 110s feature 50m of live boom with 40.1 tonnes of counterweight making them good on chart with panels for example, and they can out lift the 130s in some areas.”

of the new year we have reduced the overall width of the cranes to ensure the complied with NSW road standards.

We also changed over all the wheels to narrow wheels to reduce the width. We completed some major repairs to ensure they are CraneSafe compliant and this included some repairs to ensure they passed RMS standards. We spent the first two months of the year getting the cranes ready for our valued customer,” said Carney.

“Reducing the width of the crane is an involved process” explains Carney, “It involves the removal of all the decking and cutting that down by 50mm on each side. There was also a guard lip which had to removed, to enable a little more narrowing of the crane. Basically, the crane needed to be reduced 100mm on either side all together”.

“Some of this work was quite straight forward as they were straight cuts but

there was more intricate work required around the slew ring itself where you have to get the radius in and you have to ensure the mounting points are right.

The guys have done a fantastic job on this element of the project and we’ve completed this within a timely manner,” said Carney.

“This was a fairly complex job for us to get both cranes altered to meet compliance issues simultaneously. Most of the work has been managed inhouse by the Manitowoc team, although a contractor was engaged with some of the trimming work.”

“If we can’t manage a process with our internal team, we will always bring in the right people who specialise in the task at hand. All the rest of the work was managed by my in-house team, and they have done a terrific job,” he said.

Carney then explained the key features of the cranes and the May 2021 CAL / 55

IN FOCUS / MANITOWOC

modifications that had been made to achieve compliance.

“Because it is a US crane it was operating in pounds and feet and so we had to go through the process of installing new software and load charts to bring this over and into kilograms and meters. One of my technicians Andrew managed this process. Within the dashboard itself, the Mercedes Benz side of the crane had to be converted from

Todd Carney, Manitowoc Cranes, service manager.

miles to kilometers as well and we get Australian Standards within that as well.

These are relatively high-level processes, but my technicians are highly qualified and trained for these types of jobs,” he said.

Carney talks about the amount of planning required to ensure the cranes are converted and ready for service, in a timely manner.

“If we don’t have the parts, we order them from the factory. With the Mercedes Benz conversion it was a matter of plugging in the Mercedes tool which we have here at Manitowoc, and we were able to change parameters to switch it over from miles to kilometers, we also had to download new software from the factory for the crane to change the gauges from pounds to kilograms and from feet to meters.”

“This involved an overnight call, the factory sent the new parameters to us, we set these up for the crane and she’s ready for action. As part of the refit for 56 / CAL May 2021

the cranes, we fitted all new 1600 wide tyres, they had 20s on originally. This provided a different off set which bought the width of the crane in further. If we had left the old tyres on, the cranes would have been too wide for NSW road standards, so we narrowed these down to 1600s which brings the crane to within the required 2.9m.”

Carney explains the stakeholder engagement required to keep the client,

Blake Furner, WGC Newcastle branch manager.

WGC, updated during each step of the process.

“We have obviously worked closely with the customer and made them aware of milestone developments. We like to be proactive with our customers and keep them informed of developments before any questions are asked. It is important for us to keep our customer informed on how the job is progressing so they can start planning on when the cranes will be operating”.

“WGC had to get their IAP connected and we worked closely with them on this. We worked closely with WGC’s signwriter providing him with enough time to get this side of the project completed”.

“It’s not the first time we’ve provided this service, narrowing up guards on cranes is something we have done before for customers. We provide an array of services for our customers, from servicing the cranes managing modifications as we’ve done for these

cranes through to major repairs. We do what we need to do for our customers to get them on the road.

“With the help of my team, I am focused on providing customers with the right levels of service to get their cranes out on the road and earning money as quickly as possible,” said Carney.

Furner commenced his working career with Walter Wright with whom he worked for 11 years until the business was liquidated. He then moved to another crane hire business and worked there for three years, two and a half of which were as branch manager. From a low base, business built quickly, and the fleet grew to 20 cranes and a crew of 60.

The WGC Newcastle operation might be new, but Furner has ambitious plans for the operation.

“Newcastle is a small town and the business communities are tightly knit.

Everyone knows everyone and you can’t afford to get offside with people because they have very long memories.

Being born and bred in Newcastle you understand this, and you also understand local businesses want to deal with locals. I love a challenge and when WGC confirmed they wanted to open in Newcastle, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Furner.

“Our biggest challenge is getting our name out and into the market. we are gradually making inroads by explaining to customers who we are, the team we have, the cranes we have access to and who we are backed by. There are some large corporates in Newcastle,” he said.

Furner talks a little more about the WGC fleet in Newcastle.

“We have the 300t capacity crane which runs between the Valley and Newcastle and we’ve got the 400t which we also use in Newcastle as well.

We’ve already had this working on a project in Newcastle and this provided the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities to customers.

We run a brand new Liebherr 230t capacity with a 75m boom. Obviously, we’ve just taken delivery of the Grove 110s which feature 50m of live boom.

Realistically, they are a short stick www.cranesandlifting.com.au

130 as they still have 40.1 tonne of counterweight just like a 130. They have the same carrier and the same crane; they are just one boom section shorter. This makes them exceptionally good on chart with panels for example. They are an excellent crane on chart, and they can out lift the 130s in some areas.”

“We also run a 100t Liebherr, a brand new 90t Liebherr, two new 60t Groves, two city cranes and a number of pick and carry cranes. Now we have 15 cranes operating in the Newcastle fleet,” said Furner.

“WGC has a tight team in Newcastle” says Furner.

“Supervisor Neil Hall has been working with Freo for the last three years. He decided to be a part of the new venture in Newcastle. Our other supervisor, Luke Foster recently joined

®

our team giving it a fantastic foundation for the WGC business to build on. WGC Newcastle has 15 crew along with, 10 crane operators, riggers and dogman.

The team we have put together in a short space of time is excellent and I am extremely happy with everyone’s effort to date.”

Furner goes on to discuss the profile of customers he hopes to attract to the business.

“There are good customers in high rise construction, and we are working closely with the major construction companies.

“Infrastructure work is great, and the high level of activity we are seeing in the area will likely last another 10 years. We are focused on attracting the mining sector and related contract work to sustain the crew and to be utilising

our assets. We started the business in late 2020 with not much, so to have 15 blokes working every day this quickly is nothing short of incredible,” he said.

The new branch is strategically placed on Kooragang Island, in the heart of the coal handling facilities. The choice of location was very strategic. We are in prime spot with customers like Orica, Incitec, Port Waratah and NCIG on our doorstep.

“I’ve been in cranes for long enough to feel very confident about the opportunities for the Newcastle organisation. I can see this operation running 20 cranes and employing 40 permanents and 20 casuals by the end of 2021. With everything we have planned we can certainly be one of the larger crane suppliers in Newcastle,” said Furner.

IN FOCUS / HUMMA PICK AND CARRY

HUMMA’S 25 YEARS OF INNOVATION It has taken 25 years of constant innovation and evolution for the Humma pick and carry range to really hit its mark.

THE SUCCESS OF THE HUMMA PICK AND carry range is due, in no small part, to the vision of DRA Group and the innovative approach it has always taken to the design, engineering and manufacturing of its products. Peter Dalla Riva, operations director for DRA Group discusses the heritage of the business and the milestone achievements it has seen.

“1996 was a memorable year for DRA Group. We celebrated 25 years of trading and Construct Engineering, a DRA Group subsidiary, which had been launched in 1984, had completed the construction of the largest sheep processing facility in Europe which had a daily throughput of 4,000 sheep.

“In the twelve-year period Construct Engineering had been operating, we completed turnkey projects in Qatar, Botswana, India, New Zealand and Australia and was exporting purposebuilt machines to Europe and middle

eastern countries when quite suddenly new projects dried up both in Australia and overseas. The business was left with an engineering team with a wide range of design and manufacturing skills with no projects on which to utilise these skills,” said Dalla Riva “When we faced with this situation, we decided preservation of the company was paramount and the only solution was to reduce operating costs to match the reduced sales revenue. We did not want to lose the experience and skills of the engineering team so we set out to find a project where the skills could be gainfully used in a research program which would lead to design and build projects in the future,” he said.

During this period, a number of small and medium engineering companies were suffering financial stress with some forced into liquidation. Dalla Riva was looking to find one such company where the Construct Engineering skills could

be utilised. The opportunity arose when Linmac, the competition to Franna, was forced into liquidation, leaving Franna as the only supplier of pick and carry cranes.

With a 30 year history, Linmac had developed the tractor crane to a point where it was producing 300 units per year. In the sixties and seventies, the crane hire industry was in its infancy and the tractor crane was not suitable for commuting on the road so the crane hire industry was ready for Franna when it released in 1980. This was later followed

by Linmac’s competitive product.

Unfortunately for Linmac, the release was too late and although the Linmac road crane had many good design features, Franna was proved more cost effective and became the pick & carry of choice.

Dalla Riva immediately saw the opening for his engineering team to design a new generation

The field results after years of operation on both the 25T and 35T have confirmed Humma is a low cost, high performing, extremely safe pick and carry

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pick & carry crane and recruited a crane design engineer and senior technician from Linmac to join the Construct Engineering team. This recruitment added thirty years of pick & carry experience to his research and development team. Project “Road Crane” (RC) was launched in 1996.

“The engineering team and I basically knew the specification we wanted for the ‘RC’ but decided to conduct a survey of Franna owners to better understand their experiences with the brand and to understand any inherent issue they had with the Franna models. In 1996, Franna basically had three models, the AT15, AT18 and the recently released MAC25.

Our survey revealed owners had issues with reliability most would welcome a competitor into the market,” said Dalla Riva.

In 1996, the original specifications for the HUMMA were based on where the Construct Engineering team expected the ‘RC’ would be in 20 years’ time,” said Dalla Riva.

“We took into consideration that cranes would be expected to lift heavier loads in the future and our engineering teams were very aware that a pick and carry crane required a different set of design features when compared to truck cranes where the load is supported by the outriggers.

“Pick and carry means the ‘load is dynamic’ not constant and the structure, booms and componentry must cope with these dynamics. Competitors today still do not take this feature into consideration which affects reliability and operating costs, increases downtime and repairs. With 20 years of proven field results, Humma offers 15 year/15,000hrs for the first major inspection and proven ‘life cost’ of between 20-25 per cent of the MAC25,” he said.

Dalla Riva takes a look at the 1996 specification for the Humma.

• Standard footprint: All Humma models have the boom in the centre, not on the side, because stability is best achieved in this position and when articulating at 42 degrees the load on the structure is even on both www.cranesandlifting.com.au

sides of the chassis, eliminating weld cracks and fatigue.

• Cabin: Full width and modular, not part of the crane structure, need to isolate it from road vibration and noise. Humma cabins are the quietest in the industry with cabin noise at 65-70 decibels compared to Franna where drivers should wear ear protection. The wide cabin is safe for driving at high speed on the road and when operating. Both ¬¬¬-competitors have half cabins with boom obstruction.

• Booms: A crane must have the longest possible booms designed to withstand damage by flexing when moving loads as loads are dynamic and P&C crane boom designs require a high safety factor. Humma cranes has the longest boom in the industry and is 2-3M longer than competitors.

Suspension is critical with pick & carry as it is required to move along the road at traffic speed (95-100km) on arterial roads and at the same time reduce road vibration which damages sensitive crane componentry, increasing repair and maintenance. The specification of ‘RC’ was established and included: • Modular construction • Air bag suspension • Fabricated booms • Standard footprint for all models • Only well proven componentry used “Apart from the structural design of the chassis and booms, the performance and reliability of a pick and carry depends on using quality componentry proven in plant such as loaders where loads are lifted, articulated and moved on rough surfaces. Bearings and axle selection is important as is the engine.

Humma is the only crane with ADR 80/02 automotive diesel engine with low emissions and fuel usage of up to 25 per cent lower than industrial diesel engines.

“1997 saw the first crane RC18, an 18 tonne using aluminium tanks and plastic mudguards. It was not accepted by the market because it did not look robust enough and the tanks were

considered exposed to damage. The next model had steel tanks and guards were fitted,” said Dalla Riva.

“It’s Interesting to note that 25 years later, the Franna AT40 has an exposed aluminium tank and yet the Franna cusomter accepts them. From 1997 to 2000 a number of RC18 were built with Freogroup taking three on dry hire for up to two years. Tony Canci was impressed as he said they were good lifters but needed to be more reliable and wanted to be the sole distributor which we rejected. The ‘RC’ later became Humma as we thought it looked like the American Hummer,” he said.

By 2003, Humma 20 had been released and a select number of units were in the market and it was clear a major review of the design was required.

Sales were suspended and the entire structure was subjected to a full Finite Element Analysis investigation. This established the position of the structural areas needing strengthening. To take control of field performance DRA established a “project dry hire” division for the 25T & 35T models. This allowed Construct Engineering to monitor field performance and carry out upgrades as necessary.

“Humma, with an ongoing commitment from its engineering team, incorporating changes from Humma owners Gary West who purchased the first Humma 20 in 2000, Dave Lewis who purchased the first Humma 35 in 2010, and Mike Hanchard who in 2013 established the reliability of both Humma 25 & Humma 35 by subjecting the 35T to 2,000 hours of taxi hire in the Brisbane region. Acceleration, top speed and fuel usage was recorded and proven to exceed the competitor by a considerable margin,” said Dalla Riva.

“Reliability, maintenance cost and down time for Humma 35 was rated highly. This extensive testing laid the foundation for Humma 55 to be launched in 2017. The world’s largest and safest articulated pick and carry crane. The field results after years of operation on both the 25T and 35T have confirmed Humma is a low cost, high May 2021 CAL / 59

IN FOCUS / HUMMA PICK AND CARRY

There have been a number of models throughout the Humma evolution including the Humma RC18 model, launched in 1997.

performing, extremely safe pick and carry which is comfortable on the highway at 95kph or on site lifting and moving loads,” he said.

Dalla Riva highlights how the R&D program continued unabated.

• 2005 – Humma 18 modified into rough terrain 14T fork for harvesting tomatoes in Victoria, moving 10T bins in paddocks from trailers to trucks.

This work tested the resistance of the chassis to distortion when working in paddocks.

• 2006 – Dual winch developed for Humma 20 lifting and positioning large pipes. Humma is the only P&C having a dual winch as an extra.

• 2008 – Release of Humma 25 by incorporating a slightly longer length, axle weights were reduced to 23T and eliminated the removable counterweight allowing the crane to carry 1,000kg of rigging gear.

• 2010 – Release of the largest capacity 60 / CAL May 2021

•

•

•

•

Pic & Carry crane at the time, Humma 35 with removable counterweight.

2011 – Humma Dry Hire operation used as a means of obtaining operational data on Humma 35 and using the data to carry out design upgrades.

2013 – Entered into collaborative agreement with Hanchard Cranes for testing of 25 and 35T in the taxi hire market, assessing reliability, fuel usage and performance.

2016 – Release of Humma 35 Mk3 incorporating six years of component testing and design performance.

Based on proven results Humma is the only crane that comes with 2yr/2,000hr warranty and first major inspection at 15yr/15,000hrs. A major inspection at 20,000 hrs did not require line boring of pivots or articulation with no weld cracks.

2017 – Humma 55 developed using the same footprint used on all

previous models which incorporated the design upgrades. Humma 55 is the world’s largest crane in its class and is also the safest with the patented auto-leveller.

• 2018/19 – Field testing undertaken and debugging of Humma 55.

• 2019 – Release of Humma 55.

“You may ask what has Humma contributed to the industry over the last twenty five years. I would ask the market to consider the following points,” said Dalla Riva.

“When Humma was launched in 1996, Franna was marketing the AT15, AT18 and MAC25. By 2010 Humma had released 18t, 20t 25t models, carried out extensive design upgrade on the design in 2003/4 and released the world’s largest crane in its class, Humma 35. In those 14 years, Franna were still marketing the AT15, AT20 and MAC25,” he said.

“During the period 2010-2013 we subjected Humma 25 & 35 to extensive testing replicating field operations and upgrading where required. 2016 saw the release of Humma 25 Mk2 and Humma 35 Mk3 with proven performance data, high reliability, lowest operating costs, lowest fuel usage, 2yr/2,000hr warranty and 15yr/15,000hr for first major service.

No competitive product has been able to achieve this performance. 2018 saw the development of the Humma 55, a world first in pick and carry, the largest capacity and safest crane. It is safest because of how it is configured and how all Hummas are configured, they are difficult to turn over, they have unobstructed frontal vision making them safe to operate and drive,” said Dalla Riva.

“We are producing a range of pick and carry cranes, which are manufactured in Australia by an Australian company using only proven quality components.

Humma is the only 21st century designed and built crane incorporating current technology with proven performance data. Our crane is proven to perform efficiently in the field as a pick and carry crane with minimal maintenance. We are challenging the market to put Humma to the test,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

IN FOCUS / SPANSET AUSTRALIA Top Gun Cranes knew SpanSet Australia manufactured locally and they were the only manufacturer that could produce the right quality of sling and meet the deadline.

SPANSET FEELS THE NEED FOR SPEED SpanSet Australia delivers synthetic slings in record time for “classic boat” lift.

IN THE CLASSIC JET FIGHTER ACE MOVIE, Top Gun, Tom Cruise’s character Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell shouts to his buddy Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw’ the line, “I feel the need, the need for speed.”

Over the Christmas period, SpanSet Australia were able to ensure the lift of a classic boat was possible, by designing, manufacturing and delivering bespoke synthetic slings for a lift by Top Gun Cranes, in record time.

To ensure the lift happened within the tight frame required a co-ordinated effort involving the sales, design and manufacturing team at SpanSet and the teams at Australian Lifting and Safety 62 / CAL May 2021

(ALS) and Top Gun Cranes.

Nathan McNeill is the allocator at Top Gun Cranes and he provides some background to the lift.

“It was one of those jobs that was on and then off again. It didn’t seem urgent and then suddenly the customer gave it the green light and I knew it was going to be a scramble to make the tight deadline,” he said.

The cruiser weighed 41t and McNeill knew it was going to require purpose built slings for the lift to be completed safely.

“With the tight deadline I knew the slings would need to be designed,

manufactured and tested in a really tight time frame, we had four days to turn the slings around and two of those were over a weekend. That’s when I called Michael O’Brien at SpanSet Australia. I knew they manufactured locally and they were the only manufacturer that could produce the right quality of sling and meet the deadline,” he said.

Following this call O’Brien was instructed by Top Gun Cranes to call Glenn Dryland at ALS and explain what was happening.

“Here at Australian Lifting and Safety (ALS) we operate in a number of markets and we have a large network www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The cruiser weighed 41t and the lift required purpose built slings to be completed safely.

“With the tight deadline I knew the slings would need to be designed, manufactured and tested in a really tight time frame, we had four days to turn the slings around and two of those were over a weekend.” of suppliers due to the wide range of services we provide. SpanSet Australia is our main supplier when it comes to synthetic lifting & height safety products including lifting slings, harnesses, lanyards and anything else which is ‘outside the box’,” said Dryland.

“They have a great technical team to answer any queries, are willing to work with us on the design and manufacture of custom products required by our clients and they always deliver their products and services in an efficient and timely manner. But the delivery times on these slings meant going above and beyond, normal levels of service as it was a week or two prior to Christmas.

“I sent the quote to Nathan and almost instantly we had an approval.

One more phone call to Michael to make it happen, emphasising the need for speed and the manufacturing www.cranesandlifting.com.au

team at SpanSet Australia went into overdrive,” he said.

True to their word, SpanSet Australia provided updates throughout the manufacturing process and despite the time of year and the heavy workload, SpanSet Australia went above and beyond and ensured the slings were delivered to Top Gun Cranes within four days.

“As a company, we really support the position SpanSet Australia is taking with the industry with their Australian Made products. Although we are a supplier and not a manufacturer like SpanSet Australia, we are going down a similar path where we are backing Australian businesses making products locally and recommending these products to our clients where-ever possible,” said Dryland.

“Over the last 12 to 14 months, and as a result of COVID and its impact on

shipping costs freight delays etc. we are seeing many clients quite prepared to pay that bit extra for quality Australian products, delivered on time, keeping fellow Australians in jobs, all backed by the Australian Made logo. As a company, we are fully behind this development,” he said.

The lift went “like clockwork”, according to McNeill.

“Our Liebherr LTM 1130-5.1 I was on site just in case the boys needed a hand but we had a good crew and they managed the whole lift without any dramas. There were a couple old of marks on the hull where it had obviously been lifted before. We’d previously measured what size of Modulift spreader bar we needed, and we lifted off the points we could see. Everything was perfect. We had lifted the boat, had it on the float and out of there all within a couple of hours,” he said.

May 2021 CAL / 63

IN FOCUS / KATO CITY CRANES

FIRST NEW MODEL KATO CITY CRANE DELIVERED Tasmanian company Cranes Combined recently took delivery of the new Kato CR-250Rv city crane. It is the first of the new model to be delivered in Australia.

CRANES COMBINED, MANAGING DIRECTOR, Chris Kolodziej discusses the important role smaller capacity cranes play in the business and the reasons for bringing the 25t capacity crane to Tasmania.

“Like most crane hire businesses, we have always had a number of smaller capacity cranes in our fleet. They are ideal for general hire, taxi work and managing lifts on sites where access is limited. For example, we’ve had an exceptional run with the Kobelco RK 70s over many years; they have been great performers for our business, and they were way ahead of their time with surprisingly good load charts.

“When we purchased

Statewide Cranes, we expanded our capabilities, and our fleet in Hobart grew considerably. They were already running a 13t capacity Kato city crane and last year we bought a new Kato CR-130RF because the Kobelcos were getting older, and it was time to upgrade.

More recently, we were looking to purchase a new 20t city crane but came across the Kato CR-250 Rv as an alternative.

Although the machine was larger in terms of dimensions, the load chart was far superior and this crane now gives us excellent capabilities in restricted areas, confined work sites etc. If this crane cannot access a site, then

our existing 13t Katos will come into the picture.

“The performance of the Kato brand over an extended period of time has been first rate”, said Kolodziej.

“The first 13t Kato recently had its 10 year inspection, has been repainted and now presents as new. After

The new Kato CR-250 Rv alongside Cranes Combined 13-tonner.

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purchasing the second, both continue to perform to our high expectations.

The 25t capacity will complement the smaller city crane in the Hobart depot,” he said.

Kolodziej goes on to highlight where the city cranes fit into the Cranes Combined fleet and the types of applications they are suited for.

“The city cranes are particularly useful on jobs which are quite hard to access. It’s these applications where they really come into their own. They have far less tail swing when slewing, and this is a limiting factor on some of the sites in the tighter city areas.

The fact that the fly jib is so easy to instal in restricted areas is also an added advantage”, he said.

The CR-250Rv is the flagship of the Kato city crane range, complementing the CR-200Rf and the CR-130Rf. Featuring several significant changes to meet Australian requirements (including EN13000), the new CR-250Rv is expected to turn heads on its arrival in the Australian workplace says Peter Lawgall, business development manager for Cranes at Tutt Bryant Equipment.

“As the largest city crane available in the Australian market, the CR-250Rv will take the Kato city crane range to a whole new level. The focus with this new model is on strength, technology, safety, speed of operation and ease of operation in small spaces,” said Lawgall.

The newly released crane is supported with a full Kato factory warranty and national support through Tutt Bryant Equipment’s extensive service and spare parts network.

The CR-250Rv features a new boom and jib, “EJIB” which is designed for deployment in very narrow spaces.

It is the first CR model mobile crane equipped with the EJIB which is based on the Kato 4S concept. The 4S concept stands for: 1. Slant Boom 2. Safety 3. Speedy 4. Small Space Two of the crane’s biggest features are the EJIB mechanism and a hydraulic www.cranesandlifting.com.au

luffing and telescoping fly which takes a single operator 10 minutes to ‘swing’.

Ordinarily, you are looking at two workers for a great deal longer to swing a standard luffing fly because everything is manual. Set up time is 10 minutes for a single operator.

safety during provide an even safer driving and/or crane operation, thereby minimising the risk of incidents. These include: 1. The surround view camera: which displays a real-time birds-eye view to the operator ensuring an all-around

“As the largest city crane available in the Australian market, the CR250Rv will take the Kato city crane range to a whole new level. The focus with this new model is on strength, technology, safety, speedof-operation and ease-of-operation in small spaces.”

NEW FULLY HYDRAULIC FLY JIB The Kato Super Luffing Fly Jib has only previously been available on the 35t city crane (Japanese domestic model). It is now fitted as standard on the CR-250Rv bringing the maximum rated lifting height, boom plus jib, to 38.4m. The fly jib hydraulically telescopes from 5.3m to 8.2m and can be mounted within a 5.7m area from the slew centre. It is fully powered and can telescope and offset under 100 per cent load.

(360 degree) view for safer traveling and crane operation.

2. Human detect assist system: which assists the operator by detecting people near the crane that are not visible to the operator.

3. Anti-lock braking system (ABS): The CR-250Rv is equipped with ABS which further enhances braking power and significantly reduces braking distance especially on slippery surfaces.

ERGONOMIC CAB The cab impresses with an all-round excellent field of view and provides outstanding operator comfort due to the hydro-pneumatic suspension.

Furthermore, it has a built-in IC tag providing high-level security, therefore reducing the risk of crane theft.

According to Lawgall, there are a number of important safety features included on the CR-250Rv. “The Kato Automatic Crane System is (ACS) is an automatic safety device feature that instantly responds to any direct changes in various operating configurations. It has a range of limiting functions that increase safety during operation. With its high-intensity colour LCD, the new ACS makes operations easier as it provides illustrated key switches, enabling quick identification of their functions for each operation,” he said.

The Kato CR-250Rv has a number of advanced safety features that enhance

TOUCH SCREEN (COR) DISPLAY – DATA LOGGER This is a coloured display showing various types information including: 1. Fuel consumption 1. Operations time, etc.

“The touch screen display, data logger also provides a range of functions which include the ECO switch which saves fuel by adjusting for optimum work engine speed during crane operation. During non-operation, the hydraulic pump outlet and fuel consumption are also greatly reduced thanks to the Auto-Minimum-Control adoption,” said Lawgall.

“The screen is massive giving the operator terrific all-round vision of the site. In my opinion this crane really is the next level for the city class cranes, as most models haven’t changed in such a long time. The CR-250Rv really is a quantum leap forward in terms of operator confidence, comfort and safety,” he said.

May 2021 CAL / 65

IN FOCUS / KATO CITY CRANES

Chris Kolodziej and his wife Cathy with part of the fleet.

OPTIONAL FEATURES The two positional offset Searcher Hook is a breakthrough feature for inserting operations. This feature performs best where the height is limited including applications featuring warehouses, balconies and soffits.

Other optional features include: anemometer, tyre pressure monitoring system, door visor, lunch table, resin/ aluminium outrigger plate and storage, and remote-control camera cleaner.

“The CR-250Rv is a gamechanger because it’s the first 25t city class crane to be exported out of Japan. This is a completely new model engineered from the ground up, not just an upgraded chart from a smaller model. The 25t model fits nicely in between Kato’s existing CR-200Rf (20t capacity) and

larger all terrains,” said Lawgall.

Cranes Combined has had excellent service from various Kato cranes featuring in the fleet over many years, says Kolodziej.

“We’ve operated Kato cranes since we started the business 25 years ago, beginning with truck mounted cranes, and more recently, with the Kato City cranes.

We still have an older Kato truck crane, which is out every day and it has been a great, reliable workhorse. Kato is a very well established brand and overall we have had a very good run with them.

“We have a local Tutt Bryant outlet here and when we had a few small teething problems with the CR-130RF, it just turned out to be a bad contact, nothing more.

GENERAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE KATO CR-250RV INCLUDE: Maximum lifting capacity: 25t x 2.8m Secondly, Boom length: 6.7m – 29.0m (six sections) Jib length: 5.3m ~ 8.2m (two sections, hydraulic telescoping & luffing) Engine: Cummins B6.7 (EU Stage5) Overall Length: 9.195m Overall Width: 2.395m Overall Height: 3.495m Gross Vehicle Weight: 23,795kg Front Axle Weight: 11,895kg Finally, Rear Axle Weight: 1,900kg 66 / CAL May 2021

We have a mechanic who is really switched on and understands our machines which is a real benefit, particularly with COVID where technicians couldn’t travel interstate to our depots. He has looked after the general servicing and maintenance of our cranes by liaising with the various manufacturers,” he said.

“We now have over 30 cranes in our fleet, including numerous different brands.

We started with several Maedas, the Kobelcos, a number of Franna cranes, several Tadano ATF 40s, a Tadano 25t rough terrain and a Tadano ATF 220.

We also operate Liebherrs including a 100t and 150t capacity all terrain and we have a number of Groves including 55t, 100t, 150t and 300t capacity all terrain machines. The mix of the fleet really revolves around what cranes we see being as most suitable for our customers today and what will suit the various market sectors we service into the future.

“There are occasions when I will have a preference on the brand, type of crane or capacity and this can govern what we buy.

I will always look at the suitability for task, load chart, length of boom, accessibility to site and road access. All of these are important factors when we are choosing the right crane,” said Kolodziej. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

SAC600E

SAC5000S

NEW:

4 alxe 120T all terrain

All Terrain Crane 60 Tonnes Lifting Capacity

SAC1200E coming soon.

All Terrain Crane

60T - 1600T

Rough Terrain Crane

Features: ■ 12T/axle on 525tyres with 3.6T counterweight.

30T-120T

■ Strongest lifting capacity and equally longest boom in its class with full counterweight.

■ New generation of cabin, more comfortable with high safety level.

■ Can-bus control technology ■ 6 steering modes standard ■ German Benz engine/Kessler axle/Allison transmission/Danfoss/Rexroth/Cassapa pump.

■ Compliant to Australian road regulations at all states.

Telescopic Boom Crawler

25T-130T NO STANDING UNDER

THE BOOM

SCC4500A

Crawler Crane

55T-4000T

50 m Jib length: 16 m Engine: BENZ OM470LA.E3A-3 Boom length:

WA

QLD, NT, VIC, SA, TAS, NSW, ACT

Roger Cross 0436 307 679 E: sany@ronco.com.au

Peter Lawgall 0411 256 388 E: Peter.lawgall@tuttbryant.com.au

IN FOCUS / SANY AND RONCO

RONCO AND SANY GAINING MOMENTUM Western Australia dealer Ronco sees increase in demand for SANY products.

FOLLOWING A STRONG FINISH TO 2020, SANY’s crane dealer for Western Australia, Ronco has imported a number of SANY cranes for Western Australian customers, explains Ronco’s, sales manager Roger Cross.

“From the start of this year, we have imported a number of models for customers which have gone straight to work. We also have two brand new models in stock and on display at the Ronco yard, and we are welcoming interested customers to visit our facility and inspect the new rough and all terrain models.

“We want customers to see firsthand what we have been telling them about the quality of the SANY cranes. All along, we have been saying, the quality of SANY products speak for themselves. SANY does it right, without shortcuts. The

cranes are designed and engineered for the tough and rigorous conditions found in this state. The rugged nature of the SANY product makes the cranes highly durable and they are engineered and manufactured to improve performance efficiencies whilst maintaining a strong focus on safety,” said Cross.

Cross confirmed the new models recently introduced by Ronco include a new 110t capacity all terrain and a 60t capacity rough terrain.

“The SANY 110t all terrain is the SAC1100S1 model. As with all SANY equipment it is made with world class componentry including, Mercedes Benz Engine, ZF Transmission, Kessler drop box and axles with disc brakes, Rexroth and Kawasaki hydraulic pumps and motors.

New models recently introduced by Ronco include a SANY 60t capacity rough terrain.

68 / CAL May 2021

“It also features 56m of main boom, a single cylinder boom pinning system, tilting crane cabin with a clear 25cm touch screen display. Counterweight loading is from crane cabin and it has the strongest line pull in its class. It is also a single engine drive machine with the shortest overall length in its class,” he said.

“The SANY 60t Rough Terrain is the SRC600C model. It features a Cummins engine, Dana transmission, Kessler axles, Rexroth swing motor, Danfoss winch motors with Casappa and Permco pumps. It features 43.5m of main boom which is the longest in its class and it has the strongest Tonne Moment in class.

“Dual telescoping modes make it the fastest telescoping and luffing rough terrain in its class and the fastest adjustable hoisting speed in its class. It also features a clear 25cms touch screen display,” said Cross.

The growth and success of SANY and Ronco in the crane industry is built on three fundamental aspects of its operation. These being the quality of the product, the innovation in terms of design engineering and manufacture of every product, and a commitment to customer support excellence, says Cross.

“The first of these, product quality, is easily demonstrated by the fact that today, SANY is the third largest construction machinery manufacturer in the world. Service quality, too, is a fundamental part of business philosophy for both SANY and Ronco.

“SANY’s mission is to show that quality changes the world. Ronco has three decades of experience with cranes, extensive industry knowledge unique to Western Australia and we are committed to the highest standards of after sales support, spare parts and service. The combined team believes it can bring genuine value and excellence to SANYRonco customers in all aspects of crane www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The SANY 110t all terrain SAC1100S1 model is made with world-class componentry.

sales in the state,” said Cross.

The Ronco is a strong partner for SANY with a recognised pedigree in the crane sector says Cross.

“Ronco is an award-winning crane and equipment specialist in its own right, having won an Engineers Choice Award for the design of the R6000 crane.

This was the first time crane design and engineering had been recognised in the Southern Hemisphere.

“We are a crane sales and service company specialising in structural repairs, major inspections, new and used sales and servicing. We offer complete solutions to the owners and purchasers across a broad range of plant and equipment,” said Cross.

“We represent a number of crane and machinery brands including TIDD pick and carry cranes, SANY telescopic boom crawlers, SANY lattice boom crawlers, SANY truck cranes, SANY rough terrains, SANY all terrains, Hyva vehicle loading cranes and more specialised lifting equipment such as Scheuerle www.cranesandlifting.com.au

SPMT, SPMT Power Hoss and wind tower carrying segments.

“Ronco stock and supply genuine spare parts for these brands and more.

Services and capabilities include, procurement of non-mainstream equipment, design and manufacture capability, large maintenance and repairs facility and plant storage yard, EPA approved steam cleaning services, abrasive blasting facilities and disposal of old plant,” said Cross.

Geoff Thorpe, an experienced crane mechanic recently obtained his crane ticket in a SANY SCC500 at the ‘Australian High Risk Training’ centre in Perth.

“The cranes operation is simple, but practical for a 12-year old machine. The controls were smooth throughout the testing even with a slight breeze the joysticks gave me good feedback to be able to catch the load. The SANY was fine-tuned enough on the winch controls to allow me to easily float the load and meet the requirement of the training

assessor,” said Thorpe.

When asked the question about the crane’s comfort and visibility of surrounds from the operator’s seat, Thorpe’s response was, “Vision was good and it was a hot day to be behind all that glass here in Perth, possibly 35⁰C, but the air conditioning kept up. It is obvious that SANY backs it product with parts availability because even though the crane is 12-year-old, it performed really well and it is in great condition,” he said.

Members of the Ronco team have visited the SANY factory. All have been impressed with the nature of the world class, state-of-the-art facility and the levels of innovation and integrity demonstrated at every stage of the production line.

The factory includes: an unmanned fabrication shop, automatic sorting, an automated welding shop, unmanned CNC machining centre, intelligent paint shop, vertical warehouse and assembly line. SANY assembles all major components on rolling assembly prior May 2021 CAL / 69

IN FOCUS / SANY AND RONCO

“Both SANY and Ronco have a very strong orientation towards customer support, with spare parts availability being a major focus. After 30 years of servicing the construction and mining industries, Ronco has a network of overseas suppliers with thousands of parts for all makes.” to assembly. The finished machine takes a short period of time to assemble on a rolling road, which results in higher product turnaround and reduced purchase costs for its customers. Welding and fabrication areas feature automated welding systems. Once welding is finished, SANY engineers conduct inspections with appropriate measuring and NDT testing tools, checking each welding detail to guarantee product integrity, standards and quality.

“When it comes to customer support, both SANY and Ronco will have your

back. SANY is dedicated to constant improvement. Local representatives listen to feedback from the dealer’s sales and management team which is fed through to the factory and promptly responded to with the best solution,” said Cross.

“SANY’s team is market-centred and customer-driven and they are live up to their spirit of workmanship and striving for excellence. Experienced SANY technicians, as well as a parts interpreter, are permanently based in Western Australia. SANY’s support team is committed to be SANY Group’s greatest

strength today and into the future.

“Both SANY and Ronco have a very strong orientation towards customer support, with spare parts availability being a major focus. After 30 years of servicing the construction and mining industries, Ronco has a network of overseas suppliers with thousands of parts for all makes. We also have a broad range of SANY parts in stock and ready for dispatch,” he said.

“SANY is a forward thinking and driven company. Born in a time of change SANY constantly examines opportunities within changing market demands and environments, that will lead the way to future developments.

“SANY’s great value equipment and flexible finance packages help customers purchase the cranes they need now – to help deliver projects in full and on time, and make their accountants smile into the bargain,” said Cross.

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IN FOCUS / POTAIN TOWER CRANES

MANITOWOC EXPANDS TOPLESS CRANE LINE-UP WITH MCT 185 With an 8t maximum capacity, the MCT 185 fits the lower end of Potain’s topless range with fast assembly and ease of transport coming courtesy of a compact design, while the upper section can be transported in just five containers.

THE ASIAN RANGE OF POTAIN TOPLESS tower cranes built at Manitowoc’s Chinese facility in Zhangjiagang continues to evolve rapidly in response to rising customer demand for the transport, assembly and performance advantages these units offer. With the launch of the 8t capacity MCT 185, customers now have a greater choice than ever before, allowing them to select the perfect topless Potain model for any application.

Designed with urban and infrastructure projects in mind, the new model shares the same advantages of easier transport and assembly, as well as high efficiency, productivity and reliability, that are the hallmarks of other Zhangjiagang-built MCT models, stretching back to the launch of the first units back in 2012.

“Topless cranes are becoming the goto solution for the speed and flexibility they bring to jobsites,” said KwongJoon Leong, regional product manager for Asia – tower cranes, Manitowoc.

“The integration of the MCT 185 into our topless range opens up even more possibilities for contractors, and of course it is backed by the industryleading technical support that is synonymous with Potain.”

INTELLIGENT DESIGN The crane boasts an impressive 65 m jib, yet the entire upper works of the MCT 185 can travel in just five containers thanks to its intelligent, compact design. Each crane section benefits from minimized component dimensions and weight to simplify assembly, as www.cranesandlifting.com.au

demonstrated by the shorter, simpler ballast shape on the counter-jib. This section is available in two lengths – 13.5m for use with a 30m - 45m jib, or 16m for the 50m - 65m configuration.

This choice in configuration allows projects to plan crane positioning more efficiently, a useful feature as jobsites become more congested. For assembly, users can choose from Potain’s existing 1.6m (L46) and 2m (L68) mast sections, both of which use pinned joints for fast, easy connection. Also available is the newly introduced 7.5m-high S46JR reinforced basic mast for taller setup, with freestanding heights for the MCT 185 stretching up to 59.2m. On a well-prepared site, the MCT 185 can be assembled in just 1.5 days.

Strong lifting performance is a given, with a capacity of 1.5t achievable at the end of the jib and a selection of the latest

LVF hoists offering close load control and customizable lifting operations, depending on jobsite requirements.

Supplied as standard, the newly introduced 30kW 40 LVFC 20 Optima winch comes with a 456m rope capacity and is capable of hoisting 1t at speeds of up to 98m/min. The optional 37kW 50 LVF 20 Optima lifts 1.1t at up to 121m/min; while the 45 kW 60 LVFC 20 Optima will move 1t at up to 120m/min and comes with an impressive 553m of wire rope.

The LVF and LVFC winches offer continuously variable speed control that enables operators to fine-tune each pick from the comfort of their standard S110 Smartview – or optional V140S Vision – cab.

For horizontal movements, there are four trolley mechanism options, offering speeds of up to 80 m/min.

Manitowoc expands its topless crane line-up with the MCT 185.

May 2021 CAL / 71

IN FOCUS / MAEDA ELECTRIC MINI CRANES

KEEPING PACE WITH SUSTAINABILITY Pace Cranes recently launched the first all-electric, battery-powered Maeda spider crane. The MC285CB-3 was one of five new cranes delivered to the team at Preston Hire.

The new model Maeda MC285CB-3 is an extremely compact machine capable of being driven through a doorway.

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THE MC285CB IS THE FIRST FULLY electric powered battery operated machine from Maeda, says Pace Cranes managing director, Anthony Heeks.

“Maeda already have electric machines that run on 3 phase power, but the MC285CB-3 is the first fully electric powered battery operated machine. We can see electric becoming more popular in the larger models as well, as there are numerous lifting applications that require zero emissions. These include food processing facilities, art galleries, hospitals, inside any building residential or commercial, basically any confined spaces where mini cranes work,” he said.

Battery and battery charging technology has ensured the performance of the new MC285CB-3 with the diesel version, says Heeks.

“Maeda has worked hard to develop the right battery system to achieve the same operational speeds as the popular diesel version. We envisage the lift cycle of the battery will be approximately nine hours based on assumed cycle,” he said.

Recharging the battery is a straightforward and quick process says Heeks.

“It takes two hours and 20 minutes to charge the battery to 80 per cent and three hours and 30 minutes to charge it to 100 per cent and the battery can be recharged 20,000 times. The crane can also be run directly from the mains and the battery charges as you are doing this.

Wireless remote control is standard with the model,” he said.

Two of the all-electric Maeda MC285CB-3s were part of a seven crane order for Preston Hire. Andrew Lambert, general manager at Preston Hire explains the background to the order, particularly the all-electric cranes.

“Some time ago, Anthony Heeks had mentioned that Maeda was developing www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Andrew Lambert, general manager Preston Hire and Anthony Heeks, managing director of Pace Cranes celebrate the arrival of the new Maeda MC285CB-3.

new battery technology into their products and that they were starting with the smaller machines including the 285.

“The 285 is one of the most popular machines in our mini crane fleet.

Customers really like that it is light weight and tight in design for ease of access, all the features that you would expect which makes it perfect for tight workspaces our customers work in,” he said.

“Anthony and I stayed in touch around the development and he kept me posted on how and where it was going.

He then called to say they had completed the development and the testing and that they were going to market with the product. He said they were bringing the first unit into Australia early in 2021 and I said fine, put our name on it. We then put our name on a second unit so the first two into the country will be available for hire through Preston Hire,” said Lambert.

Lambert goes on to explain why he thinks battery electric technology will change the landscape particularly for www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“The 285 is one of the most popular machines in our mini crane fleet. Customers really like that it is light weight and tight in design for ease of access, all the features that you would expect which makes it perfect for tight workspaces our customers work in.” mini cranes.

“Obviously, there is a worldwide focus on the environmental progress of equipment and fleets and sustainability is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue. Everyone in this arena needs to be looking at how we can work towards a more sustainable approach with the equipment that we own, operate and offer to the marketplace.

“A number of years ago we started with hybrid technologies in other product portfolios. The technology has kept advancing to the point where they are not just hybrid and products are not electric over battery or diesel over battery, it is now at the point where equipment manufacturers are now providing standalone battery units.

“This is obviously a technology we

intend to keep exploring and as our fleet ages over the years, and we begin looking at disposing or deleting product from the fleet, we will certainly be looking at investing in sustainable products going forward,” he said.

The new model Maeda MC285CB3s is an extremely compact machine capable of being driven through a doorway, it has non marking tracks as standard, Lambert goes to explain the typical applications he sees for the product.

“Our focus is going to be in and around indoor environments where the customers are handling fresh food produce for example, or where the crane is operating in a processing plant or in environments where combustion engines and related emissions are a real no go.

May 2021 CAL / 73

IN FOCUS / MAEDA ELECTRIC MINI CRANES

“We are seeing the opportunity in food processing plants and manufacturing generally. The size of the machine lends itself to applications where there might be a particular mechanical breakdown and access is limited due to overhead gantries and that type of obstacle.”

“Historically, these are applications where we have been using electric over diesel machines and hybrid machines where you can plug them into the mains and drive them via electric motors.

The beauty of this machine is that it is straight battery operated so there are no electrical cables and no plug ins necessary to drive them.

“We are seeing the opportunity in food processing plants and manufacturing generally. The size of the machine lends itself to applications where there might be a particular

mechanical breakdown and access is limited due to overhead gantries and that type of obstacle,” he said.

Lambert goes on to discuss the reasons Preston Hire has kept the first model with the distinctive green and designed a special logo for the crane.

“Internally we wanted to make a statement. As a business we are exploring the opportunities in the area of sustainability and we wanted to call out this new piece of equipment as a statement piece for the business,” he said.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MAEDA MC285CB-3 INCLUDE: Crane capacity: 2.82t x 1.4m Max: Working radius 8.205m x .15t Max: Lifting Height 8.7m Features include: - slew angle limit setting; - multi position outrigger mode; - wireless radio remote control; and - 4 fall/2 fall hook block.

The lithium-ion battery features: - high capacity battery with long life; - minimal charging time; and - continuous operation while charging.

The MC285CB-3s were part of a seven crane order for Preston Hire.

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www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / RESOURCING THE SECTOR

ADDRESSING THE INDUSTRY’S DISCONNECT Resourcing the crane sector’s labour market is not a straightforward process.

EVERYONE IN THE CRANE INDUSTRY agrees that bringing “new blood” into the sector is critical for its vitality and longevity. Apprenticeship schemes are being examined by many organisations and succession plans explored. Jessica Fox’s story is therefore a little perplexing.

Fox was a pattern maker, garment technician and product maker in the clothing industry for 15 years and following the birth of her second child she realised the money wasn’t going to pay the bills.

“I guess I’ve always been a ‘Tom Boy’ at heart and really enjoyed the hands on side of work and I could feel the office environment was getting increasingly mundane for me. The crane industry had always looked interesting to me and after some investigating, I understood I needed to get myself trained. I decided to get myself a few tickets, which ended up being quite a number of tickets,” said Fox. Fox tried to get into the industry anyway she could, she called and hassled companies and individuals, and probably annoyed some along the way.

“I was asking crane businesses to give me a go and my first break was as a Rigger TA for a steel fabrication company where I found myself working mainly with boiler makers and welders and trades like that.

I finally received regular work as a casual on the shutdown at Mobil with McKay United and when that project finished, they kept me on for16 months.

“I really got the taste for the work over this time and enjoyed working with Tom Smith and his team on the project. I was delighted that they me kept on through the shutdown,” she said.

Fox started with Quinlan Cranes as a casual in November of last year when www.cranesandlifting.com.au

things slowed down on the Mobil project.

“I could see things were slowing down with the shutdown and as I was only ever a casual, I jumped at the chance to work with Quinlan Cranes. The work has been sporadic, which doesn’t make things easy, but I was encouraged me to have a look the traineeship paperwork.

Even though I have the tickets anyway, I said I was definitely interested. I realised if I was going to get some consistent, or ideally a full time job in the industry, I would need to embrace the traineeship and hopefully earn a little respect from the other employees.

“I figured if they saw I was on the program, they would see I was serious and they would be better prepared to teach me, share their experience and expertise, and put me in a crane when I’m ready. When I went back to discuss the traineeship, I was told they wanted someone who was completely ‘green’. It feels like I’m caught in a ‘Catch 22’ situation, I’m too experienced to go on a traineeship program, even though I’m learning every day, but I don’t have enough experience to be considered for full time work,” said Fox. Fox goes onto explain how she copes with the nature of the crane work itself.

“I love the nature of the work and I thrive on challenges. It’s just been a little disheartening as I’ve seen my opportunities to work lessen as a result of COVID and the impact this has had on the industry. Businesses have been shut down and work has been paused and, in that situation, the full timers will understandably take preference over casuals.

“None the less I enjoy what I do, and I love learning and I’m hoping there will be an opportunity to continue this with more

Jess Fox – who like many, are qualified and looking for full-time work.

consistent work so I will eventually be in a position where I will be operating the cranes,” said Fox. Fox has some experience operating cranes, Frannas especially, and she drives the gear trucks. A bit more experience will add to her confidence she says.

“There are probably plenty of casuals in a similar position to me, across the industry. I would say to the crane companies across the board, give us a shot, give us the opportunity to prove ourselves, we’ll work hard and work in well with your teams.

“By telling my story and sharing my experiences, I’m hoping to shed some light on what I see as being a disconnect within the crane sector. All economic forecasts predict high levels of government spend, both State and Federal, in infrastructure and post COVID, the construction industry is bouncing back.

“From what I read and hear, crane hire companies are faced with challenges which include managing an aging work force and attracting young, qualified and motivated personnel to the industry. I would say, there are plenty like me desperately wanting to be given the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of being given a shot at full time employment. We won’t let you down,” said Fox. May 2021 CAL / 77

IN FOCUS / 3D LIFT PLANNING

TOP 3D LIFT PLAN WINNER ANNOUNCED Illinois crane specialists takes top honours in A1A 3D Lift Plan of the Year Contest.

1st place Riley Pettrone of La Grange Crane Service for Oak Brook Commons Tower Crane Erection in Chicago.

FOLLOWING THE SELECTION OF FIVE finalists in its 2020 Lift Plan of the Year awards program, A1A Software LLC has named the winners with the best lift plans.

“Ironically, all three companies are based in Illinois and serve the Chicago metropolitan area, despite the fact that 3D Lift Plan is used by lift planners all over the world,” said Tawnia Weiss, President of A1A Software. The winners were selected by popular vote.

• First Place: Riley Pettrone of La Grange Crane Service for Oak Brook Commons Tower Crane Erection in Chicago.

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• Second Place: Michael Havlicek of Stevenson Crane Service Inc. for Crawford Generating Station in Chicago.

• Third Place: Brent Genseke of Area Erectors Inc. for Downers Grove (IL) North High School.

La Grange Crane’s and Stevenson Crane’s entries represent contrasting construction scenarios. Hired to erect a tower crane on site of the future Oak Brook Commons 17-story apartment building, La Grange used 3D Lift Plan as part of a comprehensive plan before construction even began. “3D Lift Plan utilisation in the early stages of

construction cannot be overstated,” said Riley Pettrone, Project Manager.

Meanwhile, Stevenson Crane was tasked with the opposite scenario – dismantling the nearly 100-year-old Crawford Generating Station, a coalfired power plant. “A good lift plan takes out all of the guess work and identifies any potential/costly issues before the crane even arrives on site,” said Michael Havlicek, Lift Planning Specialist.

In both cases, 3D Lift Plan was a critical visualisation and communication tool. For the Oak Brook Commons project, Pettrone explains: “Tower crane erection is, in a sense, www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“Tower crane erection is, in a sense, a construction site groundbreaking ceremony for all subcontractors. The tower crane is what enables all trades to safely do their jobs in accordance with a site schedule. By marrying 3D Lift Plan with a blueprint, La Grange Crane provided an accurate description of what the job site would look like, and how team members across many trades would coordinate.”

2nd place Michael Havlicek of Stevenson Crane Service Inc. for Crawford Generating Station in Chicago.

a construction site groundbreaking ceremony for all subcontractors. The tower crane is what enables all trades to safely do their jobs in accordance with a site schedule. By marrying 3D Lift Plan with a blueprint, La Grange Crane provided an accurate description

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

3rd place Brent Genseke of Area Erectors Inc. for Downers Grove (IL) North High School.

of what the job site would look like, and how team members across many trades would coordinate,” said Pettrone.

Havlicek said, “One of my favorite things about 3D Lift Plan is just how easy it is to overlay a scaled satellite image of a jobsite into the project. This

gives the owner/GC/customer a visual aid for how a crane will look on their jobsite, and it also gives the project manager from the crane company the ability to show the operator and crew where a crane (and necessary matting) will need to be setup for a successful lift.”

3D Lift Plan is also handy for contractors who need to work closely with a crane vendor, as Area Erectors did with Nichols Crane Rental at Downers Grove North High School.

Crane placement options were limited at the school in a residential neighborhood, where a shop-fabricated steel truss was to be placed in a courtyard. Area Erectors initially used 3D Lift Plan for crane selection with the vendor and in determining crane placement. Later it was used again to review the rigging and lifting scenario, which required offloading the truss, standing it up, and then laying it over to rig. “The standing and rolling process was reviewed with the crane rental company and the operator tasked with the job,” said Brent Genseke, project manager and structural steel estimator.

La Grange Crane’s and Stevenson Crane’s entries represent contrasting construction scenarios

To see these winning lift plans and the other finalists, visit www.3dliftplan.com/ LPOTY20/ May 2021 CAL / 79

IN FOCUS / NEW TADANO ALL TERRAIN

NEW TADANO FOR COFFS CITY CRANES Coffs City Cranes recently took delivery of a new Tadano ATF 130G-5, the largest capacity all terrain in the Coffs region. Operations manager Emma Makinson explains the reasoning behind the purchase and how it fits into the fleet.

“OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THE COFFS region has been a little unpredictable.

Like the rest of the nation, we struggled with COVID, and then we were hit with rain which has been fairly consistent since before Christmas and then in March, the region was saturated by the ‘Conveyor Belt of Rain Bombs,’ as it was described.

“Throughout these challenges, we didn’t stand down any of our 20 fulltime employees which was important for us.

Some took accrued annual leave to help the business which was excellent and reflects the values of the family business we are running,” she said.

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By March 2020, Makinson could clearly see a lack of confidence in various industry sectors due to the uncertainty around COVID and this led to projects being delayed.

“Obviously, we operate in various markets and when a pandemic like COVID hits, everything comes to a standstill. But as the Federal and State Governments dealt with the issues, we gradually saw confidence return and construction companies were enthusiastic about getting projects underway.

“This enthusiasm was frustratingly dampened by the long term wet weather

pattern which started in December.

Projects went to tender at the end of last year and were awarded in the new year but they couldn’t start because of the wet weather.

“Working with a cross a section of clients from various industry sectors, we could see from the work in the pipeline, a larger capacity all terrain was required.

We work closely with our clients, planning projects and lift planning with them. From this planning process we could see we were going to need a crane with more lifting capabilities.

“We were originally looking at the Demag AC 160-5 but with the

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

uncertainties, we couldn’t commit to the machine; we just didn’t know when the work was going to kick off.

“By the time we were ready to commit, the Tadano ATF 130G-5 was available, in fact it was the only one of its kind in the country. We have had a Tadano in our fleet for some time, we’ve been really pleased and impressed with its performance and it’s been a really strong lifter.

My colleague Sam went up for a demo and found the 130 to be an intuitive crane with a really strong boom. They are a great crane and that’s why we chose the Tadano.

The ATF 130G-5 has undergone detailed updating in line with the transition to EU Stage IV/ EPA Tier 4f.

The new driver’s cab offers enhanced allround visibility, ergonomic quality seats which provide especially high long-term seating comfort and a new multifunction which can be actuated additionally via buttons or a rotary pushbutton, as the driver sees fit.

The same touchscreen is additionally located in the superstructure cab - even in duplicate. The main display visualizes the image taken by two cameras and can be inclined electronically very easily in order to adapt it to the prevailing light conditions. The supplementary display features an additional camera view and can even be removed from its location in order to make operation even more convenient. For many pieces of information, the crane operator is able to determine on his/her own which display the information is to be visualized on.

Thus, new additional information about the various crane operating states may be called off as required, such as average fuel consumption, oil temperature or hydraulic oil level. Thus, the crane operator has full control over his/her crane at any time, at a glance.

The new ATF 130G-5 has the asymmetric outrigger base control feature made by TADANO, which helps the crane reach even higher lifting capacities with the outriggers extended

The ATF 130G-5 has an 18m boom extension which is mounted to the 60m main boom. With a total weight of 60 tonnes and an axle load of 1 tonne, it can be transported along with the crane. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

to different lengths. Additional standard features are air conditioning units in the superstructure and carrier cab and central lubrication systems in the superstructure and the carrier.

Tadano’s carriers boast highway speed capacity and manoeuvrability, ideal for both on and off-road construction as well as industrial projects. These models enable access to confided job sites because of their all wheel steering.

The ATF 130G-5 has an 18 m boom extension which is mounted to the 60 m main boom.

At a total weight of 60t and an axle load of 1t, it can be transported along with the crane.

The boom extension can be used as a 3.8 m heavy duty jib or as a 10/18 m jib as demanded by the work to be performed. This means that neither the boom extension nor the heavy jib need to be transported separately then mounted, resulting in considerable reduction in costs. The rounded boom is made of high tensile steel, which allows for decreased boom weight and increased boom strength.

For extension and retraction of sections, seven section box type construction consisting of one base section and six telescopic sections are extended by a single telescoping cylinder.

All sections are fully extended/retracted automatically and locked in the selected working position.

AUTOMATIC MOMENT LIMITER (AML) Tadano’s AML is easy to use, innovative in design, displays important information to the operator and enables the operator to a preset custom working environment. For example, the AML shows the boom angle, boom length, load radius, operating pressure of the elevating cylinder, the extension width of the outriggers, slewing position, rated lifting capacity and present hook load.

These features allow the AML to move seamlessly through all lifting operations without having to change configurations or input new codes to make the lift. The AML safety features provide both audio and visual warnings. When an operation May 2021 CAL / 81

IN FOCUS / NEW TADANO ALL TERRAIN

approaches the load limit, Tadano’s slow stop function engages to avoid shock loads.

When operating the asymmetric outriggers extended, the AML automatically detects the extension width of outriggers at the front and rear and to the left and right of the crane to allow maximum work capacity in each area.

When slewing the boom from the longer outrigger area to the shorter outrigger area the AML automatically detects the motion and displays the maximum capacity depending on each of the extension widths of outriggers and brings the motion to a slow stop before it reaches the limits of the allowed capacity.

Therefore, even in the case of operator error, the AML’s slow stop function will help to minimise any safety risk.

Boom deflection occurs when the winch is wound due to the weight of the lifted load, causing the lifted load to sway in a direction that expands the load radius as it clears the ground.

This situation requires very careful and precise operation to mitigate outward movement of the hook block. In the lift adjuster function, the AML detects boom deflection and automatically adjusts boom angle to mitigate outward hook block movement.

Makinson explains how Tadano’s approach to after sales service and support was a deciding factor when choosing the new crane.

“The Tadano team have been amazing throughout the purchasing process.

Product Support Technicians, Phil Wilson and Chris Irvine were really helpful and helped adapt a dolly from a Demag AC200, custom making brackets to suite our dolly for ATF130. The after sales support, support and parts back up has been brilliant. Nothing is too much for the team and if there is an issue, we can phone Jay Gower or any of his colleagues and they’ll work to fix it or escalate the issue to have it solved as quickly as possible. The Tadano service has been fabulous,” she said.

The Makinsons collected the Tadano ATF 130 from Tadano Brisbane facility 82 / CAL May 2021

The Makinson family and Coff City Crane team members welcome the new Tadano AFT 130G-5.

TADANO ATF 130G-5 SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDE: Max Lifting capacity 130t Boom 12.8m to 60m Boom extension 3.8m to 32m Boom extension HTLJ 9mto 19m (hydraulically telescopable offset 5˚ to 60˚) Max. Sheave height 95m Max. Radius 72m Engine: Mercedes Benz (EU Stage 1V, EPA Tier 4f, ECE R96•) Carrrier: 390kW (530 HP) / superstructure: 129kW (175 HP) •equivalent regulation EU Stage 111 A / Tier 3 Gearing mechanism: ZF – AS Tronic 12 AS 2531 Gear: 10 x 6 x 10 (10 x 8 x 10 option) Dimensions: Length 14.98m. Width 2.75m. Height 3.99m. just after Easter and it went to work the next day.

“It went straight to work on a large project for one of our valued clients Lipman who are building a four storey housing and office accommodation complex.

“The project involves lifting precast panelling and balconies into place.

The increase the height of the building they have increased the size of the tilt up panels which required larger lifting capacities and boom length.

“There are other precast projects in the pipeline With our other valued client Fine Form Precast and also precast stadium upgrades. There are also a number of local projects which will see us erecting tower cranes, Installation of pedestrian bridges and that’s all happening this year, more industrial

Sheds, being erected with our other valued clients (you all know who you are), so there is a fair amount of work lined up for the crane already. And we’d like to think there will be plenty of work on the Coffs Harbour by-pass when that finally kicks off.

“Given our yard is only 27 meters from the new alignment, we are fairly confident of securing some work. The early works contracts are out and this work should start around June.

Makinson discusses the crew at Coffs City Crane and how accepting they have been of the Tadano brand.

“All our slew crane operators can operate the various brands of slew cranes we have which include Groves and Tadanos. Most prefer to operate the Tadano and they are all very excited to have the new crane on board,” she said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

PLAN YOUR ENTRY The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) recognises excellence and innovation in the Australian crane industry with the CICA Lift Of The Year Awards.

PROJECT OF THE YEAR INNOVATION OF THE YEAR LIFT OF THE YEAR - UNDER 20T LIFT OF THE YEAR - OVER 20T

cica.com.au/awards-lift-of-the-year

CICA PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2019 Winners: WALZ GROUP AND FIELD ENGINEERS BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) appointed Central Queensland business, Walz Group, for a $31m project to remove decommissioned marine infrastructure from the Hay Point Coal Terminal, south of Mackay.

CICA LIFT OF THE YEAR OVER 20 TONNES 2019 Winner: MAX CRANES Project: B3 Air Rotor changeout at Torrens Island Power Station for UGL on behalf of AGL won the Lift of the Year Award.

CICA AWARD INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 2019 A new lifting innovation, jointly developed by John Holland, Edwards Heavy Lift and RUD won the 2019 CICA Innovations Award.

IN FOCUS / UAA CREATING PATHWAYS

The ultimate goal of the program is to identify youngsters from the program who are wanting further education.

UAA PROVIDING INDIGENOUS PATHWAYS The Central Coast Academy of Sport (CCAS), in partnership with Underwriting Agencies Australia (UAA) has developed the Indigenous Talent Identification Program for athletes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent designed to encourage an active lifestyle and provide assistance in advancing opportunities in sport.

FOR FIVE YEARS, UAA HAS BEEN sponsoring the program which aims to create pathways for indigenous children who may not have had the opportunity to get scholarships into the Academies of Sport.

A Talent Identification Day is held at the academies where 22 athletes are identified from a total of over a hundred athletes. They are identified for full scholarships which are funded

by UAA and they then receive the best of coaching in their chosen sport. This will will mean that with 6 Academies of Sport there will be 132 athletes each and every 84 / CAL May 2021

year receive scholarships which they may not have previously.

It is a program that Michael ‘Murf’ Murphy, UAA group chief executive officer is passionate about.

“Our ultimate goal is to identify people from the program who are wanting further education. Let’s say they want to study Construction Management at the University of Newcastle, UAA will provide the individual an internship which will avoid them racking up a huge HECS debt or avoid working at a fast food outlet at the weekends. This will enable

them to continue with their sporting endeavours. UAA can help support them through their educational endeavours while they are studying construction.

The internship will enable them to see the ‘real world’, when they visit a construction site and can see firsthand what things look like when they’ve gone wrong,” he said.

UAA has been supporting the program for five years and one of the major reasons for getting involved is because UAA writes a significant amount of its business in Regional Australia.

“As part of our charter, we have www.cranesandlifting.com.au

always had the best interests of youth, particularly dis-affected youth to heart, and we saw this as a way of giving back to Regional Australia and to our First Nations People.

“We are confident that we will also be introducing the program with the North Coast Academy of Sport, which is in the Kempsey and Coffs Harbour region and the Western Region Academy of Sport which covers Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo. This is a key region for us because we cover so much equipment in this area and we will also be working with the Southern Sports Academy which is the Wagga region,” said Murphy.

“Our Brisbane and Western Australian offices have both agreed to take on indigenous interns as well. One of the issues facing us with the program is longevity, we are concerned that some of the interns will lose enthusiasm for the program and dropout.

“Our approach with internships is to provide individuals with a career path which requires discipline.

Extreme discipline is required to be an elite athlete and it’s the same for an education. Unfortunately, within the indigenous community there is a high fall off rate between year 10 and year 12 and going to university.

“UAA also Supports the Bamarra iniative /Dubbo hub and with this program they visit the local schools in Dubbo and teach them business skills like how to buy a computer, how to drive, how to write a resume. We support this program as well, as do a number of our broker partners he said.

Murphy goes on to describe how the Talent Identification Day works and how talented youngsters are spotted.

“Using the Central Coast event as an example, the Talent Identification Day attracts 100 + youngsters from the surrounding schools across the Central Coast. These sporting youngsters are identified by their Aboriginal Liaison Officers who encourage them to attend.

To attend, the youngsters must have parental permission and have to be attending school. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“On the day, there are a number of stations which focus on the different sports offered in the program and at each of these stations there is an expert on the sport. The Sydney Swans, for example, will be present at the AFL station and each of the experts will identify the talent, both boys and girls. Quite frequently one kid will

of people with good hearts and best intentions but unless you get in and have a go, best intentions don’t amount to much and nothing will change. ‘Creating Pathways’ for our youth is today’s term and it’s true, they need to be able to see what steps they need to take. We are not just talking about indigenous youth here we are talking about all youth.

“We all see the missed opportunities with today’s youth and there are lots of people with good hearts and best intentions but unless you get in and have a go, best intentions don’t amount to much and nothing will change. ‘Creating Pathways’ for our youth is today’s term and it’s true, they need to be able to see what steps they need to take.

We are not just talking about indigenous youth here we are talking about all youth.” be identified by four sports because they are outstanding. The twenty two scholarships are then given to these chosen athletes. The process starts at the schools with 100 + youngsters selected and from this 100 +, twenty two are offered scholarships,” said Murphy.

Murphy is passionate about the reasons for wanting to get involved in the program.

“We all see the missed opportunities with today’s youth and there are lots

“On the Central Coast for example, and in Australia in general, we have one of the highest suicide rates in the world for young men between 18 and 25. Why? Because they can’t see where they are headed. They’ve dropped out of school so they are poorly educated, they can’t get a job and they don’t have a car, what chance do they have? Some people need a little more guidance than others,” he said.

Ian ‘Moose’ Robilliard is the

Talent Identification Days are held at the academies where 22 athletes are identified from a total of over a hundred athletes.

May 2021 CAL / 85

IN FOCUS / UAA CREATING PATHWAYS

managing director for the CCAS. He has been awarded an OAM for his work, predominantly in sport and youth sport in particular. He played basketball for Australia and coached the Sydney Kings. Murf and Moose played rugby against and with each other so the idea of getting Moose involved came via Murf

got the facility and the know how to pull it all together. That’s how UAA got involved and we’ve obviously refined the processes over the last five years. Each Academy is independently run, which allows for incredible flexibility and speed to adjust a program if required. Moose also played for the Newcastle Falcons and

“The RAS network is very unique in Australian sport, it is currently a collective of nine independently operated organisations who’s reach throughout regional NSW is considerable, indeed this reach is unmatched. In addition, two Government operated academies make the RASi number eleven.” as both have a keen understanding of the important lessons sport can and does provide.

“We were sitting around one night and we came up with the internship concept, I took it to Moose and said we’ve got the funds and passion, you’ve

that’s how we began working with the Hunter Academy of Sport,” said Murphy.

“In late April the Regional Academies of Sport staged the Your Local Clubs Academy Games, an event where all the academies across NSW come together and compete against each other in a

‘mini Olympics’ style event. The other academies were there, they’d heard about the program and they were all keen to be involved, particularly the North Coast where areas like Coffs and Kempsey have a great need for the program, so on that backdrop and the work done in regional NSW we are working with North Coast, Northern Inland, Southern Sports Academy and will continue our growth strategy with the Central Coast and Hunter Academies of Sport.” he said.

Ian Robilliard the Chairman of the Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) and Managing Director of the Central Coast Academy said of the support provided

by UAA. “The RAS network is very unique in Australian sport, it is currently a collective of nine independently operated organisations who’s reach throughout regional NSW is considerable, indeed this reach is unmatched. In addition, two government operated academies make the RASi number eleven.

UAA, in conjunction with the Regional Academies of Sport are working to provide pathways for indigenous youth.

86 / CAL May 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“Many organisations think Regional Academies of Sport are totally driven around the delivery of sporting programs and while that’s important, we also do much more than that. Indeed, the RAS ‘More Than Sport Strategy’ provides a very clear focus on what is possible outside of our sport programs that help deliver work ready young adults across regional NSW. The fact UAA are embarking on this strategy with the North Coast Academy of Sport, Northern Inland Academy of Sport, Western Region Academy of Sport and the Southern Sports Academy provides access to many major cities and towns spread across regional NSW,” he said.

Towns and regions that will benefit by the coverage of UAA’s commitment to the Regional Academy network include (but not limited too); Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Ballina, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Cootamundra, Coonabarabran, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Glenn Innes, Grafton, Griffith, Gundagai, Gunnedah, Inverell, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lithgow, Lismore, Moree, Mullumbimby, Murwillumbah, Orange, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Tweed Heads and Wagga Wagga.

Academy of Sport (WRAS), commented, “Thanks to the support provided by UAA, WRAS will launch its inaugural Indigenous athlete program, a program that will provide opportunities, both on and off the sporting field, to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who reside within the WRAS catchment region, Wiradjuri Country.

We’re pleased to partner with UAA and look forward to working with them as we deliver this program in 2021 and beyond.”

D’Arcy Van den Bossche CEO North Coast Academy of Sport (NCAS) had this to say: “From a North Coast perspective, we average nearly double the amount of Indigenous people in our communities compared to the State and Country, and if you look at one of our major towns, Kempsey, that number is around four times the State and National averages. Couple this with the fact 10 of our 12 Local Government Areas sit under the national median of the Social-Economic Index for Australia (SEIFA) and four of those LGA’s have a SEIFA Index score that places them in the most disadvantaged 20 per cent of regions across Australia, North Coast

“UAA is the backbone of the new Indigenous program NIAS will be delivering. Our region is flush with talented Indigenous athletes and with thanks to UAA, we now have the capacity to support a host of these athletes through our Academy programs.”

The following comments from the respective CEO’s of the various regional Academies provide another important view on the support provided by UAA. Mark Calverley CEO Southern Sports Academy (SSA) said, “We know that through holistic programming, sport can be powerful and transformative. We are looking forward to partnering with UAA with the aim of the Southern Sports Academy (SSA) improving the opportunities that exist within our local Indigenous communities”.

Candice Boggs, CEO Western Region www.cranesandlifting.com.au

communities represent a brilliant opportunity for a dedicated organisation such as UAA to support and develop the next crop of athletes who would benefit most”.

James Cooper CEO Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS) confirmed, “UAA is the backbone of the new Indigenous program NIAS will be delivering. Our region is flush with talented Indigenous athletes and with thanks to UAA, we now have the capacity to support a host of these athletes through our Academy programs. The UAA NIAS Women’s

Rugby League Program will feature 22 women from across New England/ North West NSW.” Brett O’Farrell CEO Hunter Academy of Sport (HAS) said, “To have this new level of investment and support behind the Academy to now identify & educate our young Awabakal Hunter sportspeople is something that will positively change our athlete recruitment for years to come. It’s a program we are passionate about and cannot wait to see the results across regional NSW.” UAA is working hard to acknowledge and become involved in the heritage and history of Australia, says Murphy.

“With every event we hold, we acknowledge our First Nation People with an Acknowledgement to country.

This acknowledgment is reflected on the website and the indigenous land UAA premises sit on is also acknowledged. We have acknowledged this by creating work uniforms featuring indigenous art. You only have to look to our neighbour New Zealand to see how it acknowledges and appreciates it indigenous Maori culture and Australia is finally acknowledging its First Nation People in a similar manner, and we are going to play our part.

“We know a number of the crane owners identify as being indigenous, so we will be encouraging students to study construction, engineering or business management. This will provide a practical understanding of how our insurance business works in these industry sectors.

“We all know sectors of the insurance industry are facing the difficulties of an ageing population and over the next 5-10 years, we are going to see an awful lot of experience lost as a large percentage of the work force moves into retirement. We hope this program will help generate new blood for the industry.

Providing pathways into employment into the construction and crane sectors is important but there are also many parts of the insurance industry which are facing the challenges of an ageing work force and this includes broking,” said Murphy.

May 2021 CAL / 87

WORKING AT HEIGHT ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

WORKING AT HEIGHTS THE NEED TO BE TRAINED In this second instalment, Working at Heights Association CEO, Rick Millar, continues to explore the importance of training for personnel working at heights.

Training is the key to working safely at heights.

ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN, AND EMPLOYEES need training to avoid falls. Organisations are liable if they hire someone without training certification or where they have not provided the training on the job as stated previously, employers often require persons to be trained or have some qualification when working at height though the fall incidents and in statistics provided by Safe Work Australia show 88 / CAL May 2021

that the number of persons injured or dying from falls continues to occur at an unacceptable level highlighting the need for workers to be educated through training in the art of working safely at height.

• All employers should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses their employees possess and tracking their training and qualifications is where this process

begins in the preparation of safe work making the workplace safer, it helps if employers use their resources effectively by providing training to those who need it the most.

• Employers do not keep accurate records of the training and qualifications their employees have received. It is important before attempting to find a solution to any problem to be able to evaluate where www.cranesandlifting.com.au

you stand. All employers should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses their employees possess and tracking their training and qualifications is where this process begins. In addition to making the workplace safer, it helps employers use their resources effectively by providing training to those who need it the most.

• Failure of employers to determine whether an employee is suited to his or her tasks. Despite the best training practices, people may not be able to perform their duties and could be best utilised in an area or field they would excel in. Ensuring that employees understand their duties and can prove their proficiency will go a long way toward providing a safer work environment.

Safe Work Australia requires a PCBU, Designers, Manufacturers and Installers of Plant to manage work health and Safety risks, “WHS Act section 19: Primary duty of care” states that these persons must eliminate risks in the workplace, or if not reasonably practicable minimise the risks so far as is reasonably practical.

Examples of where a PCBU will have a health and safety duty include when: • Engaging workers to carry out work • Directing or influencing workers in carrying out work • Where people may be put at risk from work carried in their business or undertaking.

• Managing or control of a workplace or fixtures, fittings or plant at the workplace.

To provide some comfort in the safety of the work to be carried out a risk assessment being a careful examination and recognition of what in your workplace could cause harm to those who are to carry out work enables you to weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions, or should do more to prevent harm.

Employers are required to assess the risks in their workplace, however so are the employees whom have a part to play in the approval of the safety procedures and cannot rely solely on the PCBU taking up some the responsibility for their own safety. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The purpose of the risk assessment is limiting the risk enabling a plan to be put in place, a plan to control the risks.

It’s crucial for a worker to know how to carry out a risk assessment to ensure they understand the risk.

This only high lights the need for a worker to have the training to provide the skills to work with PCBU in ensuring that the various risks are recognised and the procedure and equipment needed to assist in ensuring the safe work practices of the work to be carried out, how can a person not trained in the understanding the equipment, work practices and attachments that may be used and possibly provide educated input into the risks specifically when working at height if he has no or limited knowledge through lack of training.

Working at heights risk assessment template is normally an assessment designed to assist workplaces in managing fall hazards in the workplace. This includes activities where people are working: • off the ground (e.g., up ladders, on work platforms, or on roofs); • on the ground close to deep holes (e.g., excavations) edges or ledges (e.g., retaining walls); • openings through which people could fall (e.g., skylight or other openings); • in areas where objects may fall from higher levels and cause injury or dislodge a worker from his work space.

While having a template to work with it is highly recommended that persons carrying out a risk assessment have training to enable them to understand and recognise the risks that they or the workers are being faced with and able to put in place the appropriate safe guards.

Training can Provide knowledge in Height Safety which may assist to restrict the potential for a fall when preparing to work at height some of the do’s and don’ts are listed here but are limited to the greater range of knowledge required by persons working in areas of potential risk; • DO as much work as you can while you are on the ground.

• DO make sure that the employees can safely move to and from the area where

they are working at height.

• DO ensure that the equipment that you’re using for the job is strong, stable and suitable enough to get the job done.

Inspect and maintain them regularly.

• DO be careful when you are working near to a fragile surface.

• DO ensure that you are protected from falling objects.

• DO make preparations for emergency evacuations and rescues.

• DO make sure that the PPE is in good order and fit for use • DO make sure that the worker understands the risk • DO ensure that the worker is properly trained ----------------------------------------------• DON’T overload the ladders that they are working on, with equipment or materials.

• DON’T try to reach too far when you’re on a ladder or stepladder.

• DON’T use ladders or stepladders to do work that entail heavy or strenuous tasks.

Only use them to do work that’s quick and light.

• DON’T allow incompetent workers do any work at height.

• DON’T lean or place the ladder on or fragile upper surfaces.

• DON’T stay quiet when you feel someone is compromising their own safety or the safety of others NOTE Do not use PPE that you cannot confirm its suitability or your ability to use it safely, another important reason to have had the training required to ensure that PPE is in serviceable condition and you know how to use it.

Despite all these approaches to injury prevention, ‘Working at Height’ activities have consistently been the second or third highest cause of fatality at all workplaces across Australia over the past 12 years.

Working at Heights Association Australia continues to play a part in assisting in the reduction of these fatalities through the process of awareness, education, training and standards of work practices and installations for information and assistance in the area of height safety visit their web site www.waha.org.au May 2021 CAL / 89

LIFT OF THE MONTH PLEASE SEND YOUR LIFT OF THE MONTH ENTRIES TO SIMON.GOULD@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU

WHO: LCH WHERE: Cement Australia, Gladstone QLD (K2 Kiln Shutdown 2021) CRANE MODEL: Manitowoc M2250, Demag AC250-1 & Grove GMK5220 LIFTING CAPACITY: 272t, 250t & 220t BOOM LENGTH: 33.5m, 33.7m and 36.29m Radius the M2250 had entire weight: 10.5m DETAILS OF THE LOADS: 133t cement kiln tyre and 50t 12m kiln section.

Both loads lifted out from under ducting pipe using an engineered diverter system to keep crane ropes and hooks clear. Three cranes were used to minimise crane downtime for relocation as this was the critical path of the shutdown.

WHO: Lewis Engineering.

WHERE: Clermont Area Central Qld. Property Owner WHAT: 2 Story House Module. Lift onto Truck and Transport 11klms cross country and unload to Final Position WEIGHT OF LIFT: 12t DETAILS OF LIFT: The customer requested we relocate the building with the slab attached to maintain the structural integrity ,also mitigating future construction costs.

The lift was executed by installing M24 x 300 long threaded bar chemset anchored into 4 x 25mm x 300mm flat mild steel plates around the concrete slab (7.5 T) the building was sitting on. Lifting lugs are welded to the same plates. Extensive internal bracining of the building was applied. The weight of the slab assisted in eliminating the “top Heavy” effect of the building being so high during transport. Two days to complete and a very happy customer.

WHO: Two Way Cranes CRANE: Liebherr LTM1350/6.1 WHAT WAS THE LIFT: Chiller unit installation at Eastern Creek WHAT WEIGHT AND DISTANCE 19.4t at 34m CRANE CONFIGURATION 80t counterweight.

20m live boom and 36m luff.

WHO: Wheeler Cranes CRANE: Liebherr LTM 1250.6-1 WHERE: Hunter Valley mine WEIGHT: 9.1t 340m beneath surface

90 / CAL May 2021

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