Zurich Delivers Tools to Help Crane Users and Owners Build Crane Management Systems

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zurich, a leading property and casualty insurance provider in North America and globally, is working with a wide range of customers with crane operations from around the U.S. to provide them with additional knowledge and tools that enable them to implement a more effective crane management system.

“Recent crane accidents have increased attention on the training of crane operators and the management of crane operations across the country,” said Bill Davis, senior risk engineering consultant for Zurich Services Corporation. “The industry is changing for crane managers and owners, and Zurich believes that a fresh approach is needed to help educate the management of these companies.”

As part of Zurich’s industry-wide outreach to customers, risk engineering consultants with significant experience in craning operations are hosting seven regional interactive workshops for its customers beginning in New York, with subsequent workshops in Chicago, Dallas, Oakland, Calif., Atlanta, Las Vegas and Philadelphia.

Zurich is providing training for its customers’ project managers, estimators, site supervisors, crane owners and anyone involved in the planning, set up, operation and maintenance of the mobile and/or tower cranes and associated rigging. Approximately 100 managers from the top crane-using or crane-owning construction companies are expected to attend each workshop.

Zurich will provide workshop attendees tools such as planning materials, additional resource information and templates they can use to help develop a management system that not only meets, but exceeds the standards required by law. This program challenges executive-level construction leadership to develop a system that ensures a safer crane and hoisting operation.

“The latest crane regulations and news surrounding the recent incidents have focused on the training of crane operators,” said Marko Kaar, senior risk engineer consultant for Zurich Services Corporation. “Zurich wants to help customers understand that the training of operators is only one step in helping prevent crane failure incidents. In these workshops, we discuss the steps needed to help further reduce the risk of future incidents. By focusing on the value of cranes, and the impact they can have on the productivity and profitability of most projects, we hope to assist our customers in implementing systems that can help maximize crane value, while also helping to minimize the potential for failure.”

Zurich workshop leaders will help crane owners and users focus on:

• recognizing the critical role cranes play in the construction industry,
• preparing a list of the recommended elements needed in a successful crane management system, and
• using the tools provided by Zurich to implement a more effective crane management system that can help increase productivity while helping to maintain a lower incident rate.

After the workshops, Zurich’s risk engineer consultants will work with customers to help facilitate the changes needed to assist in effectively implementing a crane management system. Zurich continues to provide timely information to its customers, and the workshops are one more step in delivering new information when it matters.

About Zurich

Zurich’s North America Commercial and Global Corporate in North America business divisions are part of Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich), an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It employs approximately 60,000 people serving customers in more than 170 countries. In North America, Zurich (www.zurichna.com) is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the global corporate, large corporate, middle market, specialties and programs sectors.

Editors’ Note: Bill Davis and Marko Kaar are available to discuss Zurich’s approach to assisting crane and rigging operations with information needed to implement an effective crane management system.