A pair of week-long seminars recently were held in Edmonton, Alberta, giving drill rig operators and senior operators the opportunity to develop their skills using Soilmec hydraulic drill rigs. The special training was a collaborative effort between the Foundations Training Academy (FTA), which is part of the Trevi Group (Soilmec’s parent company), the International Union of Operating Engineers Local #955, Champion Equipment Sales LLC., and three Alberta-based foundation contractors: AGRA Foundations, North American Caisson Ltd., and Pacer Foundations Corp. The seminars were held at the union’s facilities.

“Training is an essential element in the suite of services provided by Soilmec,” says Vincent Jue, vice president of Soilmec North America. “Selling the equipment is the first step, but it’s also extremely important to make sure that the operators know how to run the machines properly.”

Each five-day program included classroom theory and hands-on demonstrations covering continuous flight augers, the fully-cased method using temporary conventional casing, segmental casing (with and without an oscillator), and open-hole drilling. In all, 46 students participated.

Upon course completion, successful participants received certification that will help their companies to comply with the latest industry requirements for heavy equipment operation.

“Soilmec realizes that training to operate heavy equipment in compliance with government mandates and safety regulations is invaluable, especially in the diverse environments encountered in the construction and energy fields,” notes Steve Wilson, Champion Equipment Sales, who helped organize and presented at the training. “We’re proud to support such an important program.”