Members attend the first Canadian Master Rigger Course. Left to right, Jim Beauchamp, National Training Program coordinator/instructor; Kyle Howard; Bruce Callihoo; Gabriel Gauthier; Grant Kostner; Ross Gartner (crouching); John Wells, crane operator; Fred Wright; and Russell Reid, Local 146 instructor.
New L-146 training centre hosts four days of training
THE FIRST MASTER rigger course developed for Canadian Boilermakers took place at the Local 146 training centre in Edmonton, Alberta, last December. The four-day course was a joint initiative between Boilermaker National Training, Local 146 and the Canadian local lodges to enhance the rigging knowledge and expertise of our members in the area of rigging.
The training includes a combination of theory and practical exercises, including terms and definitions, center of gravity, load control, rigging selection, rigging methods, sling tension, level and off-level pick points, block loading, compound loading, multi-part lines, block and winch systems, load drifting, load turning, jack and roll, horizontal rigging and incline planes.
National Training Director Grant Jacobs said the course has been a long-term goal that was made possible by the completion last year of the Local 146 Boilermaker Apprenticeship and Mechanical Training Centre. He cited the dedication and hard work of individuals who played a major role in the effort, including Local 146 BM-ST Arnie Stadnick, training centre construction manager Darwin Leitch, Director of Apprenticeship and Education j’Amey Holroyd, Local 146 instructor Russell Reid and National Training instructor Jim Beauchamp.
Jacobs noted that application will be made to secure certification by the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), an accrediting organization.
“This will give our program some serious credibility and position the Boilermakers at the top of the heap for qualified riggers,” he said.
More courses are scheduled for 2015 and are open to all Canadian locals. Interested individuals may contact their local training coordinators for information.
