Tower Crane Driver Course? Top Answer Update

You are viewing live statistics for Crane Operator jobs in London from our database of over 1 million jobs. Here are some quick facts:

The average crane operator salary in London is £49,150. This is 51.9% more than the average national salary for crane operator jobs. The average salary for a crane driver in London is 13.5% higher than the average for all of London.

Average salaries for crane operator jobs in London are up 27.5% year-on-year compared to a change of -3.5% for all jobs in London and 19.7% for crane operator jobs nationwide.

The average advertised salary for a crane operator in London is 13.5% above the average salary for all jobs in London which is £43,312.

Crane operator jobs in London are up 27.5% year-on-year. There are currently 23 London Crane Operator jobs available.

For more in-depth labor market information, click here

Users also searched for: operations analyst, plant operator, process operator

For 25 years, Nigel Howard has had a high-rise view of the changing skylines of Britain’s major cities, helping him to remember important events. “The Berlin Wall fell when I was helping to erect a crane in Formby and Kurt Cobain died the day I started at Manchester Crown Court,” he says.

He helped shape the derelict Docklands into Canary Wharf’s economic powerhouse and added the last bit of concrete to London’s No 1 Poultry.

“People think we’re just going to sit up there and pull a lever in between and do nothing, but you have to be persistent and competent to operate a crane,” he says.

Howard, 54, from Manchester, started out in the steel industry as a crane operator before moving into construction at a time when the industry was crying out for people. “In the late 1980s there was a great demand for tower crane operators. The road to construction was open to those who could prove they could drive cranes from a previous employer,” he says. “Things have changed significantly since then.”

The vast majority of construction companies today require a crane operator to be licensed under the Construction Plant Competency Scheme (CPCS). To do this, you have to complete a two-week training course in which you get to know the functions and properties of a crane through theory and a practical test. There are three main testing centers in the UK: CITB in Kings Lynn, Phoenix Training in Sheffield and Ritchie’s training center in Glasgow.

After obtaining the red CPCS license, which is valid for two years, you must complete your NVQ in Plant Operations. You will then receive a blue competency card that is valid for five years. From then on, to renew the license, you must complete a logbook with at least 300 hours of work in it and complete a health and safety touchscreen test.

In the cab there are screens with various functional displays, including the weight of the load, the radius of the hook, the height of the hook and the maximum possible lift. Another is a screen designed to warn the driver when they are near a nearby building.

Contrary to the noise below, crane operators are locked in their cabs until the radio crackles with an instruction from the marshal. “It can get quiet, so you have to have the willpower to see it through,” Howard says.

The nature of the work is a seemingly simple lift, transfer and placement operation, but maintaining speed and safety is a delicate task. “You move a lot of different building materials, you have to do it slowly despite the time pressure, be patient and have a seventh sense of direction.

“You are in the radio operator’s hands, so you must follow his instructions to the letter. If communication is lost, all work will stop until the connection is restored. A crane operator does not have to rely on his own equipment.”

In addition to operating cranes, Howard is the Health and Safety Manager for crane brokerage company MPS Crane Operators, where his primary role is to evaluate and educate crane operators on the many different types of cranes. Additionally, his current project is with Russells Construction working on a hotel in Manchester.

Fear of heights is not an issue for crane drivers. Howard has climbed 350 feet to crane cabs in the past. “The height never bothered me, but I couldn’t deal with having to work underground with the fear that everything would collapse on me. You would never make me go down the shaft.”

He was rarely in a precarious situation, but one event forced him and many others to be so much more safety conscious. “In May 2000, a crane that was being jacked up fell, killing three of my colleagues. Attending three funerals in one week was awful.

The crane driver is the last person on site. “As long as you’re still up there, the work goes on,” says Howard. The days are long and there are few breaks, but support drivers are there when nature calls. The nature of the work could mean uprooting nine months at a time from one city to another, but “you meet some real characters at work”.

… is expected to last a week and will be paid at £20 per hour. If you would like to apply for this position please call…

As a certified mobile crane operator, you are authorized to drive a crane on construction sites and construction sites where heavy materials are often moved. The job of a crane operator is tough but rewarding work. It requires a significant amount of practice and professional training. Here’s everything you need to know to become a certified crane operator.

Steps to become a crane operator

Cranes are advanced, powerful, and expensive machines that require knowledge of science, reading, technology, and mathematics to perform crane operations smoothly and safely. The following steps will help you become a successful crane operator:

Prepare for your crane exam

Total Equipment Training has many great resources, tests, study aids, etc. Take our free practice tests and browse our other freebies! If you’re ready to take the next step in your crane operations career, check out our study guides to prepare for your crane exam and certification.

Full exam

In this blog you will find out which written and practical tests are required for the crane driver’s license.

Update your resume

Update your resume to showcase the skills you learned through your exam and training. Show why you are qualified and confident for the crane operator job you are applying for.

Apply for a job as a crane operator

Remember to create networking opportunities through your education program, trade school, online communities, etc. Try to use your network for potential job opportunities. You can also find jobs on the most popular job boards like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, SimplyHired and LinkedIn. Don’t forget to set up the notifications for new job alerts.

How long does it take to become a crane operator?

Depending on the training program and the type of crane you want to operate, becoming a crane operator can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. Most certification training courses last between 1-2 months. Nonetheless, most heavy equipment employers try to hire experienced operators, which means you will need on-the-job training or training with a certified operator.

How much does a Crane Operator make in the US?

In June 2022, a crane operator in the US makes an average of $23.61 per hour. This means that a crane operator earns an average base salary of $55,005 per year. In addition, they average an extra $7,500 in overtime per year. Some US crane operator employers offer additional benefits such as 401(k) and insurance.

Various sources report a variety of estimates for an operator’s salary in the US, with these estimates being highly dependent on the operator’s location and experience. For example, a certified crane operator working in New York City could make up to $500,000, including overtime pay and benefits.

Read about the salaries of 3,201 crane operators reported to Indeed.com.

[Ready to get started as a local crane operator? Take a Free NCCCO Mobile Crane Certification Practice Test]

Requirements to become a certified crane operator

There are a few minimum requirements to become a certified crane operator:

Must be at least 18 years old

Pass the written and practical crane test

Follow the certifying institution’s code of ethics and substance abuse policy

Read more about certification requirements in our blog’s NCCCO Crane Certification Policy.

Obtained mobile crane certification

Learn for your NCCCO crane training program. Choose mobile crane training or take remote crane training at a job site. Pass two written exams. One is a core exam and the second is a specialty exam which can be one of the following: Lattice Boom Crawler Cranes (LBC)

Lattice Boom Mobile Cranes (LBT)

Telescopic Cranes – Slewing Cabin (TLL)

Telescopic Cranes – Fixed Cabin (TSS)

The core exam consists of 90 multiple choice questions and the allotted time for the exam is 90 minutes. The subject exam consists of 26 multiple-choice questions that must be completed within 60 minutes. After successfully passing the aforementioned tests, you must take the practical test within one year.

Requirements for the re-certification of cranes

A crane driver must be re-certified after 5 years. They must also obtain their recertification within the last 12 months of their active license. A certified crane operator who waits too long to recertify (after their license expiration date) has to go through the process from the beginning.

How much does it cost to get certified as a crane operator?

Total Equipment Training offers NCCCO accreditation. To become a certified operator, you must complete a crane operator training course and pass a written and practical exam. Training costs vary depending on the training method. Employers are obliged to train their operators. Total Equipment Training provides site specific crane training and certification where required.

Do you need a CDL to operate a crane?

If your job requires you to drive the crane on the open road, you need a CDL. It is possible for one person to drive a crane to a location and another person to actually operate the crane. This is very counterproductive and wasteful, so we recommend that employees operating cranes are licensed and trained in all roles.

Job description for a crane operator

Apart from various types of cranes, equipment operators such as tower crane operators and mobile crane operators require special training. They handle the complex tasks of levers, wheels and pedals to safely move heavy materials. The basic task of a crane operator is to transport the heavy machines and other materials to the top with a specially built crane.

In addition, in addition to operating the equipment, you must also ensure that the operations are carried out safely, to verify the maintenance of the equipment, which includes keeping the safety and maintenance logs.

Necessary skills to become a crane operator

Critical thinking

Crane operators are obliged to inspect the situation and comply with safety standards according to the working conditions. Therefore, the crane operator should have the ability to recognize the risks associated with the working environment and make important decisions.

Repair of devices

When using the crane for construction work, the crane equipment may require minor maintenance, e.g. B. repairing the lifting mechanisms and restoring hooks. When a crane operator knows how to solve these minor maintenance jobs, they can improve efficiency and save time without the need to call in heavy equipment technicians.

punctuality

The construction projects must be completed within the given deadlines, but some factors should be considered such as bad weather conditions and various other factors affecting the deadline. Crane operators must be on time because they must ensure that they arrive early with the start of daily operations and finish them daily.

verbal communication

Verbal communication is the process by which someone can effectively understand your views through verbal communication. The crane operators should have good verbal communication skills to convey the safety standards to the construction workers.

cooperation

The job of a crane operator also requires teamwork to complete the construction work on schedule. Tasks include speaking to the construction workers to determine what material to move to which location, and speaking to other crane operators to divide the task among the crane operators.

hand-eye coordination

Hand-eye coordination involves the process of transforming the message through transmissions and sightings to perform the task with their hands. It is imperative for crane operators to have excellent hand-eye coordination to visualize tasks and then perform the correct hand movements to move materials when using levers and knobs.

attention to detail

A crane operator must pay attention to small details to safely check for moving materials, faults and ensure avoidance of materials before lifting them. If you, as a crane operator, pay attention to every detail, you can measure the widths and distances to safely move the material around buildings, power lines or various other components.

manual dexterity

An advanced level of manual dexterity is required for crane operators as it helps them use their hands to use multiple levers efficiently. Manual dexterity aids in operating large cranes and moving materials throughout the fluid movement.

Are crane drivers in demand?

The market has been registering an increasing demand for certified operators for some time. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast, operator jobs are expected to grow at an 8% rate between 2014 and 2024. And given the growing number of high-tech infrastructure projects that require heavy loads, this prediction seems logical.

Is it dangerous to be a crane operator?

Operating a crane is safe work when equipment is properly maintained and safety procedures are followed. The most dangerous parts of operator life are electrical hazards, overloading and falling materials. All of these hazards can and should be managed through planning, preparation, proper training and safeguards.

Should I become a crane operator?

Do you:

Do you like working with heavy equipment?

Do you have good depth perception?

Do you like working with people?

Do you like travelling?

Do you like working with your hands?

Then a career as an operator could be just the thing for you! You have the opportunity to build a stable, fulfilling and challenging career.

Operating environment for a crane operator

As a trainee crane operator, you may be wondering about the work environment that is being cleared out here in this blog. Most of the time you work alone in the cab of your crane, where the environment can be chaotic and noisy. You must also have a keen eye for safety purposes as the job site you operate on may have the greatest hazards as it contains materials filled with powerful and large heavy equipment.

Crane operator training at Total Equipment Training

All aspects of industrial crane operator training are offered nationally by Total Equipment Training. Our training options range from small individual devices to very large tasks on a plant scale. Total Equipment Training provides your employees with the training they need to pass both the written and practical NCCCO crane operator certification exams.

Contact us today for a quote and more information on how to customize a crane operator training program to suit your needs, skills and equipment.

The average salary for a tower crane operator in the UK is £39,000 per year or £20 per hour. Entry-level positions start at £37,050 a year, while most experienced workers earn up to £49,400 a year.

Duration of the tower crane course

3 Day FAS CSCS Tower Crane New Entrant Operator Training Courses (typically 8:30am – 4:30pm).

location

This 3 day FAS CSCS Tower Crane training course is available onsite at your premises anywhere in the Republic of Ireland, subject to a minimum enrollment requirement. A suitable room is required for the on-site training for the theoretical part of the course, for the practical part a Tower Crane is required. The certificate of thorough inspection of the machine may need to be current.

Description of the tower crane course

The program consists of a combination of classroom sessions with underpinning knowledge related to tower crane operation and hands-on tower crane operation.

introduction

Responsibilities of Tower Crane Operators

Operating instructions for tower cranes

Main components of the tower crane

terminology

Stability of the tower crane

Warning devices for tower cranes

Checks before using tower cranes

Safe loading and capacity of the tower crane

Stress rating weight

Operation of tower cranes with and without loads

Secure the tower crane

Requirements for trainees

Candidates must be over the age of 18 and have at least three months of general construction experience. Candidates must also be in possession of a current FAS Safe Pass registration card.

PPE Requirements

Apprentices must carry the appropriate personal protective equipment with them, i.e. H. Helmet, safety shoes, safety vest, full body harness and lanyard.

Who should attend?

This FAS New Entrant Tower Crane training course is suitable for anyone who wants to learn how to operate tower cranes. This course prepares candidates for the FAS Tower Crane Assessment leading to the CSCS Tower Crane Card (Ticket) required for Tower Crane Operators on construction sites.

Course Objectives

To provide delegates with the basic knowledge required to safely operate tower cranes.

training methods

Presentation with slides, video, printed course material, demonstration, hands-on application.

Who benefits?

Anyone in your organization who uses, supervises, or manages the use of tower cranes.

Tower Crane Certification

Upon successful completion of this program, you will receive an operator log and a temporary operator card. You must operate the tower crane for at least six months within two years before you can apply for your CSCS final assessment. Once the logbook is completed, you must attend an additional 1-day assessment to receive your full FAS CSCS Operator ticket, which is valid for 5 years.

We are often asked to clarify training requirements for overhead crane operators. This article explains the legal framework around training and high-risk licenses. Note that this is written from a Victorian point of view, but the general principles apply to all states.

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

By law, all employers have a duty of care towards their employees, which includes:

Eliminate health and safety risks as much as possible; and

when it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate health and safety risks, to reduce those risks as far as is reasonably practicable.

This requires an employer to provide and maintain, to the extent reasonably practicable, a safe and healthy work environment for the employer’s workers. This includes providing information, instruction, training or supervision to employees of the employer that is necessary to enable these people to carry out their work safely and without any health risks.

The law also requires that a person may not engage in any work or activity where the regulations require the work or activity to be performed by a registered or licensed person.

Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance 2007

The regulations regulate further details on training requirements.

The employer must ensure that workers who may be exposed to the hazard and all persons supervising the workers are trained and provided with information and instructions in:

the processes used for hazard identification and risk control; and

the safety procedures associated with the use of the facility in the workplace; and

the use, fitting, testing and storage of personal protective equipment when personal protective equipment is part of risk control measures.

The regulations also contain specific information on high-risk licenses. A high-risk license is required to operate a bridge crane in two different situations.

High Risk Bridge and Gantry Crane (CB) License.

A high-risk license is only required for an overhead crane or gantry crane if the crane is a powered crane that;

consists of one or more bridge girders attached at each end to an end girder; and is able to drive on elevated runways; and has one or more lifting mechanisms capable of traveling over the bridge beam or beams, but does not include a 3 or fewer powered operation crane controlled from a remote location from a permanent cab or control station on the crane;

Therefore, most bridge or gantry cranes do not require an operating license as they are both remote and hanger controlled and are limited to 3 or fewer powered movements (lift, traverse and drive).

The regulations do not define the scope of a power plant. The Safe Work Australia Code of Practice for Cranes (currently in draft form awaiting final approval by the Council of Ministers) provides some clarity on what constitutes 4 or more powered movements with the following examples;

a single train with 4 drives, e.g. traversing, driving, lifting and rotating.

Multiple trains with 4 or more drives, e.g. two non-synchronized hoists would normally have at least 5 powered operations (traverse x2, lift x2 and drive).

Our interpretation of this definition is that it extends the permit requirement to operate a crane with the usual configuration of non-synchronized main and auxiliary hoists mounted on a common trolley.

Note that this is in conflict with WA Government guidelines, which states that the number of powered operational movements is determined as follows:

Short/Cruise is a movement; long/long journey is a second movement; and raising or lowering the hoist is a third motion. [Note: The main winch and auxiliary winch(s) (if any) are considered part of the lifting movement.] A rotating hook is an example of a fourth powered movement.

License for high risk dogging/rigging

If the crane operator does not hold a high-risk Bridge and Gantry Crane (CB) license and connecting the load requires judgment in selecting the hoist, or the crane operator needs assistance in steering the load, the person performing these duties must do so either have a license for high-risk dogging or rigging.

An operator of a remote controlled bridge or gantry crane may sling a load under the following limited circumstances;

The bridge and gantry crane is operated remotely and has no more than three powered movements.

the weight of the load to be lifted is specified by a competent person (e.g. marked on the load).

Selection of the slings and slinging techniques for the load is specified by a competent person.

The condition of the hoists is specified by a competent person.

Attachment points are specified by a competent person and marked on the load.

the load is lifted in the operator’s field of vision at all times; and

Standard lifting procedures have been documented and signed off by a competent person.

A competent person includes a dogging or rigging license holder or an engineer with experience in the design of crane lifting procedures. If these circumstances are not met, a high risk dog license holder must be used to sling all loads.

summary

There is a clear hierarchy of training that a crane owner must ensure.

Use our tool to get a personalized report of your market value. What is that?

Is the Average Hourly Pay for a Bridge Crane Operator in Canada your job title? Find out what you should pay

We are often asked to clarify training requirements for overhead crane operators. This article explains the legal framework around training and high-risk licenses. Note that this is written from a Victorian point of view, but the general principles apply to all states.

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

By law, all employers have a duty of care towards their employees, which includes:

Eliminate health and safety risks as much as possible; and

when it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate health and safety risks, to reduce those risks as far as is reasonably practicable.

This requires an employer to provide and maintain, to the extent reasonably practicable, a safe and healthy work environment for the employer’s workers. This includes providing information, instruction, training or supervision to employees of the employer that is necessary to enable these people to carry out their work safely and without any health risks.

The law also requires that a person may not engage in any work or activity where the regulations require the work or activity to be performed by a registered or licensed person.

Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance 2007

The regulations regulate further details on training requirements.

The employer must ensure that workers who may be exposed to the hazard and all persons supervising the workers are trained and provided with information and instructions in:

the processes used for hazard identification and risk control; and

the safety procedures associated with the use of the facility in the workplace; and

the use, fitting, testing and storage of personal protective equipment when personal protective equipment is part of risk control measures.

The regulations also contain specific information on high-risk licenses. A high-risk license is required to operate a bridge crane in two different situations.

High Risk Bridge and Gantry Crane (CB) License.

A high-risk license is only required for an overhead crane or gantry crane if the crane is a powered crane that;

consists of one or more bridge girders attached at each end to an end girder; and is able to drive on elevated runways; and has one or more lifting mechanisms capable of traveling over the bridge beam or beams, but does not include a 3 or fewer powered operation crane controlled from a remote location from a permanent cab or control station on the crane;

Therefore, most bridge or gantry cranes do not require an operating license as they are both remote and hanger controlled and are limited to 3 or fewer powered movements (lift, traverse and drive).

The regulations do not define the scope of a power plant. The Safe Work Australia Code of Practice for Cranes (currently in draft form awaiting final approval by the Council of Ministers) provides some clarity on what constitutes 4 or more powered movements with the following examples;

a single train with 4 drives, e.g. traversing, driving, lifting and rotating.

Multiple trains with 4 or more drives, e.g. two non-synchronized hoists would normally have at least 5 powered operations (traverse x2, lift x2 and drive).

Our interpretation of this definition is that it extends the permit requirement to operate a crane with the usual configuration of non-synchronized main and auxiliary hoists mounted on a common trolley.

Note that this is in conflict with WA Government guidelines, which states that the number of powered operational movements is determined as follows:

Short/Cruise is a movement; long/long journey is a second movement; and raising or lowering the hoist is a third motion. [Note: The main winch and auxiliary winch(s) (if any) are considered part of the lifting movement.] A rotating hook is an example of a fourth powered movement.

License for high risk dogging/rigging

If the crane operator does not hold a high-risk Bridge and Gantry Crane (CB) license and connecting the load requires judgment in selecting the hoist, or the crane operator needs assistance in steering the load, the person performing these duties must do so either have a license for high-risk dogging or rigging.

An operator of a remote controlled bridge or gantry crane may sling a load under the following limited circumstances;

The bridge and gantry crane is operated remotely and has no more than three powered movements.

the weight of the load to be lifted is specified by a competent person (e.g. marked on the load).

Selection of the slings and slinging techniques for the load is specified by a competent person.

The condition of the hoists is specified by a competent person.

Attachment points are specified by a competent person and marked on the load.

the load is lifted in the operator’s field of vision at all times; and

Standard lifting procedures have been documented and signed off by a competent person.

A competent person includes a dogging or rigging license holder or an engineer with experience in the design of crane lifting procedures. If these circumstances are not met, a high risk dog license holder must be used to sling all loads.

summary

There is a clear hierarchy of training that a crane owner must ensure.

This is a re-publication of an article originally published in June. 2016. It’s part of a celebration of the end of the year for some of our most popular works.

There’s no shortage of big yellow cranes to help build some of St. Louis’ biggest construction projects this summer. A listener asked the Curious Louis Project how the men and women who operate these cranes got to the top, and we answered.

The question came from Christine Rohloff, a nurse in St. Louis. She wondered about it as she drove home from work.

Credit Provided by Christine Rohloff / Christine Rohloff, a St. Louis nurse, asked Curious Louis how operators get into the tall cranes.

“I look up and see this space capsule at the top of the crane,” Rohloff said, “and I’m like, ‘Do they climb up there every day? Do you take an elevator? How did you get up there?'”

Here’s the short answer: you climb.

For the details, we took a trip to Barnes Jewish Hospital, where workers are constructing a new tower on the north side of the Central West End campus. Towering over the skyline is a 400-foot crane that Tim Miller and other crane operators climb every day for their shifts.

“We have 20-foot tower sections, and each section has these ladders that are staggered and caged, so we climb one section at a time,” said Miller, a third-generation crane operator for Local 513 of the International Union of Labor operations engineers.

On many cranes, operators climb up from the bottom and rest between sections. But with this crane, Miller can take an elevator inside the unfinished building up to the 11th floor.

Credit Durrie Bouscaren | St. Louis Public Radio / To get inside the crane, operators take the elevator to the 11th floor of the unfinished building.

From there he goes down a hallway to a catwalk that connects to the crane and climbs up the rest.

“It takes about 15 minutes,” Miller said. “You shouldn’t climb up too fast because by the time you get up there you’ll be exhausted and hot and sweaty. You have to sit up there all day.”

The crane runs around the clock. Miller’s cab shift is from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The night shift driver works from 10 p.m. to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., that is, the morning worker starts climbing at 5:30 a.m. so that he can start his shift at 6 a.m.

Credit Durrie Bouscaren | St. Louis Public Radio / The 400-foot crane above the new Barnes Jewish Hospital building is almost twice as tall as when construction began.

We couldn’t follow Miller up, but his colleague once climbed up with a Go-Pro attached to his helmet. There is a video on the Campus Renewal Project website, https://youtu.be/XIcDgGu97ec” style=”line-height: 1.5;” target=”_blank”>here.

But Miller stayed and answered our questions about life on the crane. Here are just a few:

What is it like working on a 400ft crane?

“It’s like being on the water,” Miller said. “You’re going home, you still have the wobbles.”

The crane is built to sway up to three feet in any direction at the top. It is most noticeable when Miller picks up a heavy load.

Credit Durrie Bouscaren | St. Louis Public Radio / Miller walks down an 11th floor hallway of the unfinished hospital to the catwalk, where he climbs onto the crane.

“When the crane is up, you can watch your horizon,” Miller said. “The next thing you know, you’re kind of looking down,” Miller said. “While all of this is going on, you get a lot of pops and creaks.”

“When I first started it I got nervous and puckered up a bit, but after that you get used to it.”

Credit Durrie Bouscaren | St. Louis Public Radio / Miller begins his ascent into the air-conditioned cab on the 400-foot crane, where he will remain until his shift ends at 10 p.m.

During strong winds and thunderstorms, the crane sways more, and operators usually try to climb down if they have enough time.

“These things move a lot,” Miller said. “Sometimes you get caught in a storm and you just have to weather it.”

What is it like being struck by lightning in a crane?

“Scary! Or should I say shocking? I was operating a crane at the Ameristar Casino and watched it bounce down through the tower below me. I could see the black spots on the paint,” he said. “Happened to the crane nothing, but once he messed up my computer.”

Credit Durrie Bouscaren | St. Louis Public Radio / The morning shift crane operator holds his helmet.

As for the “obvious question”:

“The most important question is, ‘Where do we go to the bathroom?’ So I might as well answer that. There’s a funnel up there that goes all the way down, we just put it that way,” Miller said. “And then we have a bucket.”

So next time you see the lights blinking on the cranes around St. Louis, wave to Tim Miller.

Follow Durrie on Twitter: @durrieB.

If you need to use a crane on public roads, you must apply for a permit to do so.

To ensure compliance with the approval conditions, we only accept applications from crane operators. Builders, traders and residents are not eligible to apply.

For your application please submit the following:

A copy of your business liability insurance

method statement

Traffic and/or pedestrian routing plan

Confirmation of parking space closures

If necessary, a completed traffic regulation application.

Please allow eight weeks for us to process your application if the license requires a road closure. In all other cases, you must allow 10 working days for your application to be processed.

You can only apply for your crane driver’s license online.

How much is it?

The cost depends on the size of the crane:

Aerial work platform under 50 tons – £147.40 per month

Standard crane over 50 tons – £360.20 per month

A breakages deposit of £750 is required and will be returned on completion after a satisfactory post inspection. This deposit is payable at the time of application.

Any deposit refunds must be claimed within three months of the end date of a valid license.

If you require a road closure for your business you will need to apply for a traffic injunction at a cost of £2,420.

Payment should be made online using a credit or debit card.

License fees are non-refundable unless the license cannot be granted due to conflicting works or unsuitability of the road structure.

Apply online via My Account

The link above will take you to My Account where you will need to create an account and then proceed to apply for a highway license.

We charge an administration fee of £69.50 for all manually processed licenses.

The same administration fee also applies to all terminated licenses.

Extensions and Inquiries

Call us between 10am and 4pm on 020 8753 3373 for renewals, inquiries and payments. You can pay over the phone with your debit or credit card.

Terms of Use

The license holder (the crane operator) has full responsibility for the crane and must comply with the following conditions.

Failure to do so may result in enforcement action, including a fine or legal action.

The license holder, as the crane operator, is held responsible by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham for the crane operation, the traffic management plan and any health and safety problems or damage that may arise from the crane operation. The license holder must ensure compliance with all codes of practice and legal requirements including the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the BS7121 British Standard Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Cranes part 1 1989 and other relevant parts (3, 4, 5, etc.). The license holder is responsible for the provision of a traffic management plan which includes signposting and patrolling the site in accordance with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual 1991 and the Code of Practice for Safety in Road Works and Road Works and any detour routes where applicable. This plan must be approved by the Highways Licensing and Enforcement (HL&E) team before operations can begin. The concessionaire is responsible for clearing all parking bays and for providing all marshalling, signage, barriers, ramps, temporary traffic lights, etc. as agreed in the traffic management plan. Before starting work, these items must be checked to ensure that they are correctly seated and must be removed immediately after the end of the crane operation. Safe pedestrian and vehicular access must be maintained at all times in accordance with the traffic management plan. Crane operation is only permitted between the agreed times and dates specified on the license and a copy of the license or the license number must be available for inspection at the place of use. The licensee must follow all instructions from the HL&E team, who can visit the site at any time during crane operation. If the operation does not conform to the agreed procedure and traffic management plan, or is contrary to the health and safety of the public, the inspector may direct the licensee/operations manager to safely cease operations until the problem is resolved. The license holder ensures that the driver and all persons associated with the operation of the crane are competent, efficient and take all relevant and necessary safety precautions. The Licensee will ensure that the Crane is erected and dismantled strictly in accordance with the Manufacturer’s instructions and that it complies with any statutory, statutory or regulatory requirements in force from time to time affecting the safety and operation of such Crane. The licensee will ensure that the crane and all parts thereof are kept in good working order and thoroughly inspected prior to assembly on site. Licensee will not use the Crane for loads if Licensee is not satisfied at the time that the Crane and all parts thereof are safe and in good working order and condition. The license holder will not use the crane for loads that are not within the tolerances of the crane. The license holder ensures that the crane is placed on the roadway and NOT on the sidewalk. The permit holder must operate the crane in such a way that motorway users are not unnecessarily inconvenienced. The license holder must obtain all necessary permits related to the use and operation of the crane (and comply with their terms) and comply with all legal requirements and all regulations of the relevant authorities and operate the crane to the best of its knowledge and engineering practice. The license holder must take out and maintain comprehensive insurance against all general and third party claims during the term of this license (with a major insurance company of not less than £5 million). Should the Crane interfere with any electrical or electronic equipment connected to the Motorway, Licensee shall immediately take steps to rectify the interference. The licensee must immediately inform the HL&E team of any damage to the motorway caused by the crane operation. In the event of damage caused in connection with the operation or presence of the crane to the highway, road equipment or the equipment and devices of the statutory undertaker, the license holder is responsible for the reasonable costs incurred by repairing such damage The Licensee is personal to the Licensee and not transferable to any other person or party. The license holder must provide the HL&E team with the name and phone number of 2 people to contact for the website. A contact person must be available 24 hours a day. The permit holder shall ensure that the jacking loads do not affect the roadway and associated structures. Outrigger pad design should be independently verified by suitably qualified engineers. If the crane exceeds 40 tons, the method description must be checked by the Highway Structures team. The HL&E team will initiate this review. If a bus lane closure is required it is the licensee’s responsibility to arrange the closure with TfL London Buses – contact details will be provided by the HL&E team. If a road closure is required, it is the Licensee’s responsibility to arrange the closure with the Traffic Enforcement Team – contact details will be provided by the HL&E team. A site meeting is required for all operations. For major operations involving the Strategic Road Network (SRN), the licensee may need to attend a joint site meeting with the license officer, TfL coordinators, London Buses representative and all other stakeholders. The license holder must note that the Motorway Licensing & Enforcement Team requires a minimum of 10 working days to process requests for a partial road closure and a notice period of 6 weeks to process requests that involve a road closure. The applicant should allow sufficient planning time.

IN ADDITION TO CONDITIONS 1 – 27 ABOVE, AN OVERSAIL CRANE LICENSE MUST ALSO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS

The permit holder shall operate the crane in such a way as not to cause undue inconvenience to motorway users and in particular ensure that the crane boom is not left over the motorway at the end of each working day. If the crane is to be used to move material from the highway to the site, a traffic management plan must be submitted to the HL&E team at the permit application stage. At the licensee application stage, the licensee submits a work plan detailing the dates of all planned lifts from the highway to the site. If there are unplanned lifts, the license must notify the HL&E team at least 5 days before the lift date. The licensee must ensure that the traffic management plan is complied with for ALL lifts from the motorway and no lifts will commence until the positioning of safety barriers, signage and marshalling has been verified by the licensee or site manager for compliance with the traffic management plan. The license holder will ensure that the crane is regularly inspected by a qualified technician to ensure that the crane is properly maintained in good working order and condition and that all safety and warning devices are functioning properly at all times.

GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR SMALL, STANDARD AND OVERSAIL LICENSES

The license holder must ensure that the crane is removed on or before the license expires unless a license renewal request has been approved by the HL&E team. The License Holder shall indemnify and hold harmless the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the users of the Motorway from and against any suit, claim, loss, cost or expense arising out of or arising out of the exercise of the rights granted by this License or the operation of the Establishment and Dismantling of the Crane, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing claim for highway damage and personal injury (including death) whether at statutory or common law or in equity. The license holder must comply with ALL the terms set out in the sections above and any special terms imposed on the license and any subsequent instructions to the satisfaction of the Council. If any of the requirements of this license are not met, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham may cease operating the crane immediately and the license holder shall be liable for the costs incurred as a result of such action. Failure to comply with ALL of the listed conditions may result in criminal prosecution.

LICENSE FEES AND DEPOSIT

The average salary for a tower crane operator in the UK is £39,000 per year or £20 per hour. Entry-level positions start at £37,050 a year, while most experienced workers earn up to £49,400 a year.