The story of a Romanian crane operator in Germany

I work out every day while climbing the crane’s ladder

For 46 years, Costică Costea has admired cities from above. His privileged position allows him to have a comprehensive view of the construction site, watching it grow day by day from a bird’s-eye view. From the crane cabin, he moves loads where they’re needed, observing how the puzzle pieces come together to eventually form an apartment block, office building, shopping center, school, or hospital.

Mr. Costea joined the RCBB Gruppe team three years ago. Currently, he operates one of the cranes at the Amano Hotel construction site in the center of Munich. At the age of 65, he continues to work with the same passion he discovered on his first day.

The path to the top of the crane

He became a crane operator in 1978 after a year of working on a construction site. Fascinated by cranes and the precision with which his colleagues maneuvered these giant machines, he wanted to be up there too.

But he also had another reason: “I saw how the crane operator on the site looked, dressed in clean clothes, while we would get dirty working on the ground. I was young and I wanted to be like him, to work clean,” Mr. Costea recalls.

He attended a crane operator school, which he finished in September 1978. For six months, he went to school in the mornings and practiced on the crane in the evenings. However, he truly learned the trade through practical work.

What a crane operator does on a construction site

Like all other professions on the construction site, the work of a crane operator is essential. He is the one who transports panels, steel, and any other materials needed by his colleagues on the ground. It’s up to him to deliver the loads on time and safely so the other workers have what they need to continue their tasks.

Even though he is seated high up in the crane cabin, he constantly works with people. Through a radio, the team leaders on the ground tell him what is needed and where. Coordination and prioritization are vital.

This job comes with constant pressure, especially when several teams rely on him to lift and position materials quickly. Every operation must be done with precision to avoid accidents and ensure a steady workflow on the site.

I watch every person and what they’re doing, so I don’t hit any colleagues with the materials. I check that the load is properly secured. I make sure not to pass it over people. Plus, you have to work fast to keep everyone happy. Each team of three or four people has a radio, and each tells me what they need. Then they say, ‘Move it more to the left,’ ‘Move it more to the right.’ There’s a lot of material to carry on a construction site,” the crane operator explains.

Additionally, he must always be mindful of the other crane operators to avoid collisions between the crane arms. “The rule is that the tallest crane has to give way to the smaller ones. The big one protects the small one. When we need to work in close areas, I take care of other tasks and let the small crane finish its job. Plus, I need visibility to avoid accidents.

Life at great heights

From the top of the crane, the cities look spectacular, and Mr. Costea has had the privilege of working in several major cities in Germany. He’s seen Stuttgart, Munich, Heillbron, Hanover, and Karlsfeld from above. In Romania, he’s worked on a crane in Iași and a few smaller surrounding cities. Out of all of them, his favorite view is of Bavaria’s capital, where he’s currently working. Although the view fascinated him at first, over time, it became just another part of his daily routine.

However, the daily climb up and down the crane remains a physical challenge and a way to stay in shape. If he has a particularly busy day, he doesn’t even descend for lunch.

We do sports here, climbing to the top of the crane,” Mr. Costea jokes. This means he climbs at least 96 meters daily, the equivalent of about 35 floors. On the construction site, there are cranes of various types and heights, but most often, he’s worked on 96-meter Liebherr cranes. Currently, he operates a Wotan crane.

Half a life away from home

The pain of being away from loved ones is ever-present in conversations with those working far from home. It’s not so much about places, but about people. He left to work in Germany in 1990 and has spent more than half of his life there. At home, his wife and three grown children await him, and he visits them whenever possible or when needed.

It’s very hard to work far from home. First of all, you’re not with your family. Their lives go on far from yours. Then, you have to manage on your own. We cook for ourselves, we do our own laundry, we clean. There’s no one to help us,” Mr. Costea concludes.

On the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the founding of RCBB Gruppe, we look at the professionals who are part of our team, talking about some of the vital trades for the existence of a construction site. This interview is the third in a series of six materials that we will publish in the following weeks.