Cranes and Crane Operators and Construction Work

Cranes and Crane Operators 

and Construction Work 

Larry Markee, Crane Technical Specialist 

Department Of Labor and Industries 

Division of Occupational Safety and Health

November 16, 2006

Objectives 

• Review Phase One 

• Identify where Washington’s current rule could 

be impacted by OSHA rule 

• Steve’s presentation will contain overview of 

OSHA’s new crane and derricks standard 

3

The New Construction Crane Rule 

•Phase One: 

Crane Certification 

Crane Certifiers 

Operator Qualifications January 1, 2010 

•Phase Two: 

Adopt OSHA’s Crane Rule 

Address and update 

Part L of Chapter 296-155 

Safety Standards for Construction Work

Scope 

This crane safety rule applies to poweroperated 

cranes and derricks used in 

construction that can hoist, lower and 

horizontally move a suspended load 

(with or without attachments).

•Phase one 


Crane Operator Qualifications 

Crane Certifier Accreditation

Mobile 

Cranes 

Lattice 

Boom 

Cranes

Rough-Terrain 

Cranes 

Fixed Cab 

Hydraulic Cranes

Articulating Boom Cranes 

Operator certification

Tower Cranes

Derricks

What’s Excluded ? 

The following equipment is exempt from 

Annual Crane certification 

& 

Operator Certification

Mechanic’s 

truck when 

used for 

equipment 

maintenance 

or repair 

work 

Exempt

Certification Not Required 

Cranes with 

a maximum 

capacity of 

one ton or 

less. 

Service 

trucks with 

booms that 

rotate 

manually

Does not fall under the New standard 

Service trucks 

(digger derricks) 

specifically 

designed for power 

line work 

Note: 

This could change

Excavators

Backhoes

Telehandlers / Forklifts

Drilling 

Rigs

Machines with booms that 

are limited to up & down 

movement only and does 

not rotate 

Pump hoists 

with booms 

that do not 

rotate

Crane & Operator Certification Not Required 

When….. 

Used in manufacturing facilities or powerhouses 

while used in routine maintenance and repair work

Maintenance in Manufacturing 

• Maintenance or repair work? 

• Occasional or routine? 

• Regular, customary, and foreseeable work 

necessary to keep equipment in good repair? 

• If this answer is "yes", then the rule would not 

apply. 

• If this answer is "no", then the rule would apply. 

22


Requirements 

•Certification 

•Annual Inspection 

•Proof Load Test 

Mobile 

Articulating Cranes 

**Tower Cranes (annual certification and after each 

assembly, jumping, etc.)

Certification Requirements 

Mobile Crane Components 

Quadrennial Proof Load Test / Annual 

Inspection 

Crane Components 

Boom Sections 

Back Mask Sections 

Luffing Booms 

Jibs and Jib Sections

Temporary certificate 

of operation. 

Accredited crane certifiers will issue a 

temporary certificate of operation if upon 

inspection and load proof testing no 

deficiencies were found that would affect the 

safe operation of the crane. 

WAC 296-155-53114 (1) 

A copy of the crane worksheet, completed by 

the accredited certifier will act as a temporary 

certificate of operation until the annual 

certificate of operation is issued by the 

Department. 

The temporary or annual certificate of 

operation must be posted in the operator's cab 

or with the operator's manual. 

WAC 296-155-53114 (7)

Crane / Component 

Identification Sticker 

7 0 5 4 3 2 1 

Sky-High Cranes INC. 

Morr-Gra 

57 M-G C 

04191952 G-M 

Sky-High # 42 

Boom Tip

Annual 

Text/Examination 

Certificate 

Certificates of operation issued by the 

department under the crane 

certification program established in 

this section are valid for one year from 

the effective date of the temporary 

operating certificate issued by the 

certified crane inspector. 

The annual certificate of operation 

must be posted in the operator's cab 

or with the operator’s manual 

WAC 296-155-53114(7)

Construction Crane Operators 

Qualifications & Requirements

Operator Qualifications & Certification 

• The crane operator must: 

• Have a valid crane operator certificate, for the 

type of crane to be operated, issued by a crane 

operator testing organization accredited by a 

nationally recognized accrediting agency; and 

• Has crane hours of experience as shown in 

Table 1; and 

• Passed a substance abuse test conducted by a 

recognized laboratory. 

» WAC 296-155-53300(1)(a)

Accredited Crane Operator Testing 

Organizations 

• National Commission for the Certification of 

Crane Operators (NCCCO) http://nccco.org/ 

• Crane Institute of America Certification (CIC) 

http://www.craneinstitutecertification.com/ 

• National Center for Construction Education 

and Research (NCCER) http://www.nccer.org/ 

• Operating Engineers Certification Program 

http://www.iuoe.org/Training/nbsp/tabid/215/Default.aspx

Crane Operator Testing Originations 

National Commission for the 

Certification of Crane Operators 

National Center for Construction 

Education and Research 

Crane Institute of America Certification 

Operating Engineers Certification 

Program.

Crane Operator Certification Card

Crane Categories and Types 

• Lattice Boom Truck Crane 

– LBT- 

• Lattice Boom Crawler Crane 

– LBC 

• Large Telescopic Boom Crane 

– TLL- (Swing Cab) 

• Small Telescopic Boom Crane 

– TSS- (Fixed Cab) 

• Tower Crane 

– TOW- 

• Articulating Boom Crane 

Operator 

– ABC ( with hook) 

– ABL ( with forks) 

– ABW (with winch) 

• Overhead Crane 

– OVR-

Crane Operator Hours 

of Experience 

Table 1

Actual Operating Hours 

Time while the operator is: 

At the controls 

Has direct control of the crane 

Operating hours within the same crane type 

Installing/removing boom sections 

Extending and retracting outriggers/stabilizers 

Leveling crane, and replacing hoisting rope

Related Crane Experience 

•Time as a signalman/bellman, oiler, crane 

mechanic, crane inspector 

•Formal classroom training, crane 

simulator operation, and 

•A combination of operating hours on other 

categories of cranes

Crane Operator Hours 

For crane operating and crane related 

experience, the employer may accept a 

declaration from the crane operator 

attesting to actual hours of crane 

operator experience and crane related 

experience separated out by crane type 

and capacity

Declaration of 

Operator Hours 

The employer must 

obtain documentation 

showing hours of crane 

operator experience and 

crane related experience 

separated out by crane 

type and capacity. 

http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/LicensingReq/ConstructionCranes/default.asp#2

OSHA Cranes & Derricks Subpart 

CC

OSHA’s Crane Rule 

• Scope 

• Definitions 

• Ground Conditions 

• Assembly/Disassembly 

• Power Line Safety 

• Inspections 

• Wire Rope 

• Safety Devices 

• Operational Aids 

• Operation 

• Authority To Stop 

• Signals 

• Fall Protection 

• Work Area Control 

• Keeping Clear Of The Load 

• Free Fall/ Controlled Load Lowering 

• Operator Qualification and 

Certification 

• Signal Person Qualifications 

• Qualifications of Maintenance and Repair 

Workers 

• Training 

• Hoisting Personnel 

• Multiple Crane/Derrick Lifts 

• Design, Construction and Testing 

• Equipment Modification 

• Tower Cranes 

• Derricks 

• Floating Cranes & Land Cranes on 

Barges 

• Overhead and Gantry Cranes 

• Dedicated Pile Drivers 

• Sideboom Cranes 

• Requirements for Equipment w/ Capacity 

of 2000 lbs and Less 

40

OSHA 

• Crane Operator 

Qualifications 

• OPTION 1: 

Accredited Testing Organization 

• OPTION 2: 

Employer Qualification 

Program 

Washington State 



• Accredited Testing 

Organization 

• OPTION 3: 

U.S. Military 

• OPTION 4: 

State/Local Government License 

41

OSHA 



– Phased in over four years – 

August 9, 2014 




• Current Requirement 

42

OSHA 

• Forklift Exemption 

• Exemption: 

Powered industrial trucks (forklifts), 

except when configured to hoist 

and lower (by means of a winch or 

hook) and horizontally move a 

suspended load. 


• Forklift Exemption 

• Current Exemption: 

Powered industrial trucks 

(forklifts). 

43

OSHA 

• Digger Derrick 

Exemption 


Digger derricks when used for 

augering holes for poles carrying 

electric and telecommunication 

lines, placing and removing the 

poles, and for handling associated 

materials to be installed on or 

removed from the poles 


• Digger Derrick 

Exemption 

• Current Exemption: 

Service trucks with mobile 

lifting devices designed 

specifically for use in the 

power line and electric 

service industries or handling 

associated materials 

44

OSHA 

• Articulating Boom Truck 


Articulating/knuckle-boom truck 

cranes that deliver material to a 

construction site when used to 

transfer materials from the crane 

to the ground or on to the building 

structure. 

• This does not include load which 

are suspended during the 

unloading 


• Articulating Boom Truck 

• No exemption 

45

Where we are and What’s ahead 

• Total Construction cranes certified - 

2013 

• This includes: 

– Mobile Cranes - 1642 

– Articulating - 272 

– Tower - 48 

– Overhead - 47 

– Derricks - 4 

» Aug2010


• Since January 1, 2010 

– 185 crane inspections 

– 80 uncertified cranes 

– 49 uncertified crane operators 

– Most of these inspections were 

due to complaints and referrals. 

47


• Currently we reviewing OSHA’s adopted 

crane rule. 

• Merging their document into our proposed 

crane rule 

48


• Washington’s proposed crane rule will 

include: 

• OSHA’s requirements 

• Requirements for “self-erecting tower 

cranes” 

• Rigging – below the hook lifting devices 

49


• Before rule can be finalized 

• Small Business Economic Impact 

Statement (SBEIS) 

• Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) 

• Target until late summer or early fall of 2011 

50

Questions? 

Contact: 

Larry Markee 

(360) 902-4553 

Mala235@lni.wa.gov

Cranes and Crane Operators and Construction Work

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?