When construction equipment causes one too many serious injuries and fatalities in a matter of months, one of two things happen: One is that government officials remind employers to review their safety policies in the workplace. The other is that they take a big leap and release new workplace safety rules.
Much to the relief of safety advocates, the federal government has finally decided to better secure the safety of crane operators. This happened when it opted to go for the second choice, issuing new rules regarding cranes. This is actually the first time in more than 30 years that the U.S. Department of Labor released draft regulations for cranes.
Crane Accident Series
This should not come as a surprise with the several crane accidents that happened in different states within this year. Who would forget the New York tower crane collapse in March that killed seven workers? Ten weeks after that another tragic crane incident hit the same state when a crane collapsed and sent two employees to their death.
Then came July with the bloody accident involving a crane that collapsed and killed four construction workers in a Houston oil refinery. Some weeks after that, a crane with a 9-ton pipe toppled in a West Dallas pump station, injured two workers at the scene.
Sadly, I’m recapping just a few of the crane accidents this year that seriously injured employees and claimed the lives of others.
New Crane Safety Rules
So what’s the new deal with cranes? Well, the federal government announced that they will be requiring crane operators throughout the U.S. to pass a certification test. This test consists of both written and practical tests. In addition to this, they are required to undergo more training.
Based on the new requirements, crane operators would have the following four options in accomplishing a certification:
- Certification through an accredited third-party testing organization
- Qualification through an audited employer testing program
- An American military-issued qualification
- Qualification by a state or local licensing authority
The new rules also aim to implement stricter requirements in:
- inspections of cranes
- inspection of ground conditions
- use of safety devices
- training of crane operators
- operation of cranes near power lines
- assembly and disassembly of cranes
Now let’s cross our fingers that no more crane accident happens while we’re waiting for the finalization of these new rules. Be safe out there, fellows!
