New coalition calls for swift removal of certain crane certification requirements

Washington – A new coalition composed of 10 leading construction industry organizations is calling on OSHA to revise and finalize certain certification requirements for crane operators “well ahead” of the 2017 deadline.

The Coalition for Crane Operator Safety asserts that OSHA’s requirement for crane operators to be certified on both a crane’s type and its lift capacity does not improve safety and instead imposes “tremendous financial burdens” on employers. The coalition, which launched Oct. 28, is asking the agency to rescind the requirement. It also objects to a second provision that eliminates employers’ responsibility to independently determine crane operator qualification, claiming in a press release that the provision “essentially equates employer certification with qualification” and most stakeholders disagree with it.

The requirements are part of a final rule published in 2010 as an update to OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard, which were set to go into effect Nov. 10. However, a rule issued Sept. 25 has delayed the requirements until Nov. 10, 2017, while the agency works on a new standard to address concerns.