OSHA to extend crane certification compliance date

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the USA has said it will propose to extend the compliance date for the crane operator certification requirement by three years.

The agency said that it will propose to extend the compliance date so that the qualification and certification requirements do not take effect during potential rulemaking, or cause disruption to the construction industry.

The proposed 10 November 2017 extension comes in the wake of three stakeholder meetings OSHA held on operator certification and qualification issues in April 2013. OSHA issued its final standard on requirements for the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard on 9 August 2010. The standard requires crane operators on construction sites to meet one of four qualification or certification options by 10 November 2014.

Several parties, including certification bodies, training companies and crane end user associations and other groups raised concerns about the qualification and certification requirements. OSHA said that is considering addressing these concerns through a later separate rulemaking.