This
article was published in the October 2023 edition of NTEA News.
Articulating Crane Council of North America
(ACCNA), an NTEA affiliate division established in 1992, serves common
interests of articulating crane manufacturers. As
many of these specialized truck-mounted crane manufacturers reside overseas,
membership includes authorized national importers.
There
are many applications for articulating cranes, which are also known as
knuckleboom cranes since the booms operate in a similar manner to a finger.
Usage varies with specialized end attachments, like as forks for drywall
delivery. From a regulatory view, articulating cranes fall under different
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) categories, such as
forestry for log-loaders or maritime standards for such equipment when used on
docks. OSHA’s construction standards mostly cover truck-mounted variations due
to the broad definition of what is considered a construction activity.
ACCNA
tracks changes to OSHA standards involving cranes, as well as applicable state
requirements. OSHA’s standards for cranes and derricks used in construction are
contained in Code of Federal Regulations Title 29 Part 1926, Subpart CC. Since
it regulates workplace safety, changes to OSHA standards become the
responsibility of equipment owners/operators. ACCNA members forecast the
effects of such regulatory changes to ensure customers can meet new
requirements based on equipment use and function.
A
key element of construction standards for cranes involves certification
requirements for operators, which took effect in 2018. Working ahead of these
requirements, ACCNA partnered with National Commission for the Certification of
Crane Operators (NCCCO) to develop a series of written and practical exams for
articulating crane operators that launched in 2009. This was a significant
undertaking as nothing was previously created to formally officiate an operator
for this type of equipment. The task force, which included ACCNA member company
representatives, created three categories of articulating crane operator
certification to cover construction industry equipment groupings subject to the
new regulations. The success of this cooperative program continues as
articulating cranes and operator requirements evolve.
ACCNA
also functions as a voice for this unique industry segment to the regulatory
community and monitors rulemaking activities accordingly.
How
to join
Membership
is open to NTEA member companies in good standing engaged in the manufacture of
and/or an authorized national importer of articulating cranes. For more
information or to join, email Steve Spata, NTEA technical assistance director
at steves@ntea.com.
Learn more about ACCNA at ntea.com/accna.
ACCNA
officers
Chair
Andrew
Wood
Hyva
Corporation
Vice
Chair/Treasurer
Jim
Walliser
HIAB
USA Inc.
ACCNA
members
Fascan
International Inc. (Baltimore, Maryland)
Fischer
Crane Co. (Bolingbrook, Illinois)
HIAB USA Inc. (Perrysburg, Ohio)
HYVA
Corp. (Wood Dale, Illinois)
Iowa
Mold Tooling Co. Inc. (Garner, Iowa)
Manitex
Inc. (Georgetown, Texas)
National
Crane Corp. (Shady Grove, Pennsylvania)
PALFINGER
North America (Niagara Falls, Ontario)