OSHA Set to Propose 1 Year Delay on Crane Certification Rule

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On Tuesday, June 20, OSHA is set to propose a delay on new requirements for cranes and derricks in the construction industry at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH).

According to the published agenda on the Federal Register, OSHA plans to delay enforcement on both the crane operator certification requirement and extend the existing requirement that employers ensure that crane operators are trained and competent enough to operate the equipment until November 10, 2018. 

While the requirement that crane operators receive appropriate certifications to operate the machine on construction sites has been in the OSHA standards (1926.1427) since 2010, the enforcement of the rule has seen several delays.  Construction Equipment states that a 3 year extension was granted in 2010 and another 3 year extension after the first expired pushed the enforcement date back to November of 2017.

According to a press release issued by OSHA in 2014, “After publishing the final rule, a number of parties raised concerns about the Standard's requirement to certify operators by type and capacity of crane and questioned whether crane operator certification was sufficient for determining whether an operator could operate their equipment safely on a construction site.”