North Carolina standard in on 1 October

The new North Carolina Crane Safety Standard will take effect 1 October. It is intended to protect the safety and health of crane operators, construction workers and the general public in the US state.

"This is another great example of what can be accomplished when the public sector and private industry work together to accomplish a common goal," said Cherie Berry, labor commissioner. "North Carolina has taken a giant step forward toward elevating the safety of crane operators and construction workers across our state by adopting this standard."

Companies that helped develop the final standard include Buckner Companies, Balfour Beatty Construction, Heede Southeast and Skanska.

"This new standard is so important for North Carolina," said Chip Pocock, safety and risk manager at Buckner Companies. "It shows you just how progressive North Carolina is by taking the lead nationally and promulgating this standard. It will clearly benefit all who work in the construction industry and will bring more and better qualified crane operators to our state."

The North Carolina Department of Labor's Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau is offering training classes starting in September across the state to educate workers on the new standard.

Key provisions in the standard include:

1. Expanding the scope of the standard to include the wide range of new types of cranes that have been developed in the last 30 years
2. Having a qualified person to address key hazards associated with crane assembly and disassembly
3. Making sure ground conditions are adequate for setup to help prevent tip-overs
4. Requiring employers to take specific precautions when cranes are near power lines
5. Instituting a certification requirement for crane operators, either through a nationally recognized accrediting agency or through an employer's own qualification programme, which must be approved by a recognized auditor
6. Requiring signal persons to meet specified qualifications
7. Updating requirements for cranes on barges
8. Updating requirements for safety devices, operational aids, signals, specific types of equipment, inspections, wire rope, crushing and overhead hazards, fall protection, and equipment modification.

The standard is available on the Labor Department's website www.nclabor.com