Dive Brief:
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Ten construction industry organizations have formed a coalition to protest a pending OSHA requirement that crane operators earn multiple certifications if they operate cranes of various weight capacities.
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The rule, which OSHA has delayed until November 2017, would require a crane operator who is certified to operator a 100-ton crane to get a separate certification to operate a 200-ton crane of the same type, according to a press release from the new Coalition for Crane Operator Safety.
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The group also is objecting to an OSHA rule that would relieve employers of a 44-year-old obligation to train and qualify crane operators. ”Simply having certification does not automatically qualify an operator for any piece of equipment,” Joel Dandrea, executive vice president of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association, a coalition member, said. “Together, we are calling upon OSHA to fix and finalize the crane operator certification requirements, and we intend to work with both the administration and Congress to make this happen.”
Dive Insight:
Until the rules take effect, OSHA has said, employers are responsible for training crane operators, whether they are certified or not.