Patrick Clark, national rental support manager for Lifting Gear Hire based in Bridgeview, IL, has been named as one of two 2015 Top Trainers by the Association of Crane & Rigging Professionals (ACRP) and Crane & Rigging Hot Line.
Clark represents corporate trainers, who work for companies such as suppliers, dealers, contractors or rental companies, and who provide crane and rigging training to their customers and/or employees. Lifting Gear Hire, Bridgeview, Ill., is a national rental provider of rigging and material handling equipment.
Endorsed by the ACRP, the 8th Annual Training Excellence Awards are supported by Platinum Sponsor Crane Institute Certification; Gold Sponsors Rigging Institute and Slingmax Rigging Products; Silver Sponsors Terex, Southwest Industrial Rigging, and Altec Sentry; and Bronze Sponsors Stephenson Equipment Inc. and Morrow; and Supporting Organization Institute for Safety and Health Management.
Commenting on the wide variety of nominations received from various sectors in the hoisting industry, Nelson Plumb of Crossland Construction and a member of the judging panel, said: “We need better trained people who are willing to be trained by the best trainers in order to meet the demand for skilled craft workers. There are a large number of men and women in the workforce who don’t realize they have the talent to become top trainers. Tapping into this resource may be the greatest challenge our industry faces today.”
Clark was selected for his initiative in writing custom training programs for hundreds of rigging and material handling products that LGH offers, then using technology to expand the availability of that information. “There are any number of off-the-shelf programs Pat Clark could use in his rigging training. Instead he’s chosen to write his own program, tailored to the safety needs of his company’s employees and clients. He’s carried his efforts to the entire industry through his YouTube training video series,” commented one Top Trainer judge.
Judges evaluated each nomination on a scale of 1 to 10 in each of the following areas:
- Use of innovative or hands-on instruction;
- Encouraging peer or corporate accountability;
- Evidence that training was successful; and
- Overall impact on the students, environment, or industry.
Clark will receive complimentary registration and travel expenses to the 2016 ACRP General Assembly May 10-13 in Chattanooga, Tenn., where they will be presented with a trophy during an awards ceremony. They will also be granted $2,000 scholarships, made possible through funding provided by the 2015 sponsors.
