OSHA Proposes New Rules for Crane Operators

OSHA will be providing new standards by which an employer needs to measure their new hires such as:

• Inspecting the equipment before use
• Traveling with and without a load
• Operating from a barge
• Leveling the crane
• Assesing when a load is unstable
• Making judgment decisions about environmental factors and the wind
• Performing a magnitude of crane lifts
• Hoisting various loads of different weights and sizes
• Operating the crane near exiting power lines

Reading through this list, it may seem as though some of these are a bit far fetched, especially if your company never operates on barges or near power lines. But the thought process (we can try to assume) is much like the FAA, where they require pilots to through similar checks before every flight amongst other things. The new safety requirements and training are opportunities for employers to become more responsible with whom they hire, but this could also lead to additional risk. If the company is now required to train the operators in-house and then an accident occurs, the company will be even more liable than they were before.

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