Education and training of lifting equipment operators

The course is intended for company employees who will operate reserved technical lifting equipment — cranes, hoists and rack stacker cranes. Under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. (§ 4), the equipment is divided by degree of hazard into groups A, B and C. The type and scope of professional training depend on the group into which the specific equipment is classified. It is also suitable for employers who, under § 6 a § 12 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll., must ensure operation by authorised personnel. We deliver the training for groups of employees directly at your operation.

It depends on the type of crane. For a mobile or tower jib-type crane, the employee obtains an operating licence card under § 17 ods. 1 písm. b) of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. For other cranes (overhead, gantry, cantilever) that are not listed in § 17 ods. 1, a written record of verified professional knowledge drawn up by an inspection technician under § 17 ods. 3 is sufficient. The type of document thus depends on the classification of the specific equipment.

The operating licence card for a jib-type crane is issued by an authorised legal entity, not by the labour inspectorate. From 1 April 2021, under Act No. 73/2021 Coll., the issuance of licence cards and certificates was transferred from the labour inspectorates to authorised legal entities. The older wording of § 15 ods. 2 of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. still mentions the labour inspectorate, but the newer wording of the superior Act No. 124/2006 Coll. is decisive.

The deciding factor is the load capacity. Group A includes power-driven cranes and hoists with a load capacity above 1 000 kg (and manually driven ones above 5 000 kg), and group B power-driven ones up to 1 000 kg inclusive. This follows from Annex No. 1 of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. The criterion of a “lifting height above 1.5 m” applies only to mobile elevating work platforms, not to cranes.

Under § 17 ods. 1 písm. b) of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll., an operating licence card is required for a mobile and tower jib-type crane. An overhead, gantry, cantilever or other crane not listed in § 17 ods. 1 is operated on the basis of a written record of verified professional knowledge from an inspection technician (§ 17 ods. 3). It is therefore not true that a licence card is required for every group A crane.

The statutory minimum for refresher familiarisation is at least once every three years under § 7 ods. 5 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. For crane operators, a stricter interval is applied in practice — at least once every two years — arising from the technical standard STN 27 0143, not from the law. In addition, the licence-card holder must complete refresher professional training within five years under § 16 ods. 8.

An applicant must be at least 18 years old and medically fit under § 16 ods. 2 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. Medical fitness is evidenced by a medical assessment no older than six months (§ 16 ods. 4), issued on the basis of a preventive medical examination in relation to the work.

Participants gain theoretical knowledge of the types and construction of cranes and hoists, their technical parameters and stability, the control and safety features, operational pre-use inspections and the risks (load drop, overturning, contact with power lines). The content is based on Decree No. 356/2007 Coll. and we adapt it to the equipment your company actually uses.

It is equipment with a higher degree of hazard under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. A power-driven crane and hoist with a load capacity above 1 000 kg belongs to group A, and one up to 1 000 kg to group B; both groups are reserved technical equipment. This is precisely why a licence card or a record of verified professional knowledge is required for their operation.

Yes. Loads on group A lifting equipment may be slung only by a load slinger holding a valid licence card; for group B equipment, a written record of verified professional knowledge from an inspection technician is sufficient (§ 17 ods. 2 of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.). Load slinging is a separate professional competence distinct from crane operation; we can provide it as a separate load slinger course.

Under § 19 of Act No. 125/2006 Coll., an employer faces a fine of up to EUR 100 000, for a serious breach from EUR 1 000 to 200 000, and for an activity without a licence card from EUR 300 to 33 000. In the case of an occupational accident causing serious harm the fine is at least EUR 20 000, and in the case of death at least EUR 33 000. The document is tied to a specific person, so everyone who operates the equipment must hold one.

Under § 16 ods. 5 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll., both the licence card and the record are issued for an indefinite period. However, validity is tied to the fulfilment of obligations: a preventive medical examination within five years (§ 16 ods. 6), refresher professional training within five years for the licence card (§ 16 ods. 8) and refresher familiarisation. If these are neglected, the document becomes invalid (§ 16 ods. 12).

Yes, we deliver the training directly at your operation for a group of employees at once, saving operational time. We adapt the content and scope to the types of lifting equipment you use and the classification of the equipment into groups A, B or C. We agree the dates according to the number of people and the running of your operation.

Refresher professional training (AOP) is a repeated renewal of knowledge that the licence-card holder must complete within five years of issue and thereafter always within five years, under § 16 ods. 8 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. It concerns the licence card of a jib-type crane operator. It is a separate obligation distinct from the refresher familiarisation under § 7.

Basic course 74,90 € per person (prices exclude VAT). Refresher training 21,90 €. We confirm the exact price based on the number of participants and the training format.