The ongoing revisions to OSHA’s crane operator certification requirements had new developments in recent weeks, with the agency proposing a new rule that reinstates the employer duty to ensure crane operators are qualified to safety operate equipment.
Under the proposed rule, a change to the categories of certifications for crane operators would ensure more operators are able to meet the requirement. The proposal discontinues a 2010 requirement, which never went into effect, that crane operator certification must include the crane lifting capacity for which the operator is certified. The proposal would expand the type of certification programs for crane operators.
Crane operators involved in construction have been required to be certified by an accredited certification provider An operator is defined as any person operating the equipment. To be accredited, certification providers must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, defined as “an organization that, due to its independence and expertise, is widely recognized as competent to accredit testing organizations. Examples of such accrediting agencies include, but are not limited to, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the American National Standards Institute.
Inspection, training and experience are at the top of the list for employers who supervise a project with crane activity. It is also one of the areas that requires a strong interdependence among multiple workers. For site managers, this means ensuring that a team of workers such as operators, riggers and signal persons have a strong level of competence. Common hazards include when a crane becomes unbalanced while a load is being lifted or when the crane collapses under the weight of an excessive load.
OSHA’s previous final rule extends the operator certification compliance date until November 10, 2018, in order to provide the agency with additional time to complete this rulemaking to address stakeholder concerns related to the Cranes and Derricks Standard.
For more information, contact our offices at Diversified Safety Services.
