Less training for crane operators

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This crane has crushed a car in Montreal, on rue d’iberville at the beginning of the month.

Laurence Houde-Roy

Tuesday, 19 December 2017 20:47

UPDATE
Tuesday, 19 December 2017 20:47

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The FTQ fear an increase in the number of deaths on construction sites then the government apprêterait to eliminate the single required course to become a crane operator.

“It’s back to accidents on construction sites, to the dead, even though it had managed to reduce the number since 1997 “, is concerned Evans Dupuis, director of the Union of the operators, crane operators, affiliated to the Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ).

45 hours of course

Crane operators are one of only two trades of the construction to be required to pass a mandatory course of 45 hours is given by the ministry of Education and the CNESST to get right to work. But at the request of the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), the government is expected to introduce on Wednesday a new regulation to abolish the course. The CCQ would thus alleviate a shortage of labour in the crane operators.

“The course had been established in 1996 at the request of the CNESST due to the high number of deaths of crane operators on construction sites, said Mr. Dupuis. We went from 4.5 deaths of crane operators per year to 1.5 death after the creation of the compulsory course. “

Photo courtesy

Evans Dupuis, Director operators, crane operators

The examples are still frequent in Montreal. A window cleaner at the University of Quebec at Montreal, had lost the life in 2016 because he had badly positioned his crane. The delivery man had broken through the roof of a daycare in Saint-Léonard in the same year because of poor handling of the crane.

The FTQ adds, in response to the CCQ, that the only shortage of labour was announced in 2011-2012. She had been controlled by asking students aspiring crane operators to come lend a hand during the summer.

With these changes, anyone could then become a crane operator, as long as she gets a letter from an employer promising of 150 hours of work.

“I myself have learned on the field and following the course after its creation in 1997, I realized that I was doing several dangerous things,” recalls Mr. Dupuis.