21.09.2008

OSHA to publish new crane rule

The USA Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it will go ahead and publish the draft of the new rule for cranes in construction in the Federal Register on October 3rd. The draft will then be open for public comment, to allow for amendments and fine tuning prior to becoming law.

The publication had been delayed and there were concerns that it would go on the ‘back burner’ until after the election and the appointment of the new administration.

According to the OSHA announcement the proposed rule would apply to around 96,000 cranes in the United States, including 2,000 tower cranes. The standard addresses ground conditions, the assembly and disassembly of cranes, the operation of cranes near power lines, the certification and training of crane operators, the use of safety devices and signals, and inspections of cranes.

It substantially updates existing tower crane safety rules and tower crane safety, with respect both to erecting and dismantling, and to crane operations. It will also establish four options for the qualification or certification of crane operators: 1) certification through an accredited third-party testing organisation; 2) qualification through an audited employer testing program; 3) qualification issued by the U.S. military and 4) qualification by a state or local licensing authority.
Click here to go to the Draft standard

Edwin G. Foulke Jr assistant secretary of labor said: “The cranes and derricks proposed rule comprehensively addresses the hazards associated with the use of cranes and derricks in construction, including tower cranes. This draft rule will both protect construction employees and help prevent crane accidents by updating existing protections and requiring crane operators to be trained in the use of construction cranes.”