[ CRANES ]
clearances permit verification and axle loadings, and
communication with utility suppliers and relevant authorities
in all countries.
“Most frameworks have elements of similarity and our
people are able to negotiate through the logistics with
considerable ease,” he says. Robson is referring to border
clearances, road transportation regulations, work permits and
safety compliance. He says that it is Johnson Crane Hire’s
understanding of these frameworks that are another major
strength, not just for the company but also for the end
customer. Planning around the logistics is just as important.
The arrival of components is critical to ensure that these arrive
in the correct order to facilitate the timeous building of the
crane. Operators are also a critical aspect of a heavy lift
success, and Johnson Crane Hire has a core of specially trained
and highly skilled operators, majority of whom are
experienced at operating in other countries. What needs to be
appreciated is that a heavy lift operation is an extensive
project and can take anywhere up to two months or more.
A competent technical team is despatched on each lift
project. Robson says that depending on the time frame and
the actual location the level of support may differ. “For
example, if a very complicated lift that is being done in a
remote area over an extended period the support team would
include technical maintenance staff, project management,
operators and relief operators, ground crew and equipment,”
he explains. Johnson Crane Hire has conducted successful
heavy lift projects in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia,
Lesotho and DRC in the past, and each package was tailored
Johnson Crane Hire’s
heavy-lift crane fleet
consists of some of the
largest cranes available in
the South African market.
to the specific requirement to ensure its success. “Project work
can be done on a fully resourced basis with technical and back
up support and where possible could include partnering with
local crane hire companies,” Robson says. “It is a specific
intention that in these scenarios Johnson Crane Hire will invest
in skills upliftment and skills transfer as part of its commitment
to the local economy of the country in which the lift is being
done,” he concludes.
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