SC&RA Ӏ INTERVIEW
connecting with certain members around the world. At the end of the day, our
members do business in person – it’s one of the reasons our events like the Crane & Rigging Workshop, Annual Conference and the Specialized Transportation Symposium are so well attended. With networking opportunities and exhibit centers, attending is an economical way to see all of your customers and meet potential customers. But I understand for most companies, traveling across the world isn’t always in the budget.
Chalmers: That said, these days, there are alternatives to traveling. Dandrea: That’s true. In fact, the exchange of information happens so fast these days that we are all struggling to balance the emails and texts we receive both during work and personally. Members, whether in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Far East and beyond, can share in the exchange of information. Collectively, we face many similar challenges in the crane industry. Through our newsletter, website and SC&RA app, we strive to communicate what’s happening in Washington, D.C., from an infrastructure perspective. How will that impact our members? How will that impact a company wishing to do more business in the U.S.? How can what’s happening here be replicated elsewhere? The exchange of information is extremely important.
Chalmers: Building off of that notion, SC&RA is a member of the International Crane Stakeholders Assembly (ICSA). Can you elaborate on your work with ICSA and what’s currently in play? Dandrea: For sure – we’re proud to work collectively with ICSA on a number of issues. The group has recently released guidance on
Mobile Crane Ground Preparation for Wind Farm Construction, which is available to our members through our website or mobile app. Additionally, work continues on guidance for working with mobile cranes on floating barges. It’s a testament to our international association peers that work is moving along in these areas despite the global pandemic.
Chalmers: On the domestic side, permitting has come up quite a bit within the U.S. crane space. How is SC&RA involved in this capacity? Dandrea: We’ve begun the process of asking state permit officials crane-specific questions, which will be included in future Permit Manual updates. We’re also researching which
states offer a blanket permit specifically for mobile cranes, and we’re very close to including mobile crane weights and permitting into the Association’s overall harmonization efforts. That said, we also submitted a letter to the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, requesting that they reconsider that proof load tests be based on manufacturers’ load ratings for the conditions of use, while not exceeding 110 percent of the maximum load ratings for the boom on the crane.
Chalmers: Protecting your members from unfair regulations and legal decisions is also a priority for SC&RA. How have you worked to advance this practice within the crane space recently? Dandrea: Well, one key accomplishment for the Association in 2021 was the Understanding Tower Crane Bare Rental Agreements document, a new tool to help tower crane companies protect themselves against unfair and biased
agreements. This guide provides education on what specific terms mean, what clauses companies should be aware of and how they affect a business and its insurance liability.
Chalmers: One benefit of SC&RA membership is that transportation and crane and rigging groups are able to work together on certain issues for the greater good. Can you speak more to that? Dandrea: Absolutely. A perfect example is ongoing, and began last year. In a continued effort to advocate for mobile crane members, both the SC&RA Crane & Rigging and Transportation Groups worked collaboratively in 2021 to address an increase in crane issues at the state level, which included: improperly taxed operations in South Carolina, super load limits and exorbitant engineering survey requirements in Massachusetts and now, newly required police escorts and nighttime movements in Maryland.
Chalmers: You mentioned the impressive retention rate earlier. What specific value-adds do you think resonate with SC&RA members and keep them coming back? Dandrea: Ultimately, our members see that, in light of the challenges, we’ve been able to reduce expenses, retain an excellent staff, continue on all of our key advocacy and communication efforts while also focusing on our affinity programs – and even add back in live events. With that in mind, sponsorship commitments have been strong, and participation in awards programs like the Jobs of the Year was as impressive as ever. Simply put, our members understand the big picture and, while not a perfect environment, we’ve all been willing to take some risks to move forward.
CRANES TODAY 27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
