January 2011 - NCCCO has developed a new area of its website dedicated to helping employers, operators, riggers, signalpersons, and others from industry better understand the personnel qualification requirements under federal OSHA's new rules for cranes and derricks in construction.
Understanding the OSHA Rule and How It Affects You compiles numerous resources from OSHA and NCCCO, including the full regulatory text and preamble, historical background of the rule, and fact sheets from OSHA explaining the qualification requirements for each job function. The web page also includes links to original analysis and relevant documents compiled by NCCCO to help employers and employees alike understand the new rules and ensure compliance with the new personnel qualification requirements.
Among the documents available for free download is the NCCCO Guide to OSHA’s Personnel Certification and Qualification Requirements (as Specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC). In addition to the full text of the OSHA rule, this Guide contains NCCCO’s analysis of the specific sections applicable to personnel qualification requirements, along with answers to numerous frequently asked questions submitted to NCCCO.
It also details which cranes are covered by the rule and includes explanatory graphics such as a flowchart for determining exactly under which circumstances a certified operator is required for articulating cranes and loaders. A memo and letter of interpretation from OSHA that clarify the difference between “construction,” to which this rule applies, and “maintenance,” to which it does not, are also included.
NCCCO representatives will continue to have regular meetings with OSHA officials to help apply the new rules and relay concerns from industry. And, as NCCCO receives more questions and clarification about the rule, the frequently asked questions and other resources will be updated with the latest information from OSHA.