The new word in safety

The CANZ Crane Safety Manual has become a key tool for thousands of crane owners and users, both in New Zealand, and also in Australia. The latest edition was launched at CANZ's conference in Tauranga this July. It expands the range of crane types included, and brings the manual in line with New Zealand's new Health and Safety at Work Act, which is due to come into force in 2016.

The new Act redefines responsibility for safety. Rod Auton, chief executive of CANZ, says, "It puts the onus on everybody for health and safety. Previously this was passed down the chain, and the bottom of the ladder ended up taking responsibility. The new Health and Safety Act puts the onus not only on the crane companies, but on major contractors, designers, everyone along the chain. "For our members, who are the leaders in the industry, we think that they will be rewarded for their compliance."

The manual is designed as a tool for everyone in the industry. CANZ says that it has brought crane owners, operators and users together in the cause of developing and improving of safety and efficiency in the crane industry. The manual enables crane operators and those who work around cranes to easily access relevant and current information that is directly linked to New Zealand Crane Quali_ cations. With the changes planned in the new Health and Safety Act meaning that contractors and site principals share responsibility for crane safety, CANZ says it should also form part of their reference library.

Auton explains that the manual was put together by the industry. "It was done through a series of workshops over two years. Each individual section had its own working group, from right across the industry, that contributed to it." The result of that is a manual that reflects global best practice, and has been recognised by New Zealand's regulator.

Auton says, "Work Safety are right behind us. What is in the Crane Safety Manual will go into a new code of practice after April next year, it has been accepted as the industry standard.

"If we take out the parts that are specific to our legislation, the operational aspects could fit in anywhere in the world."

Safety when it matters most It's a truism in the crane industry that accidents happen when people are working. The new revision of the manual comes at a time when the New Zealand industry is working hard.

In Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, Auton says, there's huge growth in residential construction.

In Christchurch, where an earthquake in 2011 caused widespread devastation, the long process of reconstruction continues. Auton expects deconstruction of damaged buildings to continue through 2016, with rebuilding taking place for years to come.

In Wellington, the new 26km, four-lane, Transmission Gully Motorway is now being built, after many years of discussion. The new road will offer a new route into the city, away from exposed coastal roads. It is scheduled for completion in 2020.

The country's government is investing heavily in infrastructure. A series of upgrades are planned for the Waikato Expressway, and much work has been done to improve road bridges.

As well as providing new work for the lifting industry, the bridge improvements have made life easier for crane owners. Auton explained that the state of many bridges had required cranes to be derigged before crossing, slowing transport. CANZ is also celebrating a success in how cranes are taxed for their use of roads. Auton says, "We've been able to establish with regulators that cranes aren't the same as transport, they don't cause the same damage to pavements, so we have been able to get the road charges reduced compared to road transport. Now we've got our own separate identifiers as cranes, rather than being lumped in with commercial transport."