Certified Safety

Workers, supervisors, equipment operators, designated competent persons, and trainers are all required to obtain training documentation, licensing, or

BOB ECKHARDT

Workers, supervisors, equipment operators, designated competent persons, and trainers are all required to obtain training documentation, licensing, or other certification to be eligible for employment. So extensive are federal and state safety regulations, ANSI/ASME standards, and other requirements, in fact, that staying current taxes the skill of even the most experienced safety manager.

Compliance is most easily ensured by training workers on every type of tool or equipment they will be using or to which they will be exposed. Care should be taken to assure that the trainer is qualified and in command of competent training methods using effective materials. Qualifications, methods, and materials should be documented on each training certification document. To quantify the myriad requirements for positions common to the concrete products industry, the following chart provides a guideline.

CONCRETE INDUSTRY WORKER/OPERATOR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

WORK EXPOSURE OSHA ANSI/ASME DOT EPA OTHER
Automobile use ANSI Z15.1 Program requirements License, vehicle operation, and physical requirements Vehicle manufacturing and emissions requirements Emissions inspection and certifications by most states
Basic worker training Basic electrical awareness; Hazard recognition; Workplace hazards; Electrical awareness and authorizations; Hazard warning; Fire extinguisher; Personal protective equipment; Toxic and hazardous substance exposure training; Emergency plans; Lockout/tagout SPCC and SWPPP training, as applicable Others per exposure
Confined space entry Entrant, attendant, and rescue requirements ANSI Z117
Crane operator Training & certification, plus physical similar to ANSI; State certification requirements ANSI B30 series Owner’s manual
Delivery driver Federal Motor Carrier safety regulations; Extensive program requirements to include training, drug testing, physical, and license Vehicle manufacturing, inspection, plus state inspection certification requirements Owner’s manual;Unloading equipment owner’s manual
Drill operator Worker training ANSI B11.8 Owner’s manual
Electrical Worker training; Competent person requirements ANSI/ASSE Z244.1 NFPA electrical worker requirements; NFPA 70E
Elevated work Fall protection training; Competent person requirements ANSI A10.32, Z359
Excavation work Worker training; Competent person requirements ASSE/ANSI A10.12
First aid provider Bloodborne pathogens; First aid, CPR, and AED certifications Training programs, certification provided by American Red Cross, among others
Forklift operator Training and certification; Trainer requirements ANSI B56.6 Owner’s manual
Front end loader and skid steer operator General duty clause ANSI A133.1 Owner’s manual; MSHA requirements for mining operations
Grinding and sanding Airborne hazardous substance training; Respiratory protection ANSI B7.1
Hand tool use User training
Hearing protection Worker training; Competent person requirements
Ladders User training; Competent person requirements
Lift slab operations Competent person requirements; Registered PE requirements ANSI A10.9
Maintenance Lockout/tagout
Metal saw operator ANSI/ASME B11.10 Owner’s manual
Powered tool use Operator raining Owner’s manual
Power rebar shear operator Operator training ANSI/ASME B11.4
Pipe and rebar bending Operator training ANSI/ASME B11.15 Owner’s manual
Rigger Rigger training; Competent person requirements ANSI/ASSE A10.42-2000
Scaffold Scaffold user training; Scaffold erector training; Competent person requirements ANSI A10.8
Scissor lift user or operator Operator training ANSI A92.2 Owner’s manual
Hazardous waste clean-up and disposal HazWoper training HazMat 49 CFR 105-180
Welding Welder training ANSI/AWS Z49

CRANE OPERATOR STATE CERTIFICATIONS

State-specified certification for crane operators is now required in the following:

Pennsylvania, Florida, and Washington are considering similar state requirements. In British Columbia and Australia, certification requirements are currently in place.

Some variation exists among state requirements:

for example, Nevada requires certification for operating a mobile crane whose boom length equals or exceeds 25 feet; Minnesota and Utah, by contrast, require certification for operating mobile cranes of only 5-ton capacity.

While states do not specifically license a crane operator, they do require operators to obtain certification from an organization accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). A major crane operator accrediting organization is the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). Accordingly, crane operator licenses should bear a reference to NCCCO or NCCA accreditation.

Typically, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration promulgates a new federal standard, which is then adopted by states for regulatory purposes. In this case, however, the states are initiating legislation, and OSHA is trying to catch up. According to the March issue of Professional Safety, OSHA’s administrator has stated that the agency will publish by October a proposed crane rule based on recommendations of the Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee. Those rules will include the crane operator certification requirement.

Previously, basic overhead crane operator training was provided typically by a plant employee or a crane service company. Such training will no longer be valid without training accreditation.

Moreover, operators of mobile cranes rented for placement of large concrete components must be checked for a proper training certificate or operator’s card. Even reputable crane-leasing companies occasionally employ crane operators who lack legitimate training qualifications.