OSHA extends certification deadline

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the USA has announced it has issued a final rule to extend both the crane operator certification deadline and the existing employer duty by three years.

The requirements for the Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule, published on 9 August 2010, proposed that the certification requirement deadline was extended by three years to 10 November 2017.

The rule also extends by three years the employer's responsibility to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely. The final rule becomes effective 9 November 2014, the statement said.

During the three-year period, OSHA will address operator qualification requirements for the cranes standards including the role of operator certification, the statement said. The final cranes and derricks rule required crane operators on construction sites to meet one of four qualification certification options by 10 November 2014.

The process of developing a standard to ensure crane operator qualifications has already begun, a spokesperson said.