OSHA has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to extend employers’ responsibility to ensure crane operator certification to November 10, 2018. In September 2014, OSHA extended implementation of a final rule for crane operator certification requirements for three years. The rule also extended an employer’s responsibility to ensure that individuals are competent to operate a crane safely.
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The agency is now proposing a further extension of the enforcement date to address stakeholder concerns over the operator certification requirements in the standard. Comments on the proposal may be submitted electronically at https://www.regulations.gov. The deadline for submitting comments is September 29, 2017.
In the cranes and derricks standard issued in 2010, OSHA required that crane operators achieve certification through an accredited testing service, an independently audited employer initiative, military training, or by complying with qualifying state or local requirements. The rules also mandate that employers ensure workers are adequately skilled and properly instructed on safe operation of the equipment.
Reasons offered for extending the deadline included feedback from industry representatives concerned that operator certification alone does not provide sufficient demonstration of competence. During public meetings on the proposal, OSHA was advised that employers must make sure their employees are qualified by assessing the ability of operators to run cranes safely. Discussions also addressed whether to allow certifications based on the type of crane or on crane capacity.
Until the certification requirements take effect, OSHA requires that:
- Employers ensure that operators of cranes covered by the standard are competent to safely operate the equipment.
- When employees assigned to operate machinery do not have the required knowledge or ability to do so safely, the employer must train them and ensure that they are evaluated to confirm their understanding of the training content.