Final rule stage set for C-DAC standard

The long awaited revision of the cranes and derricks in construction standard has entered the final rule stage in the USA.

Estimates of the costs and benefits are still under development but the final rule is scheduled for approval by July 2010. As published in the 7 December Federal Register, industry stakeholders asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to update the cranes and derricks portion of subpart N (29 CFR 1926.550), specifically requesting that negotiated rulemaking be used.

In 2002 OSHA published its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee. A year later the Cranes and Derricks Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (C-DAC) was established. In July 2004 the committee reached consensus on all issues, resulting in a final consensus document.

Since then, Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association, which had representatives on the committee, has advocated that the consensus agreement be adopted as the final rule to replace the last (1971) version of the standard.