The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a new rule addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction, which will replace a decades-old standard. Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the rule. Under this new rule, riggers and signal persons will have to meet specific training requirements.
ABC’s Safety Day 2011 at the Dayton Convention Center will be providing the Qualified Rigger and Signal Person Training as part of the 2-day conference in January. Fact Sheets on recently posted on OSHA’s website highlight the new training requirements.
Qualified Rigger
When is a qualified rigger required? Employers must use qualified riggers during hoisting activities for assembly and disassembly work (1926.1404(r)(1)). Additionally, qualified riggers are required whenever workers are within the fall zone and hooking, unhooking, or guiding a load, or doing the initial connection of a load to a component or structure (1926.1425(c)).
Do qualified riggers have to be trained or certified by an accredited organization or assessed by a third party?
No. Riggers do not have to be certified by an accredited organization or assessed by a third party. Employers may choose to use a third party entity to assess the qualifications of the rigger candidate, but they are not required to do so.
Qualified Signal Person
When is a signal person required? A signal person is required when:
The point of operation is not in full view of the operator (1926.1419(a)).
The operator’s view is obstructed in the direction the equipment is traveling.
Either the operator or the person handling the load determines that a signal person is needed because of site-specific safety concerns.
Employers must use one of the following options to ensure that a signal person is qualified (see 1926.1428).
- Third party qualified evaluator. The signal person has documentation from a third party qualified evaluator showing that he or she meets the qualification requirements.
- Employer’s qualified evaluator (not a third party). The employer’s qualified evaluator assesses the individual, determines the individual meets the qualification requirements, and provides documentation of that determination. This assessment may not be relied on by other employers.
Mark your calendars for January 19 & 20 for Safety Day 2011 at the Dayton Convention Center! Look for more information to be posted in upcoming QuickLinks!