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Operating since 1969, CICB’s Houston Training Center is a career school for crane operators, riggers, inspectors, and lift directors.
Over those 54 years, CICB has continuously looked to keep improving the range of training it provides, as well as the quality of its content and teaching methods.
One of CICB’s more recent steps in continuous improvement provides crane-operator trainees a safer, more sustainable solution for developing good habits that stay with them when they go to work as crane operators on job sites.
To enhance operator training programs and provide clients with more value, about five years ago, CICB began investing in state-of-the-art CM Labs simulators, CM Labs crane training packs, and an Instructor Operator Station (IOS).
Better Training, Lower Costs
According to John O’Connor, operations manager at CICB’s Houston Training Center, CICB chose the CM Labs simulator because of its realistic and fully immersive training, which includes features like weather controls, random fault injection, and objective metrics.
By adding CM Lab simulator training to its introductory-level and refresher courses, CICB has improved training results while reducing its crane-operation and fuel costs.
Students now enjoy additional seat time on the simulator, which helps build confidence and can safely expose them to a wider range of challenges than training in a real crane.
Also, the simulators give trainees more one-on-one time with instructors than using only real cranes.
That extra personal instruction helps make trainees’ transition to real cranes much smoother and safer.
Additionally, the simulators allow operators to continue training when weather conditions restrict outdoor training.
Operating since 1969, CICB is one of the oldest and largest crane inspection and training companies in the United States.
CICB has grown to serve clients globally, employing subject matter experts and training operators across the United States and abroad.
For almost two decades, John O’Connor has dedicated his expertise to guiding operators towards success at CICB’s Houston Training Center.
For the last five years, CICB’s Houston location has integrated CM Labs simulation training into its program for crane operator trainees and for operators expanding their skills to include lattice boom training.
Those advanced simulators have proven to be valuable for training operators.
They reduce the need for continuous supervision, cut down on equipment wear and tear, lower fuel consumption, and train operators to high safety standards.
High quality and proactive training is crucial for safer construction sites, since inexperienced operators are more vulnerable to incidents compared to their more experienced counterparts.
“That’s why we train operators to the latest standards, so they are ready for the field.” O’Connor said.
A 2019 study by the Construction Industry Research and Policy Center showed that construction workers with less than one year of experience account for almost half of all workers’ compensation claims.
O’Connor firmly believes simulation training helps new operators learn and build confidence better than starting out on a real crane.
Easier Transition
Simulators help trainees run through basic controls and get familiar with the movement of the equipment.
Without simulator training, CICB would need to dedicate an extra day to teaching operator trainees using two live cranes exclusively.
Not only would that make the training more expensive, it would also make CICB’s real cranes unavailable for more experienced operators to practice on.
Attracting the Next Generation
The CM Labs simulators have certainly drawn the attention of aspiring trainees, especially the younger generation.
O’Connor says that when his team gives tours of CICB’s facility to groups of young people, visitors always ask to try the simulator.
O’Connor mentions that the simulator is also a great complement to the classroom.
CM Labs’ precision engineering practices ensure that the right approaches produce the right training and perhaps most importantly, avoid negative training.
During a session, O’Connor skillfully uses the instructor operator station (IOS) to generate unexpected faults and tweak the weather parameters to challenge the trainee.
For example, O’Connor can adjust the environment settings to simulate daylight to teach the importance of using peripheral vision to align the shadows of the hook and block. “The CM Labs simulations are based on real-world equipment and situations. Our students will need that experience when working on the job site,” O’Connor explained.
Good judgment is essential for proper operation of cranes, and good judgment comes from experience.
The simulator lets CICB trainers create a range of experiences anytime to help trainees build judgment safely.
For example, given Houston’s windy conditions, O’Connor appreciates CM Labs’ ability to create realistic environmental conditions.
New Chapter
CICB recently expanded its simulator offerings by dedicating a separate lab space to signal person simulation.
In addition, having seen the value that simulation has brought its Houston students, CICB recently invested in a CM Labs simulator for its training center in Orlando, Florida.
