Pedestrian and Mobile Crane Accident

The condition of a pedestrian who was hit by a mobile crane has been upgraded.

A man was crossing 80th Avenue SE near the Barlow and Glenmore Trail intersection around 7:45 a.m. Friday morning when he was struck by a mobile crane.

Police say the visibility of the crane operator was hampered by the apparatus on the front of the crane.

The victim was struck in the abdomen and dragged under the vehicle for about 15 feet (5 metres) before being pinned under the 40-thousand pound (18-thousand kilograms) crane.

The man was trapped under the right front tires.

Another crane owned by the company tried to lift the first crane off, but couldn’t because the second crane only had the capacity to lift 20-thousand pounds (9-thousand kilograms).

When fire crews arrived on scene they used specialized “air bags” and had the patient free in about 30 minutes.

The specific air bag that was used has a lifting capacity of 90-thousand pounds (40-thousand kilograms).

The man suffered critical injuries to his lower body and both legs.

He was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. His condition has now been upgraded to non life-threatening.

Police are investigating.

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Industrial Classifieds Introduces New and Used Heavy Equipment Buyers/Sellers

The following is an exact press release found at http://www.pr.com/press-release/92483.

New and Used Heavy Equipment Buyers and Sellers Introduced on Industrial Classifieds

The on-line B2B marketplace Industrial Classifieds, has launched a newly designed Web site specifically for construction equipment dealers, contractors and buyers of heavy construction equipment in North America and Europe.

Westborough, MA, June 28, 2008 –(PR.com)– Industrial Classifieds, an international business-to-business marketplace for the industrial and construction communities, and a division of the Industrial Leaders Group, today announced the release of its new Heavy Equipment Classifieds website at http://industrialsaver.com/classifieds/index.php/cat/2. According to Robert Huff, spokesman for the company, the site includes offerings to buy and sell a wide range of new and used heavy equipment from companies based in or serving the North American and European marketplace.

Huff said Industrial Classifieds also provides an online heavy equipment auction hosted by IndustrialSAVER. The auction allows companies and individuals to explore, bid on and offer all kinds of heavy construction equipment such as bulldozers, skid loaders, wheel loaders, tractors, heavy trucks, excavators, forklifts, cranes, dump trucks, hauling trailers, trenchers, deep hole drilling machines, graders and other new and used earth moving equipment and allied products at
http://www.industrialsaver.com/stores/construction/Construction/Heavy-Equipment-and-Trailers

“With the launch of our new heavy equipment marketplace Industrial Classifieds now provides those in the market to purchase or sell heavy equipment the opportunity to meet potential suppliers and buyers all over the world,” said Huff. He added, “Whether one is seeking to buy heavy machinery locally or just looking to liquidate their own equipment, there are numerous social networking tools and other marketing resources available on Industrial Classifieds registered users are able to access at no charge.”

According to Huff, in effort to further its global reach, Industrial Classified will soon launch a specialized trade leads program enabling companies to submit RFQ’s to heavy equipment dealers and other suppliers in domestic and international markets. Huff explained the program will be designed to help develop trading partnerships among construction buyers and sellers worldwide with emphasis on Europe and North America. Details of the program is expected to be announced by mid-July at the company’s annual cookout to celebrate the first year anniversary of the Industrial Classifieds website being launched.

About Industrial Classifieds

Industrial Classifieds connects buyers and suppliers of industrial and construction products at http://www.IndustrialSAVER.com/classifieds. Users can post and explore free ads to buy/sell all kinds of industrial and construction equipment, machinery and supplies.

Contact Information

IndustrialLeaders.com
Donald LaBelle
508-987-1947
info@industrialleaders.com
http://www.IndustrialLeaders.com

Heavy Equipment Gears Up for Investors

Some big time heavy equipment companies are making some promising investments. Deere (DE) is raising dividends, expanding stock buyback, and investing on worldwide demands. Caterpillar (CAT) allies with Navistar International (NAVZ) to build commercial trucks and forecasts big profit. Oskhosh (OSK) is close to a breakthrough on the military Humvee. But despite these growths, stocks are still trading well below their highs for this year . . .

Source: David Roeder. Chicago Sun-Times. “Heavy equipment in high gear.”

DEUTZ Introduces World’s First Hybrid Power Unit for Construction Equipment

DUETZ, a leading independent gas and diesel engine manufacturer, has developed a hybrid power unit for heavy equipment. DUETZ claims the new unit has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30%. The unit is not only designed to reduce fuel costs and consumption, but CO2 emissions as well.

Here are some of the main specs and functions:

• Mild hybrid drive unit
• DEUTZ four-cylinder diesel engine, electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack, control unit
• Electrical system nominal 15kW output, peak capacity at 30kW
• Start and stop: automatic engine stop during idling phases, automatic engine start in the case of continued operation, the usual starter is omitted.
• Power boost: in the case the power peaks, the electric unit is cut in.
• Battery charging: if the diesel engine has excess power, the electric unit can charge the battery while operating as a generator.
• Recuperation: part of the braking energy is refed into the battery by the electric unit

© 2008 Bird & Moore Ltd and DEUTZ AG – UK Branch (see source #2 below)

The new hybrid drive was developed with Heinzmann, a notable manufacturer of engine control systems and long-term DEUTZ partner and supplier. DEUTZ engines are commonly used in excavators, wheel loaders, access platforms, compactors, cranes, crushers, screeners, compressors, lift trucks, tractors, ride-on mowers, chippers, shredders, gensets and other off-highway mobile plant.

For more detailed information see original sources below.

Sources:

1. Green Car Congress: DUETZ Introduces Mild Hybrid Drive for Off-Road Construction Equipment
   
2. TARGETWIRE: DEUTZ Introduce World’s First Hybrid Power Unit for Construction Equipment
   
3. Buildingtalk: First hybrid power unit for construction equipment

Most Recent Crane Accidents in U.S.

On June 9 we came across a summary list of some recent crane accidents on newsday.com. With so many accidents occurring lately, we found it easier to learn more and keep track of the events from this list. From here you can search for more detailed news on the recent accidents.

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Canada’s Small ‘Project Heavy Duty’ Helping Students in Big Ways

In the small city of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada Project Heavy Duty takes place every year during February and March. As hundreds of students find themselves graduated from high school they turn their eyes toward post-secondary education and careers; but some graduates remain unsure of the education and careers they will pursue. Project Heavy Duty helps students answer questions such as, “What am I going to do for the rest of my life….”

Project Heavy Duty is an annual exposure program that helps timid high school students gain confidence through heavy equipment operating. Each year a group of roughly 20 students train for a week with competent heavy equipment operators and contractors. They do things like plowing, excavating, and laying pipeline on an actual industrial site. The project has been running for seven years now and is a volunteer program.

One of the important things that this program does for students is not just learning how to operate heavy equipment, but as Organizer Richard Coupe said, many students confirm their career goals and others realize that their aspirations may be in another field altogether. Either way, Project Heavy Duty has been helping students for the last seven years to make one of the most important decisions of their lives–what to do with the rest of their lives.

Please click below for the original story

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NAHETS Visits Estonia for 2nd Time to Assist Heavy Equipment Training Program

May 2008–NAHETS Director of Operations, Mike Martens, has made his second trip to Estonia to advise and assist the Ministry of Education with its project to improve the heavy equipment operator training program at the Paide Vocational Secondary School (PKK). The Paide school is beginning a phase in which the Estonian government will commit $30 million (USD) towards expansion and modernization of curriculum and facilities.

In addition to this project, Ministry Counselor Erkki Pissang has begun an initiative to establish the Paide school as a heavy equipment operator training center for the Baltic countries. Students would come from not only Estonia but also the countries of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. NAHETS is assisting with this regional training center initiative.

Rein Oslein, Director of the Paide Vocational Secondary School, is also working with various governmental agencies to upgrade Estonia’s operator certification standards based on NAHETS operator certification standards.

Mike’s time in Estonia was divided into meetings with Rein at the Paide school, at which time the framework for the regional training center was developed, and they began to define the heavy equipment operator certification standards.

Rein and Mike also met with the Head of the Estonian Vocational and Adult Education Department, Andres Pung, and with Siim Raie, The Executive Director of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce. Siim is working with Rein to develop contacts within the Estonian construction industry.

Those meetings were held in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Tallinn is a city with a history dating back to the 12^th century; Old Town Tallin is the best-preserved example of a medieval Hanseatic League city

The next event is a Baltic Regional Conference, to be hosted by the Estonian Government, at which the education and industry attendees will work towards participation in the Estonian Heavy Equipment Operator Training Center in Paide.

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Associated Builders & Contractors Annual Construction Education Conference

The Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. (ABC) held their annual Construction Education Conference this last May 7th through May 9th in Las Vegas, NV.

For the second year NAHETS was represented at this event, which concentrated on specific training and education topics for construction owners, managers, and professionals. Additionally the nation-wide network of ABC chapters engaged in workshops and discussions focusing on the need to better educate America’s construction workforce.

As an element of this discussion NAHETS Mike Martens was able to present to the conference attendees the benefits of hiring the graduates from the five NAHETS schools located in California, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Georgia. The conference participants were pleased to discover that NAHETS graduates are not only trained in the actual equipment operations but are also required to adhere to strict safety requirements and recognize the importance of teamwork and work ethics.

NAHETS has also been asked to consider joining the official ABC training team, specifically to assist with providing training material to the local ABC chapters. NAHETS Executive Director Matt Klabacka has given his approval to continue this discussion hoping to come to a formal agreement with ABC later this year.

The 2009 ABC Construction Education Conference will be held next February 25 - March 1 and NAHETS will be there.

NAHETS Oklahoma School Published in American Crane & Transport Magazine

The Oklahoma College of Construction (OCC), a NAHETS institution, was published in the May issue of the American Crane & Transport Magazine. Previously Wade Vakulick, director of industry relations and safety, contacted American Crane & Transport and invited them to visit the OCC campus to gather material for their upcoming May issue, which deals with crane operator safety and training. Although the site visit ended up not working out, American Crane & Transport called Wade and held a phone interview. The content of the interview is published in the article.

The article is entitled, “How safe is safe?” and focuses on crane safety and training . . .