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NEWS BRIEFS

Date Posted: August 6 2010

OSHA OKs new crane safety rules

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which moves at glacier-like speed when it comes to improving safety regulations, updated its crane safety regulations on July 28.

The existing crane regulations were last updated in 1971, which is an old age similar to that of a number of existing safety-related rules aimed at construction.

“The significant number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes in construction led the Labor Department to undertake this rulemaking,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “After years of extensive research, consultation and negotiation with industry experts, this long overdue rule will address the leading causes of fatalities related to cranes and derricks, including electrocution, boom collapse and overturning.”

OSHA said stakeholders from the construction industry recognized the need to update the safety requirements, methods and practices for cranes and derricks, and to incorporate technological advances in order to provide improved protection for those who work on and around cranes and derricks.

The new rule is designed to prevent the leading causes of fatalities involving the use of cranes and derricks, including electrocution, crushed-by/struck-by hazards during assembly/disassembly, collapse and overturn. It also sets requirements for ground conditions and crane operator assessment. In addition, the rule addresses tower crane hazards, addresses the use of synthetic slings for assembly/disassembly work, and clarifies the scope of the regulation by providing both a functional description and a list of examples for the equipment that is covered.

A 23-member panel of people in the industry experienced in cranes helped write the standards, in a process that began in 2003. Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the rule, which becomes effective Nov. 8

The Engineering News Record called the rule “one of the most important federal construction safety actions in years.”

OSHA estimates that the regulation will prevent 22 fatalities and 175 non-fatal injuries per year. The rule will mandate the institution and standardization of certification requirements for crane operators. Operators will be required to be certified for the type of equipment they are using, and other crane-related workers, including riggers, will have to be qualified.