U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA launches national initiative on cranes and derricks to promote safe construction crane operations
WASHINGTON -- To coincide with the proposed rule on Cranes and Derricks in Construction, published in the October 9, 2008 Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated a National Crane Safety Initiative to address safety hazards during construction crane operation.

The Crane Safety Initiative also builds on a number of steps taken by OSHA earlier this year to raise awareness on crane safety and increase enforcement of the current standards, including launching local emphasis programs in a number of regions to inspect high-rise construction, stakeholder outreach and additional training on crane safety.

"Three important features of this initiative are that it will provide information and outreach to the construction industry and other stakeholders, offer enhanced resources to OSHA inspectors who address crane safety and implement a National Emphasis Program on Crane Safety," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported the 2007 fatality rate was the lowest in recorded history, including a reported five percent reduction in fatalities for the construction industry. This initiative builds upon this successful record."

Through its agency partners in the construction industry, OSHA will increase awareness of and provide information on how to avoid crane hazards. The agency's compliance safety and health officers will receive enhanced resources on crane safety. Additionally, the National Emphasis Program will incorporate increased targeted inspections of construction worksites to identify crane hazards and promote compliance with workplace crane safety requirements.

OSHA's proposed rule on cranes and derricks addresses the key hazards associated with construction cranes and derricks.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to promote the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

The deadline for comments on the proposed rule is December 8, 2008. Click here for more information.

Terex AWP makes key appointments

Debbie George

Terex AWP names Debbie George Global Brand Marketing Leader
Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP), a business segment of the Terex Corporation (NYSE:TEX), announced today that Debbie George has been appointed to the newly-created position of Global Brand Marketing Leader. She will report to the new Global Director of Marketing Solutions, Michael Samora.

In her new role, George will have creative oversight of the Genie and Terex AWP brands, both internally and externally. She will serve as the key customer marketing relationship leader and will liaise with the international AWP marketing teams. Additionally, she will work cross-functionally with other Terex business segments on multiple projects and serve as the marketing relationship leader for all Terex AWP cross-selling initiatives.

Prior to this assignment, Debbie served as the Global Director of Marketing for the Terex AWP division in Redmond, Wash. Over the years, she has developed strong relationships with customers, peers, association members and the media. For 20 years of her 23-year tenure, she led the marketing team and developed the solid foundation of marketing programs and services that are in place today.

George holds a B.S. degree from City University of Seattle. She resides in Woodinville, Wash. with her husband Tom.

Mike Samora

Mike Samora joins Terex AWP as new Director of Marketing Solutions
Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP), a business segment of the Terex Corporation (NYSE:TEX), announced today that Mike Samora has joined the Company as the Global Director of Marketing Solutions. Samora will report to Linda Mayer, Vice President and General Manager, Global Marketing and Product Management.

In this role, Samora will provide leadership for all marketing communication functions, including advertising, public and media relations, Web content, print, promotions, product launches, training, trade shows and e-business. He will also manage the Genie® and Terex® brands through multiple channels, with a focus on understanding customer needs and providing solutions.

Prior to joining Terex AWP, he founded and served as president of Premier Postage, LLC, for the past two years. While there, he developed, marketed and sold licensed U.S. postage stamp products in partnership with Pitney Bowes and several licensors, including Major League Baseball, NASCAR, Orange County Choppers, and Thomas Kinkade. Samora also served in key marketing roles with Procter and Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company and The Campbell Soup Company.

Samora holds a B.A. in public policy and administration from Western Washington University, and an M.B.A. with concentrations in marketing and management strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School.

About Terex
Terex Corporation is a diversified global manufacturer with 2007 net sales of approximately $9.1 billion. Terex operates in five business segments: Terex Aerial Work Platforms, Terex Construction, Terex Cranes, Terex Materials Processing & Mining, and Terex Roadbuilding, Utility Products and Other. Terex manufactures a broad range of equipment for use in various industries, including the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, shipping, transportation, refining, and utility industries. Terex offers a complete line of financial products and services to assist in the acquisition of Terex equipment through Terex Financial Services. More information on Terex can be found at www.terex.com.

Alan Dotts

Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. names Alan Dotts as Manager, Aerial Work Platform Specialist for AICHI Division
Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. the sole distributor of Aichi Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) has announced the appointment of Alan Dotts to the new position of manager, AWP specialist.

Dotts has 18 years experience in AWP product sales and support and most recently served as general manager of Aichi U.S.A. He is responsible for the development of AWP business within the newly formed Toyota Aichi dealer group, which oversees distribution of Aichi scissor lifts, and wheeled and crawler boom lifts in the United States.

“We are pleased to welcome Alan Dotts to our team,” said Brett Wood, president of TMHU. “His proven track record of success in AWP sales and his intimate knowledge of the Aichi brand will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing success of the Toyota Aichi dealer group.”

About Aichi, A Toyota Industries Company
Since its founding in 1962, Aichi has worked tirelessly to improve work environments in cooperation with its customers to create safer, more efficient and comfortable work sites for industries such as the utility, communication and construction industries.

The company has worked closely with its customers to improve job site methods by creating more efficient equipment tailored to each industry. Toyota Aichi dealers offer industry-leading support in every area of service, including parts, maintenance, financing, rentals and accessories. For more information on Aichi products, please visit www.toyota-construction.com or call 1-800-852-0024.

About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.
Celebrating more than 40 years of established operations in the United States, Irvine, Calif.-based Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc., (TMHU) has been the No. 1 selling lift truck supplier in the U.S. since 2002 and currently offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. TMHU, as the sole United States distributor for Aichi, now offers a line-up of aerial work lifts, including scissor lifts, crawler and wheeled boom lifts designed specifically to meet a wide range of indoor and outdoor needs.

Built on a reputation of excellence, Toyota remains popular due to its quality, reliability and durability. Quality is the hallmark of Toyota’s world-renowned Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM). Most of the Toyota lift trucks, including the 8-Series, sold in the United States are manufactured at TIEM in Columbus, Ind.

TIEM, and all Toyota manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada, comply with the ISO 14001 standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and have been honored for their environmental management systems and dedication to continuous improvement.

Toyota offers comprehensive customer service support, including one-stop shopping for both new and Certified Used lift trucks, parts, service and financing. For more information on TMHU, please visit www.toyotaforklift.com or call 1-800-226-0009.

Steril-Koni introduces 98% recyclable, self-regenerating lift at APTA EXPO 2008
Following the recent introduction of two such eco-oriented heavy-duty lifts: SKYLIFT and ECO Lift, Stertil-Koni is expanding its unique line of ecologically intelligent lifts with the launch of its new ENVIROLIFT.

The ENVIROLIFT was introduced just three weeks ago at the Automechanika International Trade Fair in Germany and has more than seven distinct features that significantly decrease energy consumption and the overall environmental impact. As the first of its kind in the world, the ENVIROLIFT is creating a new category: “green mobile lifts.”

“It’s simple,” says Dr. Jean DellAmore, Stertil-Koni president and one of the driving forces behind the ecological lift movement at Stertil KONI. “Just like the SKYLIFT and ECO Lift, the ENVIROLIFT will reduce the carbon footprint of any organization regularly utilizing heavy duty lifting equipment.”

“Today’s forward-thinking companies care about the world around them,” DellAmore added. “They recognize that sustainability is a social responsibility and the obligation of all corporate citizens.”  

Ninety-eight percent of the materials used to create the ENVIROLIFT are recyclable. This includes its nylon, steel and, most notably, its batteries. The batteries used, also known as deep-cycle marine batteries, are known for being extremely robust, energy-efficient and 100% recyclable.

In a departure from traditional heavy-duty lift designs; the ENVIROLIFT is engineered to use the weight of the vehicle it has lifted to recharge its batteries with each lowering cycle. The lift’s unique self-regeneration technology, resembling that used in today’s advanced hybrid vehicles, has led to a 50% increase in the total battery operating life.

While competitive battery- operated mobile lifts are typically able to complete around 8-10 full lifting cycles, the ENVIROLIFT’s batteries have life expectancies approximating 50 cycles (under a full load of approximately 72,000 lbs.).

The ENVIROLIFT also uses Panolin, a 100% biodegradable synthetic oil that has a much longer service life than other oils. The environmentally-friendly lubricant exhibits superior aging characteristics, as well as a higher resistance to oxidation.

Using traditional hydraulic fluid, a common lift will require oil changes much more frequently than an ENVIROLIFT using Panolin. While many hydraulic lifts require oil replacement every two years, with Panolin, a fluid change for the ENVIROLIFT is not expected to be necessary for as many as six years. With fluid life extending to as much as three times current replacement levels, the cost savings are considerable, and with the fluid’s biodegradable nature, the environmental repercussions are minimized.

The ENVIROLIFT will help companies and municipalities earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for their buildings. DellAmore said he has more and more inquiries about LEED-related projects by the day. “This lift is already setting a new standard and folks in the heavy duty industry are excited to have a viable green solution from a trusted brand leader,” he said.

The ENVIROLIFT is the third lift in Stertil-Koni’s earth-friendly line of lifts. The ECO Lift and the SKYLIFT were introduced earlier this year and have both been enthusiastically received by the industry.

“We are actively promoting an earth-friendly strategy as evidenced by the recent introduction of our new lifts. The SKYLIFT operates above the earth, the ECO Lift operates under the earth, as an in-ground lift product and lastly, the ENVIROLIFT operates on the earth,” added DellAmore.

“I am also calling on others in our industry to join Stertil-Koni in promoting conservation of the environment by developing smarter lifting products with reduced carbon footprints.”

Stertil-Koni expects the ENVIROLIFT to be in full production no later than the first quarter of 2009. Stertil-Koni has distributors throughout the world including North America, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Colson Caster receives new ISO Quality Certifications
Company earns 3-year ISO 9001:2000 recertification
Colson Caster Corporation has been granted a new certificate of quality assurance from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The organization monitors manufacturers for adherence to the ISO 9000 family of standards for certification. The certification then represents a consensus of superior quality management practices recognized around the world. The certifications are essential and valuable to manufacturing companies as more customers insist upon the ISO standard level before considering product purchases.

“It is a great accomplishment to once again receive this certification for our quality management system,” said Vince Caligiuri, Lead Quality Engineer for Colson. “Our goal is to satisfy the requirements of our customers and this is certainly one of our major references for conducting business in today’s competitive manufacturing environments.”

ISO 9001:2000 is the standard that provides a set of sanctioned requirements for a quality management system. The ISO 9001:2000 standard creates a tried and tested framework for managing an organization's processes so they consistently turn out product that assures and satisfies customer expectations. Other standards in the family also cover specific business aspects such as terminologies, performance improvements, process auditing, documentation, and training practices.

About Colson Caster Corporation
For more than a century, Colson Caster Corporation has been providing the world with the highest quality and largest selection of premier caster and wheel products. Headquartered in Jonesboro, Arkansas for the last 50 years, and with more than 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art manufacturing space, Colson designs and produces the industry’s largest selection of casters and wheel products, caster options, and accessories. The company is the leader in caster innovation and builds exclusive caster products for all of the world’s markets. For more information, visit www.colsoncaster.com.

ALL Erection & Crane Rental trains inspectors and welders through Manitowoc Boom Inspection and Repair Training Courses
For the second consecutive year, qualified welders and technicians from the ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp. Family of Companies were chosen to attend exclusive Manitowoc Crane CARE program training courses in Manitowoc Boom Inspection and Repair. Welders with state certification attended both repair and inspection training classes, and a number of other technicians attended only the inspection classes, which were held at ALL headquarters in Cleveland. The trainees came from a number of ALL yards, which are strategically dispersed throughout the country.

The ALL Family of Companies proudly makes the commitment to invest in their employees by conducting rigorous technician training programs that surpass any industry requirement. Says Michael Liptak, president of ALL Erection and Crane Rental Corp., “At ALL Crane, we believe that strengthening our technicians' training is one of the most important service standards we can offer you. Each technician takes seriously their job of maintaining the industry's newest and most modern equipment, and keeping it like new so that our rental fleet always exceeds your expectations.”

Two sessions of each class were held in August. For the welding class, Manitowoc Crane CARE, the world’s most advanced crane service and support program, shipped all of the metal stock to the ALL Erection training facility in Cleveland, Ohio, where ALL constructed a mini welding lab. The course consisted of both rigorous classroom and hands-on welding training.

With the completion of this training program, the ALL Family of Companies now has 15 individuals at various yards throughout the nation who can perform Manitowoc boom repair and 13 who can do the inspections, explains Liptak. “The welding training program and Crane CARE in general are both relatively new programs, and ALL’s proactive and ongoing commitment to training is part of our promise to customers.”

Since 1964, the ALL family of companies has grown to become one of the largest crane and equipment rental companies in North America. The company offers its fleet of cranes, aerial work platforms, boom trucks, material handlers, and other lift equipment from strategic locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, providing rental, sales, service, and jobsite analysis to help customers get the right equipment for the job. An important measure of their commitment is meeting or exceeding all pertinent regulatory and safety standards. For more information, contact ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp., 7809 Old Rockside Rd., Cleveland, OH 44134. Phone: 216-524-6550; fax: 216-642-7611; on the Web: www.allcrane.com.

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