PIPELAYER PRE-START INSPECTION
AND BASIC OPERATING TECHNIQUES

A video devoted to crawler pipelayer inspection and operation has been announced by VISTA Training, Inc. Caterpillar, Inc. and VISTA have collaborated to produce a video specifically for pipelayers.

Worldwide increases in pipeline installation, replacement, and repair have brought new operators of pipeline tractors into the pipeline field. Due to a long period of few new pipeline installations, many of the more experienced pipelayer operators had retired or moved on to other jobs. At the same time, equipment technology advances created changes in pipelayer operating techniques. This combination of events presented pipeline contractors with an unusual challenge, where to find qualified pipelayer tractor operators.

VISTA and Caterpillar, Inc. worked together to create a two-part video addressing PIPELAYER PRE-START INSPECTION and PIPELAYER BASIC OPERATION TECHNIQUES. The first part of the video is approximately eight minutes long and provides viewers instruction in the essential items that should be inspected or serviced periodically. This basic information is intended to help all pipelayer operators understand the importance of what to look for and why inspection is vital to safety, reliability and productivity. The second part invests nearly twenty minutes in covering some basic safe operating techniques in five distinct pipeline applications. The five applications, Stringing, Bending, Welding, Set-In and Tie-In each have unique operation challenges.

Extensive interviews with experienced union and non-union pipelayer operators, equipment dealers and Caterpillar, Inc. pipelayer specialists provided background information. Several script drafts were critiqued by a wide variety of qualified pipeline personnel prior to the start of video production. All video shooting for the Operating Techniques portion was done on working pipeline jobs to assure authenticity.

Rick Longstaff, President of VISTA said, “Having the expertise of Caterpillar, Inc. specialists, world class operators with as much as thirty-five years of pipelayer operating experience, expert equipment dealers, service technicians, professional safety directors, pipeline owners and pipeline contractor management provided a resource that could not be equaled in any other way. We are confident this video will help both new and experienced pipelayer operators do their job more safely and efficiently.”

PIPELAYER PRE-START INSPECTION AND BASIC OPERATING TECHNIQUES

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