The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, provides a range of guidelines designed to keep workers safe on the job. As of May 2018, OSHA printed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding construction cranes and derricks. The goal was to provide clarification on employer responsibilities regarding crane operator safety. Sigalarm is deeply concerned with this topic. Read on to learn about the latest OSHA operator certification rules, along with the SC&RA’s response to the changes being proposed.

Understanding OSHA Operator Certification Rules

OSHA has always required the men and women who operate heavy machinery to possess special certification. However, according to the new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, construction employers must now take additional steps to evaluate their crane operators to ensure they are competent. This process could involve training, certification, or licensing, among other responsibilities.

Understanding the SC&RA Response

Recently, SC&RA issued a response to the proposed OSHA changes. An international trade group, the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA) is made up of more than 1,300 individuals in dozens of countries. These individuals work in the fields of machine moving, industrial maintenance, crane operations, and more.

While the SC&RA has always believed in an employer’s responsibility to train its operators, the organization pushed back against the idea of using a prescriptive list for evaluation. SC&RA also argued against the use of third-party evaluations. Instead, SC&RA feels that employers should assess worker ability individually to ensure each person is uniquely qualified for his or her role.

Let Sigalarm Keep Your Workers Safe on the Job

Proper machine operation is a key part of preserving worker safety. At Sigalarm, we believe using and implementing proximity alarms is another crucial way to prevent accidents and avoid injury while operating equipment. Electrocution is among the leading causes of death in the construction industry; that’s why we strive to be the world leader in power line warning systems. Our goal is to safeguard both lives and equipment by preventing unintended power line contact.

Ready to learn more about Sigalarm products? Call today or shop our selection online.