The American National Standards Institute has put the introduction of certification for crane operators on the US overhead crane industry’s agenda.
Discussions have begun on whether the standards for overhead crane operations should strongly advise or even require all operators to be formally certified. Even a recommendation in the standards would effectively make operator certification obligatory, as failure to follow official guidance has severe legal and financial repercussions in the event of an accident.
Such a change to the US standards, should it happen, would take several years to push through and, in the view of one leading American crane manufacturer, would be fiercely contested by industrial end-users who would regard certification as unnecessary bureaucracy and a burden on their business.
