ACCSH Proposes Changes to Crane Operator Qualifications

The Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health published draft regulatory text last month that would increase employer responsibility for qualifying crane operators, in addition to the requirement for crane operators to be certified by Nov. 10, 2017.

ACCSH will hold a special meeting March 31-April 1 in Washington, D.C., to consider the proposed revision to the crane operator certification requirement. The meeting is open to the public and ACCSH seeks comment on the proposal. To learn how to register for the meeting or to submit comments, visit https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=24986

The proposal calls for employers to make sure operators are trained, certified/licensed, and evaluated. Documented employer evaluations must assess that the crane operator has the skills necessary to operate the equipment safely, has the knowledge to make sound determinations regarding operation, can use load charts, can perform hoisting activities for the assigned work, and has demonstrated competency in activities such as signaling, setup, assembly/disassembly, etc. Employers would be required to re-evaluate operators annual or after an operator operates in an unsafe manner, or if the operator has not operated that equipment within the last six months.

Regarding certification, the primary change being proposed is to eliminate the requirement for operators to be tested according to capacity of crane. However, as part of the employer documentation of operator evaluation, among the information that must be noted is make, model, limitations, configurations, attachments, boom length, and capacity for the equipment on which the operator has been trained.

Read the draft proposed crane operator qualification regulator text here: https://www.osha.gov/doc/accsh/accshcrane.pdf