TOMCAT USA celebrated 14 years of in-depth industry training courses with another successful Hoist and Rigging Workshop in Midland, TX. Top-notch instructors and 74 industry professional participants from all over the US, Canada, and the UK attended the four-day workshop. This year also marked the second annual Advanced Workshop with 13 participants from around the US.
Don Dimitroff of Columbus McKinnon coached participants through the Lodestar electric chain hoist. Rocky Paulson, recently retired president of Stage Rigging Inc., stressed safe rigging techniques, and Morgan Neff of Mine Safety Appliances gave instruction on proper use of fall protection equipment. Training was rounded out by Tomcat design manager Keith Bohn’s truss class; the course covered truss design, use and theory.
Participants received four days of informative classes as well as four nights of entertainment--culminating with the traditional “factory night” at Tomcat USA featuring a tour of the facility, demonstrations, and graduation ceremony.
In addition to the traditional curriculum, the Advanced Workshop is an intensive two-day course with more in-depth training for those that want a greater exposure to hoists and rigging. Bohn taught a one-day course on advanced concepts in truss usage, including grid design, applying loads, ground support system considerations, structural design concepts, inspection techniques. Dimitroff, assisted by Tomcat project manager Dave Sowa, led an intense, one-day course in hoist design and theory, with a preview of what’s new for the Lodestar. Participants disassembled, inspected and reassembled a one-ton CM Lodestar and worked on advanced troubleshooting scenarios.