Fairfax, VA – Despite Colorado and Washington state legalizing small quantities of marijuana for recreational use, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has announced that its substance abuse policy still prohibits workers from using the drug.

Strong interest in two upcoming OSHA stakeholder meetings on crane operator certification requirements has prompted the agency to add a third.

Washington – Demolition and underground construction employers must follow the same requirements for crane and derrick use as those in other construction sectors, OSHA said in a final rule issued April 23.

Washington – OSHA has proposed delaying the compliance date for crane operator certification while the agency considers a potential rulemaking that would address concerns about the requirements.

Washington – A new final rule from OSHA expands the exemption for digger-derrick operations in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.

Final rule expands OSHA’s digger-derrick exemption and the agency launches its annual heat campaign in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

With a deadline looming, OSHA is under pressure to resolve crane operator certification issues.

Washington – OSHA is proposing to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification to Nov. 10, 2017, in response to concerns raised during a series of stakeholder meetings.

Washington – Stakeholders are invited to participate in an informal OSHA hearing on May 19 in Washington to discuss a proposal to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification requirements.

Washington – OSHA is delaying by three years its certification requirements for crane operators, the agency announced in a final rule published Sept. 25.

Washington – OSHA has issued a new compliance directive to help guide inspectors in the enforcement of the agency’s updated Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.

Washington – A new coalition composed of 10 leading construction industry organizations is calling on OSHA to revise and finalize certain certification requirements for crane operators “well ahead” of the 2017 deadline.

Portland, OR – A hazard alert from the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program emphasizes the importance of abiding by the manufacturer’s instructions for construction equipment and building materials.

Washington – OSHA will not issue citations to employers whose monorail hoists fail to comply with requirements in the Crane and Derricks in Construction Standard – as long as they adhere to other regulations, the agency announced in a recent memorandum.

Washington – OSHA is seeking a one-year delay on crane operator certification requirements scheduled to go into effect in November.

Washington — A new fact sheet from OSHA is intended to help protect workers from hazards associated with shipboard pedestal cranes.

Washington — OSHA is moving to finalize changes to its crane operator certification requirements, according to a proposed rule published in the May 21 Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA is giving stakeholders until July 5 to comment on its proposed rule for crane operator certification requirements, the agency announced June 15.

Washington — As part of a settlement agreement, OSHA has issued a proposed rule that would grant exemptions to its Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard for work on or along railroad tracks.

Washington — OSHA is giving stakeholders another 30 days to comment on its proposed update of crane operator certification requirements, the agency announced in the July 30 Federal Register.

Washington — The Department of Labor’s regulatory agenda for fall 2018, released Oct. 17, contains few changes for OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Houston — When OSHA revised its rules for reporting severe injuries in 2014, agency officials were not sure what to expect, Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, said Monday during the “OSHA Current Activities Update” Technical Session at the 2018 National Safety Council Congress & Expo.

Washington — OSHA has released a preview of the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements, days ahead of the final rule’s expected publication in the Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA is set to publish the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements in the Nov. 9 Federal Register.

Fairfax, VA — The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has published three employer guides on OSHA’s updated crane operator requirements, a final rule scheduled to go into effect Dec. 10.

Washington — Employers who make “good faith efforts” to document their evaluations of crane operators have an additional 60 days to comply with OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Certification Extension, according to a Feb. 7 enforcement memorandum from the agency.

It has taken many years, but OSHA’s construction crane operator requirements are finalized and nearly in full effect.

Tumwater, WA — A new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries outlines the roles, responsibilities and procedures of erecting and dismantling tower cranes.

Fairfax, VA — The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators no longer will require a physical evaluation for workers to be eligible to take its certification exams. Instead, beginning Jan. 1, NCCCO will rely on employers to determine whether their workers are physically qualified to operate the equipment.

Washington — OSHA has issued a temporary enforcement policy for the construction industry after being informed by the Sanford, FL-based Crane Institute Certification that the organization no longer is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as required under section 1926.1427(d) of OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.

Fairfax, VA — Virtual reality could provide a reliable measure in predicting a candidate’s ability to pass a crane certification exam, results of a recent study published by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators indicate.

Silver Spring, MD — A toolbox talk recently published by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training features guidance on planning a safe lift with a crane.

Gaithersburg, MD — Using an equation they derived while studying the “motion of a so-called torsional pendulum,” researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found a “surprising link” between the equation and the work of crane operators on construction sites.

Silver Spring, MD — Roughly half of the fatal workplace injuries related to electricity exposure in a recent 10-year period occurred in construction, according to a new report from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Oakland, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health – also known as Cal/OSHA – is reminding employers to protect workers from unhealthy air resulting from wildfire smoke.

Columbia, SC — South Carolina OSHA has announced its plan to adopt a standard on infectious diseases in the workplace, including COVID-19.

Salem, OR — Extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest this summer has spurred Oregon OSHA to launch a Local Emphasis Program aimed at preventing heat-related illness.

Salem, OR — In response to “the extraordinary hazards that have been exacerbated by climate change,” Oregon OSHA has adopted a pair of emergency temporary rules that increase worker protections against wildfire smoke and high heat in employer-provided housing.

Washington — OSHA has warned Arizona, South Carolina and Utah to adopt their own version of the agency’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 for health care workers or face possible revocation of their State Plan status, according to multiple reports.

Sacramento, CA — Additional revisions to California’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 have been adopted by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, to include the California Department of Public Health’s latest recommendations for reducing the spread of the disease.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a Spanish-language online training course on bloodborne pathogens for health care, emergency response, hospitality and other industries.

Oakland, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is requesting nominations for members to serve on its recently established advisory committee focused on the safety and health of household domestic service workers.

Sacramento, CA — A new initiative spearheaded by a California Department of Industrial Relations task force is aimed at ensuring employers on publicly funded construction sites are following labor laws and providing workers’ compensation insurance.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA is seeking public comment on proposed rules that would increase worker protections against extreme heat and wildfire smoke, calling them “the strongest such protections in the nation.”

Washington — Citing Arizona’s “pattern of failures to adopt and enforce standards and enforcement policies at least as effective” as those used by OSHA, the agency is proposing to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval of the state’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a free online training course on silica hazards for Spanish-speaking workers.

Washington — OSHA has extended until July 5 the deadline to comment on its proposal to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status.

Oakland, CA — Two fact sheets, along with an updated FAQ document, from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health highlight the latest revisions to the state’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 – adopted April 21 by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has adopted permanent rules intended to safeguard workers from extreme heat and wildfire smoke, calling them “the most protective of their kind in the United States.”

Washington — A State Plan covering Massachusetts’ state and local government employees is a step closer to reality after OSHA recently published a proposed rule outlining its initial approval.