Conference to Address Crane Operator Certification Question

Joint industry conference to consider Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) Crane Regulation requirements.

With the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard requiring U.S. operators to be certified by November 2014, Maximum Capacity Media’s 'Crane and Rigging Conference' and 'Industrial Crane and Hoist Conference' will focus on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s crane operator certification requirements. The jointly held crane safety and management conferences will take place May 29-30, 2013 at the Indianapolis Marriott North in Indianapolis, Ind.

The operator qualification requirements are part of the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard that governs crane safety. The standard is the product of a negotiated rulemaking process that began in the summer of 2003 and culminated in the publication of the final rule on Aug. 9, 2010.

Discussions on crane operator certification requirements are heating up as the deadline for compliance draws near. Specifically, the industry is buzzing about the OSHA’s requirement to certify operators based on the type and capacity of the crane.

In fact, OSHA has opened the door on these crane safety topics and has scheduled two informal stakeholder meetings in April to solicit comments on crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard. The agency seeks information from the public on the usefulness of certifying operators for different capacities of cranes, and the risks of allowing an operator to operate all capacities of cranes within a specific type.

OSHA will hold separate meetings on April 2 and 3, 2013 at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.