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PCCA Journal|1

st

Quarter 2011

39

T

he U.S. Department of

Labor’s Occupational Safety

and Health Administration

(OSHA) released the follow-

ing fact sheet about its new standard ad-

dressing the use of cranes and derricks

in construction and replacing a decades

old standard. OSHA has also posted

more specific fact sheets on assembly

and disassembly, operator qualification

and certification, signal person qualifica-

tion, and qualified riggers as well as a

frequently asked questions page. They

are at www.osha.gov/cranes-derricks/

index.html.

One issue not addressed in the fact

sheet is exclusions, i.e., what is not

defined as a crane. On this subject, the

final rule states:

“Exclusions. This subpart does not

cover:

1.

Machinery included in paragraph a.

of this section while it has been con-

verted or adapted for a non-hoisting/

lifting use. Such conversions/adap-

tations include, but are not limited

to, power shovels, excavators, and

concrete pumps.

2.

Power shovels, excavators, wheel

loaders, backhoes, loader backhoes,

track loaders. This machinery is also

excluded when used with chains,

slings, or other rigging to lift sus-

pended loads.

3.

Automotive wreckers and tow trucks

when used to clear wrecks and haul

vehicles.

4.

Digger derricks when used for auger-

ing holes for poles carrying electric

and telecommunication lines, placing

and removing the poles, and for han-

dling associated materials to be in-

stalled on or removed from the poles.

Digger derricks used in work subject

to 29 CFR part 1926, subpart V, must

comply with 29 CFR 1910.269. Digger

derricks used in construction work

for telecommunication service as de-

fined at 29 CFR 1910.268(s)40)) must

comply with 29 CFR 1910.268.

5.

Machinery originally designed as

vehicle-mounted aerial devices (for

lifting personnel) and self-propelled

elevating work platforms.

6.

Telescopic/hydraulic gantry systems.

7.

Stacker cranes.

8.

Powered industrial trucks (forklifts)

except when configured to hoist and

lower (by means of a winch or hook)

and horizontally move a suspended

load.

9.

Mechanic’s truck with a hoisting

device when used in activities related

to equipment maintenance and

repair.

10.

Machinery that hoists by using a

come-a-long or chainfall.

11.

Dedicated drilling rigs.

12.

Gin poles when used for the erection

of communication towers.

13.

Tree trimming and tree removal

work.

14.

Anchor handling or dredge-related

operations with a vessel or barge us-

ing an affixed A-frame.

15.

Roustabouts.

16.

Helicopter cranes.”

Following is from the OSHA fact sheet:

In 1998, OSHA’s expert Advisory Com-

mittee on Construction Safety and Health

(ACCSH) established a workgroup to

develop recommended changes to the

current standard for cranes and derricks.

In December 1999, ACCSH recommend-

ed that the agency use negotiated rule-

making to develop the rule. The Cranes

and Derricks Negotiated Rulemaking

Committee (C-DAC) was convened in

July 2003 and reached consensus on its

draft document in July 2004. In 2006,

ACCSH recommended that OSHA use the

C-DAC consensus document as a basis

for OSHA’s proposed rule, which was

published in 2008. Public hearings were

held in March 2009, and the public com-

ment period on those proceedings closed

in June 2009.

The rule became effective 90 days

after August 9, 2010, the date the final

rule was published in the Federal Reg-

ister. Certain provisions have delayed

effective dates ranging from 1 to 4

years.

The final rule was published on Au-

gust 9, 2010, by the Federal Register,

and can be found at www.osha.gov/

FedReg_osha_pdf/FED20100809.pdf.

A copy of the regulatory text is avail-

able at www.osah.gov/doc/cranesreg.

pdf.

This new standard will comprehen-

sively address key hazards related to

cranes and derricks on construction

worksites, including the four main

causes of worker death and injury:

electrocution, crushed by parts of the

equipment, struck-by the equipment/

load, and falls.

Significant requirements in this new

rule include: a pre-erection inspection

of tower crane parts; use of synthetic

slings in accordance with the manu-

facturer’s instructions during assem-

bly/disassembly work; assessment of

ground conditions; qualification or

Safety News

Continued on page 40

Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule