OSHA will be updating the thirty year old crane standard due to the request of construction companies as well as industry representatives. With advancing technology in the crane industry from years old hydraulics to computers within the past thirty years, safety standards must also fall in line for the safety of anyone involved within the industry.

A rulemaking committee will be organized and is expected to draft a proposal within a year and a half. ANSI B-30.5 standards from the sixties have been the regulation guide for OSHA on crawler cranes. The ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards have been updated through the years for operator qualifications, operation procedures, inspections requirements and manufacturing. OSHA has not kept updates within the industry as ANSI has.

Insurance companies who provide insurance to specialty contractors, Such as Kelley Equipment Company are welcoming the OSHA standard updates. Cranes are an expensive piece of equipment and are considered one of the most costly and dangerous should any type of failures occur on a construction job site. Issues which OSHA hopes to improve upon are placing stricter training requirements on crane operators as well as the organizations’ crane management personnel.

Issues on the job site for making safe picks between construction management and crane operators is well worth addressing. Load charts for mobile cranes should be followed at all times, however supervisors are asking operators to overload cranes so more picks can be made. Currently an operator has the right to refuse making the lift. The right of refusal is a situation OSHA expects to propose a new ruling upon to create an industry standard.

Current OSHA rules do not require operators be certified However industry leaders suggest that OSHA review and rule on not only qualifications but certification as well. The NCCO (National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators) is the only training and certification program OSHA currently recognizes