from Ted Schwartz, Safety Manager, WWW.HRIDEAS.COM
A long-awaited revised Crane & Derricks Standard is set to go into effect this year! The revised standard will comprehensively address key hazards related to cranes and derricks on construction worksites, including the four main causes of worker death and injury: electrocution, crushed by parts of the equipment, struck-by the equipment/load, and falls.
Significant requirements in this new standard include: a pre-erection inspection of tower crane parts; use of synthetic slings in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions during assembly/disassembly work; assessment of ground conditions; qualification or certification of crane operators; and procedures for working in the vicinity of power lines.
Several provisions have been modified from the proposed rule.:
• Employers must comply with local and state operator licensing requirements which meet the minimum criteria specified in the revised standard;
• Employers must pay for certification or qualification of their currently uncertified or unqualified operators;
• Written certification tests may be administered in any language understood by the operator candidate;
• When employers with employees qualified for power transmission and distribution are working in accordance with the power transmission and distribution standard, that employer will be considered in compliance with this final rule's requirements for working around power lines;
• Employers must use a qualified rigger for rigging operations during assembly/disassembly; and
• Employers must perform a pre-erection inspection of tower cranes.
This revised standard requires operators of most types of cranes to be qualified or certified under one of the options set forth in the standard. Employers have up to 4 years to ensure that their operators are qualified or certified, unless they are operating in a state or city that has operator requirements. If a city or state has its own licensing or certification program, OSHA mandates compliance with that city or state's requirements only if they meet the minimum criteria set forth in this standard.
This final rule clarifies that employers must pay for all training required by the final rule and for certification of equipment operators employed as of the effective date of the rule.
A copy of the regulatory text is available at: http://www.osha.gov/doc/cranesreg.pdf.
Ted Schwartz, Safety Manager, WWW.HRIDEAS.COM can be reached at Bishop Ranch 2, 2680 Bishop Avenue, Suite 126, San Ramon, CA 94583. Main: 925.556.4404. Fax to email: 925.359.1470.