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Well, here's another state that can't wait for OSHA to pass Crane Safety Reform Legislation. Texas HB 1807 was reported out of committee on 4/1/09 and will be scheduled for public comment. The bill itself isn't all that onerous, but their proposal to have crane operators, riggers and signal persons certified by 1/1/10 is just a little aggressive. Especially since there seems to be no companion bill in the Texas State Senate.
Another concern is for the necessity of the legislation. Not that we don't need meaningful crane safety rules, certification, etc., but OSHA is working on a national regulation for the same thing. Texas will run into some of the same problems as the national rulemaking - the lack of enough certification agencies to meet demand.
The other issue of concern is the need for State Legislation on this issue. What happens when OSHA's crane rules go into effect? If a crane operator is certified pursuant to the federal rules, will he/she have to get a state license too?
Anyway, it appears that the public hearing date for this Texas proposal has not yet been named. If you want to follow HB 1807's progress, click here.
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Crane Operator Training and industry standards, OSHS included, have lagged behind the industry’s ability to build higher lifting capacity and longer reaching equipment. The use of computers to help determine safe lifts in the newer cranes should reduce the accidents but this has not happened. The knee jerk reaction in a few states, Texas included, making every Crane Operator Certified or licensed is not necessarily the correct solution. The fact that the NCCCO-National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators testing company will not allow small computers for their load chart written tests is wrong and here is why: NCCCO claims to follow Industry Standards and OSHA Regulations but they do not. NCCCO needs to show where the Standards indicate a Crane lift is a timed event and the use of a small hand held electronic adding/division/subtraction devise is not allowed to interpret load charts. In the interest of safety, NCCCO should allow small calculators during the specialty written tests. Here are two examples of an Industry Standard that NCCCO does not include in their paid for testing and we wonder why: Standard-ASME B30.5-3.1.2(4) Qualifications for Operators; satisfactory completion of a combination written and verbal test on load/capacity chart usage….. During the NCCCO testing, no verbal test on load charts is given. Here is another example NCCCO over looks: Standard-ASME B30.5-3.1.2 (5) satisfactory completion of an operation test demonstrating proficiency in handling the specific crane type, including both prestart and poststart inspection, maneuvering skills, shutdown, and securing procedures…. NCCCO practical testing does not include poststart Crane inspection, securing procedures and maneuvering skills. Taking a test weight through a zigzag course is not a maneuvering skill, is a not practical test and is not applicable in the real world heavy lifting business, especially since it is a timed test. NCCCO is considered a non-profit but you would not know it by the fees they charge. It appears that NCCCO is just another “good Old Boys Club” where the industry experts can gather in various committee meetings and talk “Cranes” . The average cost per Crane Operator for the testing is closer to $5,000 when all is considered: time off work, travel expenses, Crane fees etc . NCCCO claims it will be only $1500 or less and this is another myth expounded by this so called nonprofit organization. I hate to write this however this is one area where the Federal Government need to form and administration agency similar to the FAA-Federal Aviation Administration, that will take over the requirements for heavy equipment and lifting Operators. Here is a name they can use: FCEA-Federal Construction Equipment Administration.
ReplyDeleteOSHA ASME B30.5 2007 Law specifys you must be able to do the basic math. A construction math class at the community college as proof and continual refresher training classes for critical lift software training by employers is very superficial.
ReplyDeleteRigging specs needs to be addressed by all partys involved also.
It must enable higher premium wages for such a knowledge base too.
New OSHA 2010 regs shipping now and all states should require licensed opertors and seat time logs are forthcoming and required in a few states now with NCCCO it has been to easy to become a crane operator in a few days of academics for 2 long and accidents have not decreased.
Tests are being revised,
Crane training simulators should be prevelent for operator software updates on all light and heavy lift cranes to allow operators to configure machine computers from brand to brand just like aircraft. with familarity and increased safety margins
Final 2010 OSHA Crane and Derricks in Construction rules shipping now for 7/31/2010.
ReplyDeleteOSHA staff have been working diligently to finalize rules addressing hazards associated with crane operations.
The new rules are finalized as proposed, it is one of the largest overhaul of national€safety regulations in the Agencys history.
OSHA old existing rules for cranes in construction took up only a few pages of the Code of Federal Regulations with several cross-references to outdated national consensus standards.
The new 2010 rules and preamble, in contrast, fill out 250 densely packed pages of the Federal Register.
The rules contain over 40 separate sections of detailed requirements in such areas as crawler,hydro,tower,crane assembly,crane operation,maintainance,inspections,rigging,seat time log books and signaling for operators,oiler,rigger,signalperson,driver, training and licensing certifications.