Crane mock-up gives a lift to Code 730's training

Electrician Roger Wandover demonstrates how the mockup mimics the waterfront's real cranes

CRANE MOCK-UP GIVES A LIFT TO CODE 730’S TRAINING What do you get when you combine a labor of love with a love of labor?

If you leave it in Roger Wandover’s capable hands, you get the new Crane Maintenance Division’s (Code 730) Continuous Training and Development (CTD) mock-up.

Wandover, an electrician and CTD subject matter expert, has been at the shipyard less than two years, but his background in mechanics and electronics is extensive.

Wandover said the opportunity to train the shipyard’s new mechanics has been a dream come true.

“I’ve been everywhere,” he said. “And I am concerned about these young people not knowing how to do basic mechanical and electrical skills. CTD was an answer to my prayers to pass on the experience."

As part of his duties, Wandover listens to Code 730 employees on the waterfront to learn about the issues they face.

“On my first trip out there, several things were brought up, and I learned there weren't

Story and Photos by Anna Taylor Public Affairs Specialist enough people who knew how to set limits on the crane,” he said. “Training on the crane is a challenge because you have to tie up the crane at a dry dock to do that. So the CTD team started wondering if it would be possible to make some type of training that would give them the opportunity to exercise and perfect the skills without having to actually be on the crane.”

And that’s how the idea for a crane mockup was born.

According to Code 730 CTD Supervisor Bo Osindero, there used to be plenty of skilled mechanics who knew how to properly set the limits on a crane. But as time passed and the shipyard’s skills gap grew, those qualified and experienced mechanics retired or moved on to other positions.

“I realized there were only three of us left who could actually set the limits, so that became a concern,” said Osindero. “It really became like a single point of failure if one of these guys couldn’t show up.”

Then the light bulb came on.

At first, Osindero and Wandover considered building a tabletop mock-up, but ultimately decided on a stand-alone unit.

“Everything was created by Code 730,” said Wandover. “We spent less than $2,000 on parts that we had to purchase.”

The mock-up’s frame is actually a surplus engine lift. All of the electrical components are pieces that were defective, removed from a crane and reconditioned. Everything that could be recycled was repurposed for the mock-up.

“I designed the relay logic for it, and designed how it all comes together, and with the help of William Piland, a now-retired mechanic CTD subject matter expert, who is also a great fabricator, I was able to get specific pieces made,” said Wandover. “The week of June 30th we finished all the functional testing, and since then we’ve been refining it in order to craft the course material.”

Code 730 is developing its own training program to accelerate learning within the shop and ensure there is no more shortage of qualified personnel to set the crane’s limits.

“It only took a few months. They had the idea and they took initiative,” said Jennifer Freeman, a management analyst in the Continuous Process Improvement Special Projects Division (Code 701S). “They were able to bring the idea to life quickly because they did so much of it on their own.”

Freeman said normally when employees come onboard, they sit in a classroom and learn from a book.

“The mock-up gives them that hands-on part, so they don’t have to wait until they’re actually on a job to get exposure.”

This mock-up also sets a precedent for future Code 730 innovations, according to Freeman.

“Now they can say, ‘I’m not just an electrician, I’m not just a heavy mobile equipment mechanic. I see something that will benefit everyone,’ and if they know of something we can improve on, now our employees have seen how supportive the department was on this idea, so it will encourage others to come forward with innovative projects going forward.”

Osindero is excited about the future for the new Code 730 mock-up and its brand new training program. And thanks to the CTD team’s idea to use plexiglass on the mock-up’s panels, employees can see the internal mechanisms to better understand when certain actions trigger responses within the machine. Code 730 will also have some helpful new materials to supplement the hands-on training.

“The Shipyard Instructional Design Center (Code 1170) is creating audio/visual aids to go along with the mock-up, including charts and videos to streamline and shorten the process while making it more effective,” he said. “From experience, most people learn better through visualization, so that’s one of the innovations that will really help us. When an employee comes in, they will be good to go within two days. It used to take a whole week.”

Wandover’s brainchild should be walking on its own two feet by the end of the month, so now he’s ready to tackle the next project for Code 730 CTD. “Communicating with supervisors on the waterfront to find out what they need and how we can enable them to do their job more effectively is so important,” he said. “We need to figure out the right way or the better way to do it. The entire exercise has been very rewarding. To develop this mock-up and see the fruits of our labor, it’s obviously a benefit, and we want to do more of this in the future.”

ABOVE LEFT: The Code 730 CTD team stands by the new crane mock-up.

ABOVE RIGHT: Wandover explains the importance of the plexiglass paneling, which allows employees to visualize how certain actions trigger responses inside the crane.

AUGUST 2017 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 15