Speakers Tackle Timely Topics at Upcoming Conferences and Expo

For the second year, two key industry groups—the Construction Users Roundtable and the Houston Business Roundtable—are supporting organizations for Maximum Capacity Media’s three-in-one conference and expo for crane users. The program includes two conferences—Crane & Rigging Conference (CRC) for mobile cranes users and Industrial Crane & Hoist Conference (ICHC) for users of overhead cranes—paired with a supplier showcase called Reach Expo. The event is July 19-20 in Houston, Texas.

Likewise, Bishop Lifting Products (BLP) and Crane Inspection and Certification Bureau (CICB) return as the Event Partners. BLP, Houston, is a manufacturer and distributor of services and products for rigging and crane applications. The BLP Services division provides offshore and land-based inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, and modernization. The BLP Solutions division features an in-house mechanical engineering team skilled in custom fabrications.

CICB, Orlando, Fla., specializes in operator training programs for mobile cranes, tower cranes, overhead cranes, aerial work platforms, and other industrial and construction equipment. The company provides training at its facilities in Houston and Orlando or at the customer’s location. In addition, CICB inspectors have performed more than 100,000 inspections on equipment used in nearly every material handling application. CICB also offers a Risk Management Control Program to help customers identify problem areas in their material handling operations.

Three events under one roof

Reach Expo provides a venue for suppliers and vendors to showcase products and services of interest to crane and rigging managers overseeing fleets of mobile cranes in construction and overhead cranes in industrial environments. The exhibition takes place concurrently during two days of educational sessions for CRC and ICHC in a common area shared by both conferences. Attendees include project managers, fleet or facility managers, safety professionals, operators, riggers, contractors, and equipment owners.

ICHC is geared toward users of overhead cranes and hoists working in heavy industrial or manufacturing facilities. Attendees to the 2010 conference represented heavy industrial contractors; energy contractors and manufacturers for wind, nuclear, and oil and gas industries; public utilities; aviation; mining; chemical manufacturing; steel producers; as well as crane and hoist manufacturers, installers, and service providers. 

CRC is geared toward users of mobile cranes working in construction and heavy industrial environments. Attendees to the 2010 conference represented general contractors; energy contractors for wind, nuclear, and oil and gas industries; steel erectors; crane rental companies and rigging specialists; safety and training companies, and many others.

CRC presentations

Making the keynote address is Walter Brumley, supervisor of cranes, rigging, mechanics and roads, walks and grounds for Shell Oil in Deer Park, Texas. Brumley began his career as a rigger and was instrumental in developing an inspection program for the facility’s lifting equipment.

• Chip Pocock, safety and risk manager for Buckner Companies, Graham, N.C., who will discuss how to do in-house qualification and documentation of riggers and signalpersons.
• Mike Parnell, president of Industrial Training International, Woodland, Wash., who will provide an update on ASME’s new P30 lift planning standard.
• Todd Allen, president of Radarview, Houston, will provide techniques for assessing ground conditions.
• Dave Wood, president, and Jay Shiffler, vice president business development, of Wheco Corp., will present a case study on demonstrating the benefits of remanufacturing cranes.
• Mike Gelskey Sr., president and CEO of Lift-It Manufacturing, Los Angeles, Calif., will share lessons learned from sling failures and discuss methods for accident prevention.
• Hank Dutton, senior technical specialist risk control, Travelers, Covington, Ga., will discuss avoiding crane/power line contact and electrocution safety.
• Morris Parrott, project manager, Alltec Lifting Systems, Dickinson, Texas will discuss modular lifting trends of large components and loads.
• Other topics include fleet management, wire rope, and qualifications of the lift and rigging crew.

 For more information, go to www.reachexpo2011.com.