OSHA extends compliance date for crane operator certification requirements

Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA has confirmed a three-year extension, to November 2017, of the deadline for crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule, published in 2010. The agency has also extended by the same period a rule holding employers responsible for ensuring crane operators are competent to run their equipment safely.

OSHA will address operator qualification requirements for the cranes standards, including the role of operator certification. The final cranes and derricks rule required crane operators on construction sites to meet one of four qualification/certification options by November 2014. A number of parties raised concerns about the standard’s requirement to certify operators by type and equipment capacity, and questioned whether the certification was sufficient for determining whether candidates could operate their equipment safely on a construction site.