Highlands County Crane Prep Along the Ridge

Ridge sand and lake country

The Lake Wales Ridge runs through the county, and its deep, well-drained sand behaves differently from the wet flatwoods on the coast. Dry sand can look firm and still let an outrigger pad sink once a load swings over it. Low ground around the lakes stays wet much of the year. Ground bearing is the first question on every setup: know the pressure under your pads and use mats sized for it.

Inland heat is the other constant. Summer afternoons bring heat, humidity and lightning almost daily, and work plans here usually front-load lifts into the morning.

Where the lifting happens

Utility crews often work with digger derricks, which have a partial exemption under 29 CFR 1926.1400(c)(4) for certain pole work. When the same truck is used to set materials for building construction, the exemption may not apply. The digger derrick course covers that line.

• Highway and bridge work on US 27 and the crossing routes, from drainage boxes to sign structures
• Utility work, including poles, transformers and substation equipment serving a spread-out rural grid
• Agricultural facilities, such as citrus packing and processing equipment, cold storage and irrigation pumps
• Commercial and industrial buildings at the Sebring Regional Airport commerce park; see the Sebring page

Small crews covering a long county

From the Polk County line south to the Glades County line, Highlands is a long drive end to end, and much of the crane work is done by small local outfits rather than big rental fleets. On those jobs the operator may also be the rigger, and the person on the ground may be the signal person, the flagger and the truck driver.

OSHA expects each of those roles to be filled by someone qualified for it. A crew that holds operator, rigging and signal credentials between them can take on more jobs without waiting for a specialist to drive in from Lakeland or Fort Myers. Self-paced study lets each person pick up the extra credential without taking the whole crew off the road.

How Highlands crews get certified

There is no Florida crane license and no county license. Employers follow federal OSHA Subpart CC, which calls for accredited certification and an employer evaluation for operators, and qualified riggers and signal persons. The requirements guide covers the details.

Prepare online at your own pace, then take the written exam through the certifying body, online proctored or at a test center. The hands-on practical is taken at an approved practical test site. Plan for a drive; central Highlands is a long way from the metro areas where more test sites tend to be.