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 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.