OSHA has published a Proposed Rule that would delay the deadline for crane operator certification by another year until Nov. 17, 2018. The proposed rule is intended to provide additional time for the agency to fix language in the crane rule related to certification by type and capacity, and also define the additional steps OSHA will require to ensure certified operators are qualified.
The current rule is due to come into effect on Nov. 10, 2017, and OSHA is concerned it no longer has sufficient time to address these issues before the current deadline.
A number of industry groups, including NCCCO and the Coalition for Crane Operator Safety, support the delay based on the current language as interpreted by OSHA. They believe it would not have the desired safety benefits and is not in line with the intent of the Cranes and Derricks Advisory Committee (C-DAC) that wrote the original draft of the rule.
OSHA notes in its announcement that the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety & Health (ACCSH) also unanimously recommended earlier this year that OSHA delay the operator certification compliance date.
OSHA is inviting comments on its proposal which must be submitted no later than Sept. 29, 2017. Comments can be submitted electronically at the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal, by fax to the OSHA Docket Office, or by mail.
The full text of the proposed rule for crane operator certification extension and further instructions to submit comment can be found here.
