On August 9, 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final standard in relation to cranes and derricks used in construction work. This standard established new requirements for crane operators working on construction sites. In order to meet these new requirements, crane operators would be required to meet one of four certification or qualification requirements by Nov. 10, 2014. OSHA is now looking to extend that date by 3 years to Nov. 10, 2017.

OSHA has proposed this rule change in order to appropriately and effectively respond to inquiries and complaints lodged by several parties. OSHA does not want a rule change to go in effect while the rule change is still being discussed and does not want to create a negative impact upon the construction industry. There have already been three stakeholder meetings on this issue, and the final date to submit comments on the rule change is March 12, 2014.

What this means for you, is that if your company uses cranes or derricks, you need to keep a close eye on this situation. If you have not already scheduled your crane operators for certification, it is still a good idea to get that process started, as this rule change has not yet been approved. And even if the extension is passed, these operators will still need to be certified in 2017.

If you would like more information on how this rule specifically impacts you and your business, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the new crane operator certification requirements, please leave a comment.