OSHA publishes crane operator final rule
Posted November 9, 2018
OSHA published a final rule in the November 9 Federal Register clarifying employers’ duty to ensure the competency of crane operators through training, certification or licensing, and evaluation. It takes effect December 10, 2018, with the exception of the evaluation and documentation requirements, which take effect February 7, 2019.
Employers are required to train operators as needed to perform assigned crane activities, evaluate them, and document successful completion of the evaluations. Employers who have evaluated operators prior to December 10, 2018, will not have to conduct those evaluations again, but will only have to document when those evaluations were completed.
The rule also requires crane operators to be certified or licensed and receive ongoing training as necessary to operate new equipment. Operators can be certified based on the crane’s type and capacity, or type only.
The final rule revises a 2010 requirement that crane operator certification must specify the rated lifting capacity of cranes for which the operator is certified. Compliant certifications that were already issued by type and capacity are still acceptable.
J. J. Keller's Crane Safety Handbook: For Operators and Ground Crew serves as a jobsite reference for the ground crew, crane operator, competent and qualified persons, and others working with cranes.
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