UDT certification for construction crane operators

ERGON qualification course

Tasks for special purposes, such as the installation of numerous building structures, banners, chimneys or large-format advertisements, for example, require the use of cranes. Most companies, which have the latest generation of construction cranes in their fleet, only offer to hire their equipment to experienced operators who have specific qualification certificates, issued by the Office of Technical Inspection. Our training facility organises courses on UDT equipment from the ground up, after which the participant can become qualified as a crane operator, among other things. 

Permits for cranes 

Cranes are subject to regulations established by the Office of Technical Inspection. In order to maintain all equipment of this type without hindrance, it is necessary to hold the relevant qualification, commonly referred to as an UDT licence.  

The following types of cranes are required to have the relevant UDT benefits: 

• construction cranes; 
• hospital cranes; 
• passenger and goods lifts with internal control. 

In order to become qualified as a construction, hospital or personal-freight crane operator, one must pass an examination before a commission appointed by the UDT, TDT or WDT. Our company has extensive experience in organising and conducting training to prepare for examinations for the above-mentioned equipment. We cooperate with instructors who have many years of experience with cranes, both in terms of their operation and design. Therefore, it is safe to say that our trainers know cranes inside out. If you are interested in becoming a crane operator or maintainer, please contact us. We provide training throughout the country. 

Requirements of the trainee 

All relevant authorisations for cranes and construction cranes can be acquired following appropriate training, which is followed by a state examination, consisting of a theoretical and practical part. However, several requirements must be met in order to take the training, these are: 

• a minimum of primary education; 
• a certificate issued by a doctor of occupational medicine indicating that there are no health conditions for work as a construction crane operator or maintenance person; 
• at least 18 years of age. 

How is the course going? 

The complete course to become a construction crane operator or maintainer includes both practical and theoretical classes. During the practical classes, the trainee acquires not only general knowledge, but also this specialised knowledge.

The theoretical scope of the course includes:  

• types and kinds of lifting machinery; 
• construction of cranes; 
• knowledge of crane construction and operation; 
• information related to UDT technical supervision; 
• operators' responsibilities; 
• information on the electrical and mechanical protection of lifts; 
• crane inspection in various weather conditions; 
• methods of securing the crane to prevent unauthorised access; 
• principles of operation and use of the machine; 
• reading technical and operating documentation; 
• health and safety rules.  

Practical classes, on the other hand, expand the trainees' knowledge and mechanical proficiency in operating construction cranes. The ability to appropriately select working tools for the size of the load is essential. The course concludes with an examination conducted by specialists from the Office of Technical Inspection.  

Purpose of the training 

Our courses are designed for both amateurs in the field of operating construction cranes, as well as for employees already working in positions performing machine operations of vertical transport using lifting equipment. The objective of our training is to prepare students as well as possible for the examination to become operators or maintenance engineers for the UDT, and thus to obtain professional qualifications for our students.  

Examination 

A person who wishes to obtain a licence to operate and maintain a building crane must pass an examination consisting of two parts: 

1. Theoretical part - checked in written form (paper or electronic). 

2. Practical part - consisting of a test of the candidate's ability to operate the technical equipment in question.  

The exam topics are available to the public, while future crane operators and maintainers prepare for the UDT exam during educational courses of their choice. The UDT examination for the operator and maintenance licence is a very demanding exam, which is why it should only be taken when you are sure that you have fully assimilated and mastered the required knowledge. The breadth of the required material and the high level of selection mean that this examination is only taken by the best candidates. After passing the exam, the candidate is awarded an UDT licence, which is valid for a period of five to ten years, depending on the category. If the crane operator or maintainer is actively working during this time, we can be sure that his/her theoretical and practical knowledge is at an appropriate level. 

What qualities should a crane operator have? 

Operating cranes or other equipment is not a job for everyone, because even if the financial conditions seem very attractive, not every person is suited to work performed at great heights. Working with large machines that can lift and carry enormous weights, and therefore carrying out crane services, requires having the right individual qualities.  

In addition to factual knowledge and the ability to apply it in practice, personality predisposition is also a very important issue when operating cranes. A professional crane machine operator, i.e. a crane operator, must be a person who does not suffer from a fear of heights. The daily tasks of the operator of these machines usually take place from a cabin suspended high above the ground, from the deck of which one can see everything that is several tens of metres below. In order to get inside the cabin, it is very often necessary to climb a ladder to great heights. It is natural when working with cranes to tilt or feel a rocking sensation caused by the wind or by overloading the hook. It is therefore necessary to be very mentally resilient in order not to panic when dealing with potential tilts of up to several metres, but to use common sense.

The crane operator should also be physically fit, as not every tower crane or crane is equipped with a cab that ascends to the correct height and descends to the ground. Most UDT equipment requires you to get to the cabin on your own by climbing up many steps of a tall ladder. Climbing to such high heights therefore requires physical fitness, which is why operating cranes is not an appropriate career choice in old age, despite extensive experience. Working on cranes requires an extremely high degree of responsibility and precision. When deciding on a profession involving services at great heights and enormous loads, it is important to be aware that the crane operator shoulders enormous responsibility for the safety of himself, the service site, the machine and the people around him. The job requires above-average diligence, accuracy and a really solid approach to the work being carried out in detail, as even the smallest error can end tragically for the operator or outsiders. 

Types of cranes 

A crane, which is commonly referred to as a 'lift', is a device designed to vertically transport between levels of a building mainly: cargo, people or loads with people. The equipment of cranes consists of a platform or cabin, moving to a considerable height along rigid vertical guides between specific levels.  

Based on their purpose, cranes can be divided into: 

• passenger lift - is a device used to vertically move people in a cabin that is located between stops (floors) in a lift shaft; 

• freight crane - is a device which, due to its design, is not controlled from an internal cabin and is therefore only used to transport goods between stops; 
   
• passenger and goods lift - is a device for transporting goods together with the persons accompanying them; 
   
• building crane - is a device found on construction sites usually without a shaft along vertical tracks on a platform, which is designed to carry goods and people or only goods; 
   
• hospital crane - is a device with internal controls, wide doors and strictly defined cab dimensions, which is found in hospitals where it is intended to transport patients on beds with accompanying medical apparatus and staff. 

Valuable manufacturers of construction cranes 

• Demag; 
• Atlas; 
• Faun; 
• Kato; 
• Liebherr; 
• Potain; 
• Terex; 
• Krupp;  
• Tadano;  
• KSD; 
• Pekazett; 
• Peiner; 
• Krane System. 

Crane on site and beyond - applications 

Cranes are used in major projects as well as in smaller construction work. Without them, we would not be able to build bridges, motorways or viaducts, nor would skyscrapers or railway stations be built. UDT crane machines are also used in handling and assembly work. In addition to this, they are used when inserting windows in blocks of flats, plastering buildings, unloading and moving pallets of bricks, paving stones or roof tiles, as well as when moving them to upper floors. Cranes also provide indescribable support during the erection of building framing and repair and finishing work on high floors. Another function of cranes is to install a roof, build a gazebo or greenhouse and remove old, hazardous tree branches. These machines are also very useful when repairing street lighting. 

Why take a course with us? 

• a full background of satisfied course participants; 
• UDT examination pass rate of 99%; 
• comprehensive organisation of examinations; 
• a focus on building long-term relationships; 
• focus on serving business customers; 
• a single invoice for the examination and the course; 
• convenient payment terms; 
• unique, original materials created by our trainers; 
• a team of experienced experts and training practitioners; 
• free consultation and advice; 
• peace of mind, security and fairness during the cooperation. 

Other training on offer 

• sidecar training; 
• system forklift training; 
• variable boom forklift truck training; 
• lift truck training; 
• crane training; 
• training for hoists and winches; 
• training for stationary cranes; 
• training for mobile platforms; 
• scissor lift training; 
• training for articulated platforms; 
• training for warehouse stacker cranes; 
• electrical licensing course; 
• heat certification course; 
• gas licensing course. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

Questions and answers

What is required of a crane operator?

In addition to the necessary UDT certificates authorising the operation and maintenance of construction cranes, a person who undertakes crane work should be responsible and precise, have no fear of heights and be in good physical condition.

Which cranes require a UDT licence?

Appropriate technical authorisations are required for building, hospital and passenger-cargo lifts with internal control.