The rule, which also applies to service truck cranes when used in construction, went into effect Dec. 10, 2018, according to a document OSHA published in the Federal Register on Nov. 9.
It requires that operators of cranes of more than 2,000 pounds capacity, when used in construction, be certified by an accredited certification body such as the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, or Crane Institute Certification.
James Singleton, an apprenticeship and training crane instructor with local 18 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, maneuvers a steel weight through a course designed to test the capabilities of service truck crane operators at the 2015 International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition in Louisville, Ky.File photo Keith Norbury
An exception is that employers will have until Feb. 9, 2019 to complete a certification and evaluation process of crane operators, noted a news release from the NCCCO.
The new rule specifically includes “service/mechanic trucks with a hoisting device” but also excludes a “mechanic’s truck with a hoisting device when used in activities related to equipment maintenance and repair.”
Since service trucks are used primarily for repairing and maintaining equipment, the certification requirement seldom applies. However, as NCCCO CEO Graham Brent noted in a recent interview, a service truck crane operator at a job site might be asked to lift construction materials. “And that’s construction,” he said.
The initial deadline of the operator certification requirements — contained in an OSHA standard for construction cranes and derricks called 29 CFR Part 1926 — was November 2014. It was then extended for another three years to November 2017, and by another year to November 2018.
The NCCCO has prepared three employer guides on the training, certification, and evaluation requirements of the new rule. They can be found at http://nccco.org.