OSHA issues temporary enforcement policy after crane operator certification organization’s accreditation lapses

Washington — OSHA has issued a temporary enforcement policy for the construction industry after being informed by the Sanford, FL-based Crane Institute Certification that the organization no longer is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as required under section 1926.1427(d) of OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.

In a Nov. 25 memo addressed to regional administrators and State Plan designees, Scott Ketcham, director of OSHA’s Directorate of Construction, writes that many employers “may have acted in good faith by obtaining crane operator certifications from CIC that they believed would comply with OSHA’s requirements,” adding that, “Where such good faith is found, employers should not be cited for violating the operator certification requirement of 29 CFR 1926.1427(d).”

Ketcham warns that this policy will apply only until the certification expiration date. OSHA will not accept CIC crane operator certification issued on or after Dec. 2 “as evidence of compliance” with federal regulations.

The memo states OSHA will revisit this temporary enforcement policy when CIC provides evidence that it is back in compliance, which the institute expects to occur “within the next few months.”