As of February 7, 2019, employers need to evaluate the qualifications of employees to operate mobile cranes. These evaluations must be documented. Additional information on this employer evaluation requirement can be found here on the NCCCO website.
OSHA noted that these evaluation requirements “do not mean that employers must provide novice-level or redundant training when they hire an experienced operator as a new employee. An employee who is an experienced operator may need far less training than a less experienced employee. Employers must determine what level of practical and formal training an operator-in-training would need…to ensure that they develop the skills, knowledge and ability to recognize and avoid risks necessary for safe crane operation in a variety of conditions. Ultimately, the training methods chosen by the employer must be effective and responsive to each operator’s training needs.”
However, in an OSHA memorandum to regional staff, during the first 60 days of enforcement (through April 15, 2019) OSHA inspectors “will evaluate good faith efforts taken by employers in their attempt to meet the new documentation requirements.” OSHA will offer compliance assistance, in lieu of enforcement, for those employers who have evaluated operators but lack all needed documentation. If, upon inspection, employers have not made sufficient efforts to evaluate operators, OSHA can cite for that deficiency.
ISA encourages all member companies to evaluate crane operator employees on each specific size and configuration of equipment that employees may operate. ISA also encourages members to document those signed evaluations and have those records available at the worksite. ISA will soon offer member companies an evaluation template that can be used to satisfy this requirement.
For more information, please contact Kenneth.Peskin@signs.org.
