When young Thomas Barth's parents bought him an expensive toy crane
for Christmas,. he promptly threw it down and broke it. That crane was only
the first of many and, much to the relief of his family, Barth hasn't
broken one since.
He's had some close calls, however.
Barth is a professional crane operator. He's been at it for more than
25 years and -- knock on wood -- he's never hurt anyone. "But people
get hurt around cranes," says Barth. "It's a fact of the industry."
This job is all about experience, learning from mistakes, knowing the safety
regulations and keeping up with new technology. It's a lot of hard work!
Working on the Alaskan pipeline in the 1970s was Barth's favorite
project. It was rewarding to be part of such a massive undertaking, and it
was also where he progressed from rig oiler to crane operator. Rig oilers
help a crane operator maintain the machine. They grease it and rig up forms
for the operator.
"You got to see all different sorts of things being done if you were a
rig oiler. You saw big picks and double crane picks. If the operator thought
you were good enough, he'd let you run the crane a little bit. That's
how guys used to get their experience," says Barth.
"I was working with the old crane operators and we had these new machines
up there. We had a brand new 350-ton. They wouldn't let me on it." But
it seemed Barth was destined to be a crane operator.
"We were all getting ready to go to the airport when the job was over.
Then the company called and said, 'We need a crane operator.' All
the old crane operators wanted to leave -- they were ready to get on that
plane -- so they said, 'Well, let Tom do it.'" There and then, Barth
graduated from rig oiler to crane operator.
He's made some mistakes, but Barth makes a point of not making the
same mistake twice.
"Once I was working for a big contracting company and we were dredging
a harbor with a crane on a barge. We were loading the same barge with sand.
I just about tipped the crane over and went into the water! The company was
going to fire me -- they said I didn't know how to run the crane. So
they brought in another crane operator and he said he'd just about tipped
it the same day."
As it turned out, there were guidelines and regulations for taking cranes
from the land and putting them on the barge, but neither the company nor Barth
knew them. He wasn't fired. He learned the regulations and, to this day,
he makes sure he keeps on top of any updates.
There are constant changes to the regulations and to the cranes. After
all his years in the industry, Barth has seen a lot of changes. Lately, he's
been brushing up on his computer skills. A friend got him hooked
and Barth recommends an understanding of computers for anyone interested in
becoming a crane operator.
"Today, there are computers on board. They're simple to learn, but
now they have computer software that allows you to program information into
your laptop so you can see a pick being made on the computer screen. This
technology is new. The people who are using it now are engineers, but it's
going to come down to the crane operator," says Barth.
Crane rental companies are using computers now. "A fellow goes to the job
site and programs the computer with load charts and other information, and
the computer tells you what crane you should use for that job. This is the
future."
Barth finds the latest technology fascinating. And he's a strong believer
in a good work ethic, too. Because crane operators are highly skilled, there's
a lot of prestige connected to the job.
Crane operators have input into how things are done. Usually there is no
one else on the job site who can do the job, so they have some clout.
"When you're in a crane environment -- even though it's sometimes
stressful -- you're not bouncing around like you are in a backhoe or
other construction equipment. It's much easier on your back. You're
respected. You get to travel. And the money's pretty good."
But be prepared to study because, says Barth, "that will separate the professional
from the non-professional."
And with experts predicting stiff competition for fewer jobs, that's
good advice.