Photo By Shelby West | Crane Operator Leader Joseph Ambrose is getting the layout of the land before lifting...... read more read more
If you would connect a two foot piece of thread to a golf ball and tried lowering it into a coffee cup without touching the sides while someone blew a small breeze over the cup, you would soon realize that it’s not an easy task to complete. On a much larger scale, this is what Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Crane Operations (Code 742) crane operators do every day on the job.
“Depending on the day’s workload, we provide approximately 100 lifts a day on the pier,” said Crane Operator Leader Milton Jimison. “We move equipment, food, cargo and anything else a carrier or submarine needs put on or taken off the vessel. It can be something like a pallet of tools weighing 100 lbs. to a shaft that weighs roughly 110,000 lbs.”
It takes a minimum team of four to lift something to and from the ship. “Our team consists of a crane operator, a rigger in charge who is overall responsible for planning and executing the life; crane riggers who safely rigging loads, calculate weight of loads and safely move loads; and a crane walker who ensures the crane has a safe travel path,” said Crane Operator Leader Joseph Ambrose. “It takes the whole team to ensure any given lift is done safely and accurately.”
Crane Operator James Ruffin added, “crane operators are the first ones on the site. We perform checks to ensure all safety measures and pre-operations procedures are performed properly, so when the other members of the team arrives, we are ready to start the day.”
Although riggers guide the crane operator during a lift, it is up to the crane operator to fine tune the directions. “We see things that the riggers might not be able to see,” said Ambrose. “With wind being our biggest enemy and the water causing the boat to shift ever so slightly, trying to lower something into a tight space is a challenging task. We need to be patient, take our time, and use our hand-eye coordination to complete the evolution in a safely manner.”
Ruffin, Ambrose and Jimison all agreed that the pier gang is a close knit family. “We have to be,” said Ruffin. “We need to trust each other to do our part during a lift evolution. If one person doesn’t do their part that weakens the entire team and there is no room for error in lifts.”
The comaraderie isn’t the only reason NNSY’s crane operators enjoy their job. For Jimison it’s something more. “I served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. Working here at the shipyard gives me the opportunity to still support the Navy’s mission. I am proud that I served our country wearing a uniform and even prouder supporting those who still wear the uniform. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 01.20.2023 16:06 |
| Story ID: | 437026 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Norfolk Naval Shipyard's Pier Gang Crane Operators Provides Pick-me-ups to Carriers and Subs, by Troy Miller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
