After our recent Aquanotes article on new OSHA rulings, we decided it to be beneficial to create a page with the links to relevant OSHA rulings that you may need to be aware of. 

When is a qualified rigger required?

Employers must use qualified riggers during hoisting activities for assembly and disassembly work (1926.1404(r)(1)). Additionally, qualified riggers are required whenever workers are within the fall zone and hooking, unhooking, or guiding a load, or doing the initial connection of a load to a component or structure (1926.1425(c (OSHA Cranes Qualified Rigger Fact Sheet)

Crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule 79: 57785-57798.  The rule as we understand it will go into effect on November 10, 2017 and will affect our members who own or operate cranes.   Crane operator in order to become certified will be required to go through a rigorous 40 training course to become certified.  Certification and training can run upwards of $1,000.00 per person to obtain this certification.     

“OSHA is publishing this final rule to extend for three years the employer duty to ensure crane operator competency for construction work, from November 10, 2014, to November 10, 2017. OSHA also is extending the enforcement date for crane operator certification for three years from November 10, 2014, to November 10, 2017. After publishing the final rule for cranes and derricks in construction, several entities informed OSHA that crane operator certification was insufficient for determining whether an operator could operate their equipment safely on a construction site. After hosting several public meetings addressing this issue, OSHA decided the extension is necessary in order to allow the Agency to examine and determine how to address this issue systematically.”  

To read the full rule, click here.