Crane Operators, Allies
and Experts All Say No!
to Irresponsible New Regulations
Crane operators demonstrate against changes to regulations on
training,
May 5, 2018.
Between December 17-19, 2018, three days
of
hearings were held by the committee set up by the Quebec
government to
look into the impact on
health and safety of regulatory changes to the training of crane
operators in Quebec.
The hearings, set up by the previous Couillard
Liberal
government, came as a result of the courageous actions by crane
operators to oppose a new anti-worker regulation imposed by the
Quebec
Construction Commission (CCQ) and the Quebec government, which
poses a
threat to safety.
 Following their many
actions and denunciations, crane workers refused to show up for
work
during an entire week last June, demanding nothing less than the
complete withdrawal of the new regulation. They did so because
they saw
it as a serious erosion, both in terms of quantity as well as
quality,
of the training formerly required by workers
to become crane operators. The government, at the request of the
CCQ,
had abolished the obligatory 870 hours of training required
for
obtaining a Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS). The DVS is now
optional, and new direct training of 150 hours has been
introduced, now provided on site and under the responsibility of
companies.
The CCQ and the government have also created an 80-hour
course for
the operation of boom trucks with a maximum capacity of 30
tonnes,
following which the worker who successfully completes the
training
becomes a qualified driver of such trucks. It is precisely that
type of
crane that overturns the most frequently and causes the
most damage. Crane operators are facing repressive measures such
as a
decision by the Administrative Labour Tribunal declaring they
participated in an illegal strike, while the CCQ continues to
threaten
to take action against them for the illegal strike as well as for
intimidation. The courageous position of the crane operators has
garnered the
support of the vast majority of workers as well as the population
and
it
is within that context that the committee was set up.
At the December hearings, those who intervened
included
the crane operators' union, which represents the vast majority of
Quebec's crane operators; the crane operators' collective;
construction
unions; the school that provides the vocational training for
crane
operators; the union representing those who teach the training
courses;
crane
businesses;
construction companies; as well as crane operation health and
safety
experts. Intervenors were given 25 minutes to present their
views,
with their submissions being followed by a 30-minute
exchange with
committee members.
The great majority of intervenors were of the
opinion
that the new regulation has to be completely overhauled and that
compulsory crane operator vocational training must be maintained.
They
opposed the new regulation as a violation of safety standards and
in
particular raised the need for the adequate training of crane
operators, which
is central to
the safety of not only crane operators, but other workers and the
public at large. They specifically referred back to the Canadian
Standards Association's Z 150 standard that all Quebec crane
workers are subject to. The standard specifies the safety
requirements
relating to mobile cranes to ensure the safety of workers and the
public and serves
as a guide to manufacturers and those who purchase cranes, as
well as
construction companies and governments and regulatory bodies, so
that
the safety standards established through the Z 150 code are
respected.
Notably, the code specifies that mobile cranes
must be
operated exclusively by qualified persons and that the mandatory
qualifications of crane operators must include the relevant
training
and experience for their proper operation, as well as overall
knowledge
of crane construction, along with sufficient knowledge of
electricity
and hydraulics.
Those who intervened noted that the new regulation clearly does
not
uphold any of this.
Only two associations representing construction
companies supported the new regulation. One of them was
disingenuous
indeed. It argued that it was better to have the new regulation
and
training in place than to have no regulation or training at all.
It
added that many construction
companies purchase boom trucks and have them operated by
unqualified
and untrained
workers, which is clearly illegal. It should be noted that the
CCQ has
taken no legal or other action to put an end to this illegal
situation.
The representatives of that association now claim that this will
all be
legal as there will be training, never mind that the workers do
not
consider it adequate or vocational, despite the fact that boom
trucks
are
precisely those that overturn so easily and are used in zones
where the
public circulates most often.
Crane operators are determined to have their two
demands met: that the new regulation be withdrawn and obligatory
crane
operator training be maintained and that a roundtable be created
which
includes all concerned parties, including teachers, to look into
the
problems linked to the crane operator sector and construction
site
safety.
The committee will now be holding in
camera
meetings with various parties and must submit its report to the
Minister of Labour by February 28.
This article was published in
Number 2 - January 24, 2019
Article Link:
Crane Operators, Allies
and Experts All Say No!
to Irresponsible New Regulations
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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