In an informal public hearing May 19, Steve Wiltshire, vice president and director of corporate safety at ABC member company, ECS Corporate Services, LLC, testified on behalf of ABC on the issue of a proposed rulemaking to extend the compliance date for the crane operator certification requirement by three years to Nov. 10, 2017.

The proposal, issued Feb. 10, was issued in response to concerns on the qualification/certification requirements in regard to the August 2010 cranes and derricks in construction final rule. OSHA requested comments on extending the deadline by three years or extending it indefinitely, which was recommended by OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH).  The extension would continue the current training and qualification mandates that don’t require certification.

ABC submitted comments March 12 to OSHA supporting ACCSH’s recommendation of postponing the certification indefinitely until OSHA has clarified the “type” and “capacity” issue and continuing the same employer duties for that same period. Stating that by extending the compliance deadline indefinitely, OSHA will alleviate any confusion among employers, as OSHA, in cooperation with its industry partners, will be able to clarify the requirements for operator certification and then set a new certification deadline.

During the hearing, Wiltshire, who also participated in OSHA’s Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee (C-DAC), which helped OSHA write the existing rule, reiterated many of the points made in ABC’s comments, and encouraged the agency to consult with industry partners to arrive at a mutually agreeable interpretation in regard to the certification process.

ABC will provide any updates on an extension of the crane operator certification in Newsline.