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Crane Operator Certification Revisions Not Expected Until End of 2016 Amendments to the Cranes and Derricks standard, including revisions to crane operator qualifications requirements, were slated to be introduced for proposed rulemaking by the end of the 1Q 2016. However, certification professionals now say that OSHA won’t do so until after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. At this time, November 2017 remains the effective date for crane operators to be certified according to the 2010 Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule. Steel erection contractors should continue to plan for certifying all crane operators. Graham Brent, CEO of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, provided an update on the anticipated timeline for revisions to the existing rule, which is intended to clarify employer responsibilities for qualifying operators. Speaking at the Steel Erectors Association of America 44th Convention and Trade Show, April 28, 2016 in Charlotte/Concord, N.C., Brent said, “OSHA officials have indicated that their new internal deadline to issue a proposed rulemaking is by the end of this year, but that they won’t do anything while the current administration remains in office.” In addition, Office of Management & Budget has to review the proposed rulemaking before it can be published. Once published, there will be a required comment period, and Brent speculated that a public hearing and Small Business Administration (SBREFA) cost impact study are both likely to occur. Before a final rule can be published OSHA must respond to comments and write a preamble. “The time frame to accomplish all of that is quite tight if a new rule is to be issued before the existing November 10, 2017 effective date for the current regulation,” said Brent. In other news, OSHA has expressed an interest in updating the decades-old 1910.178 regulation for powered industrial trucks, as noted on its Fall 2015 regulatory agenda. Updates would account for substantial revisions to ANSI standards and additional truck classifications than existed when the rule was introduced. Look for a Request for Information from OSHA on this by October 2016.
Crane Operator Certification Revisions Not Expected Until End of 2016
Amendments to the Cranes and Derricks standard, including revisions to crane operator qualifications requirements, were slated to be introduced for proposed rulemaking by the end of the 1Q 2016. However, certification professionals now say that OSHA won’t do so until after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. At this time, November 2017 remains the effective date for crane operators to be certified according to the 2010 Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule. Steel erection contractors should continue to plan for certifying all crane operators. Graham Brent, CEO of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, provided an update on the anticipated timeline for revisions to the existing rule, which is intended to clarify employer responsibilities for qualifying operators. Speaking at the Steel Erectors Association of America 44th Convention and Trade Show, April 28, 2016 in Charlotte/Concord, N.C., Brent said, “OSHA officials have indicated that their new internal deadline to issue a proposed rulemaking is by the end of this year, but that they won’t do anything while the current administration remains in office.” In addition, Office of Management & Budget has to review the proposed rulemaking before it can be published. Once published, there will be a required comment period, and Brent speculated that a public hearing and Small Business Administration (SBREFA) cost impact study are both likely to occur. Before a final rule can be published OSHA must respond to comments and write a preamble. “The time frame to accomplish all of that is quite tight if a new rule is to be issued before the existing November 10, 2017 effective date for the current regulation,” said Brent. In other news, OSHA has expressed an interest in updating the decades-old 1910.178 regulation for powered industrial trucks, as noted on its Fall 2015 regulatory agenda. Updates would account for substantial revisions to ANSI standards and additional truck classifications than existed when the rule was introduced. Look for a Request for Information from OSHA on this by October 2016.