Hoist is told the extension will allow the administration time to address raised concerns about the certification through a new draft of the rules at a later date. The delay will also ensure that the requirements being updated do not "cause disruption to the construction industry."
The proposed extension would also extend the existing phase-in requirement that employers ensure that their operators are qualified to operate the equipment to the same date.
On August 9, 2010 OSHA issued a final standard on requirements for cranes and derricks in construction work. To meet the standard, employers were required to either certify crane operators themselves using an evaluation program that has been approved by a third-party agency, or use a third-party testing agency.
The standard gave crane operators to meet one of four qualification/certification options by Nov. 10, 2014.
However, during a recent meeting hosted by OSHA on the new rules contractors and industry organizations failed to agree on the definitions of "certification" and "qualification" and who has the right to decide whether an operator is qualified or not.
There was also concern over how operators will be tested and what they will be tested on. Many raised the concern that a lot of time and money could be wasted testing crane operators who are, in their employer’s opinion, fully "qualified" to operate but have yet to be certified.
