Whether you’re working on the shop floor or a head lifting engineer, proper training is vital for lifting professionals to have a safe, long, and fulfilling career.
And if you are researching training opportunities for either your company or for your professional development, you may be overwhelmed by how many training companies exist.
While overwhelming, it’s crucial that you pick the correct training partner. At Mazzella, we have decades of experience in training lifting professionals across various positions and disciplines. So, how does our in-house training program differ from our channel partner, Industrial Training International (ITI)?
By the end of this article, we hope to answer several key questions you may have, including:
What Training is Available for Lifting Professionals?
In our previous article covering how to advance your career in lifting and rigging, we discussed how training programs can be broken up into two categories: prep courses and skills building.
This means workers in training can expect to train in classroom environments while getting hands-on experience. The ratio of in-class and hands-on training varies depending on the position, and that’s something to consider and bring up during your research process.
Lifting training covers the entire lifting discipline, with the big four including:
- Rigging
- Mobile cranes
- Overhead cranes
- Lift planning and management
Is Lifting Training Required?
What counts as required training for lifting professionals can vary drastically by the state and industry they work in.
For example, crane operators on construction sites must be certified by an ANSI accredited third-party certification body. Outside of that, overhead crane operations don’t have to be certified.
In some industries, regardless of your role or experience, you need special certifications to even visit a job site, let alone work in one. Training organizations will work with you to make sure you’re not stopped because of a lack of training or credentials.
What Is Covered in Mazzella’s Training Program?
Mazzella’s in-house training is all about the basics of lifting and rigging, getting your workers compliant. Our training focuses on four key departments:
Lifting and Rigging
Our lifting and rigging program offers a basic, yet comprehensive rigging and inspection course—great for newcomers to our industry.
Throughout the course, attendees learn about:
- Proper rigging inspection and selection practices
- Load handling activities
- Equipment testing
- Rigging knots
- Common sling and hardware applications
Fall Protection
Working from height is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. According to reports from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), falls caused 37% of construction deaths in 2021.
Whether you work in a lumber yard or are building skyscrapers, having proper fall protection training is essential. Mazzella’s fall protection course is divided into three course levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. This makes our training program ideal for people of all industries and experience levels.
Furthermore, Mazzella’s fall protection training is knowledge-based, meaning students must get an 80% or higher on their exam to complete a course.
Overhead Crane Operator Training
Mazzella’s overhead crane operator course offers students a detailed education on different overhead crane types, crane components, and the best overhead crane operations and techniques.
The training courses cover various topics, including:
- Crane classifications and operator qualification
- Crane functions
- General best operating practices
- Proper signal and radio communications
- Crane operator responsibilities
Furthermore, our training can help you or your workers become National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operator (NCCCO) certified.
Signalperson Training
During Mazzella’s Signalperson training course, participants will get a breakdown of:
- Federal regulations and safety considerations for signalpersons
- How to identify verbal signals and safety considerations for safe crane operations
- Different types of cranes
- General safety considerations related to crane operations
Who Is ITI?
Founded in 1986, ITI has been a leader in the lifting industry in designing and delivering learning solutions to organizations. Starting off with instructor-led training and consulting, they have evolved to produce live online, and on-demand courses delivered via the ITI Learning Hub.
They have also been at the forefront of technological advancements in the training sphere, with their virtual reality crane simulator being a perfect example.
From crane inspectors to assembly directors, ITI offers OSHA-compliance training across the lifting discipline.
What Separates Mazzella and ITI Training?
In the simplest terms: Mazzella’s training is focused on beginner-level courses, while ITI’s training is geared to those looking for intermediate and advanced rigor.
Let’s say you have new employees, and you need to get them up-to-speed on the basics of lifting and rigging.
Mazzella’s basic rigging and inspections course is a great first step to learning about core rigging principles and to ensure your team is competent and qualified to perform the rigging tasks, identify potential hazards, and to identify equipment that needs to be removed from service.
While ITI does offer various beginner-level courses, their curriculum offers students a more rigorous, hands-on education. Their courses are ideal for anyone seeking higher-level roles, like a Lifting Director or Rigging Engineer.
A great example of this high-level training is ITI’s Master Rigger course: A five-day, in-person course where participants learn the intricacies of crane and rigging operations.
And unlike Mazzella, ITI offers mobile and overhead crane training, whereas Mazzella’s training only covers overhead cranes.
Why Should You Book ITI Training Through Mazzella?
Let’s say you’re an existing Mazzella customer, and you’re interested in signing up for intermediate or advanced overhead crane operator courses. Why should you go through Mazzella instead of ITI or another organization?
Through Mazzella, we can help streamline the process for you. Not only is your information already in our system, but our in-house team is incredibly knowledgeable about ITI’s platform, making us an easy resource for you to reach out and ask questions.
How Do Mazzella and ITI Work Together?
Recently, Mazzella has made ITI a channel partner. This partnership enables Mazzella to promote and sell ITI training directly to our customers. This partnership also means that every Mazzella trainer is thoroughly trained on ITI’s curriculum and teaching style.
Thanks to this partnership, the handoff between someone going from Mazzella training to ITI training is a seamless experience. Mazzella Account Managers are also kept in the loop about students’ progress.
On top of training, Mazzella and ITI have partnered to build two state-of-the-art training centers: one in Mazzella’s Carter Road facility in Cleveland, Ohio, and a crane, rigging, and load handling training center in Bartow, Florida.
We have also invested capital in ITI, making Mazzella a minority shareholder in ITI.
Why Should You Invest in Mazzella and ITI Training?
Mazzella and ITI share a core principle: create safer work environments for any lifting and rigging professional, regardless of their seniority or position title.
Through our partnership, we hope to provide any lifting professional a chance not only to advance their career in this industry, but to also keep them and their coworkers safe anytime they’re on a job site and keep businesses OSHA and ASME compliant.
Does your organization need basic lifting and rigging training? Schedule an online, in-person, or jobsite training session. Mazzella is also hiring for various positions nationwide. Check out our careers page to learn more.
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