With the publication of OSHA's final rule for cranes and derricks in construction in December of 2018, employers are now required to evaluate their operators in order to qualify them on the specific equipment they are running.
This duty is in addition to the requirement that operators be certified by a nationally accredited certification organization. Why do we need to qualify operators who are already certified? Because the certification process is meant to be a general assessment of baseline knowledge and skills, but it can’t possibly be customized enough to make sure your operators are qualified to run every piece of equipment they run and every task they might be asked to perform. According to Crane Hotline Magazine’s November 9th press release: “Certification would be like passing the test to get an automobile driver’s license. Evaluation of competence would be like an employer making sure a licensed driver has the skill and experience to drive the company’s fully-loaded pickup truck on ice and snow before letting him or her drive in the winter.”
You can read more about the specifics of this requirement in our winter 2019 newsletter here.
For companies that do not have the resources to evaluate and qualify their operators in-house, or who simply prefer to have professional help, we are available on an hourly consulting basis. Call or email Anna at 803-557-0583,
