                        FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  -  
                  CRANES AND DERRICKS OPERATOR CERTIFICATION 
                           COMPLIANCE DATE EXTENSION
OSHA ANNOUNCED that it will propose changes to the Subpart CC -- Cranes and Derricks that will extend the deadline for crane operator certification by one year, to November 10,  2018.  The following is a set of questions and answers that discuss this proposal and its effects on the construction industry. 
Question #1:	Why is OSHA proposing to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification?
Answer:	OSHA is proposing to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification to ensure it has enough time to complete a rulemaking addressing two issues raised after publication of Subpart CC  -  Cranes and Derricks. 
        First, Subpart CC -- Cranes and Derricks requires that operator certification be by "type and capacity."  The two largest testing organizations have issued certifications by "type" but not "capacity."  These certifications are not currently valid under Subpart CC.  The Agency is concerned that this will disrupt the construction industry severely, both for employers and crane operators who thought their certification would be valid.  
        Second, many crane industry representatives requested that OSHA revise the crane standard to preserve a requirement that employers assess the ability of their operators to run the cranes to which they are assigned. 
        In order to address these issues, OSHA extended the compliance date for crane operator certification by three years, until November 10, 2017.  OSHA now needs one additional year to propose and finalize the rulemaking addressing these issues.
Question #2:	OSHA extended the compliance date in 2014 by three years to November 10, 2017.  What steps has OSHA taken during this period of time to address the stakeholders' issues?
Answer:	After extending the compliance date, OSHA considered options for addressing stakeholders' concerns.  The Agency decided that rulemaking would be necessary for consideration of any revisions of the requirements in the final rule for Subpart CC.  To gather more information, OSHA spoke with over 40 industry representatives about how they currently ensure crane operator competency.  Based on this information, OSHA revised crane operator requirements and presented the draft to the Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health at a meeting on March 31 and April 1, 2015.  Considering feedback from this meeting, OSHA revised the crane operator requirements and preamble language again for the proposed rule.  Several other OSHA standards required significant time and resources from both OSHA and the Solicitor's office, which delayed proposing revised crane operator requirements as early as intended.  OSHA now needs the additional year to ensure that the public is permitted adequate opportunity to evaluate and respond to the proposal. 
Question #3:	What crane operator requirements are in place right now?
Answer:	Currently, OSHA requires employers to: 
           * ensure that operators of cranes covered by the standard are competent to operate the equipment safely; 
           * train their employee prior to operating the equipment when that employee is assigned to operate machinery and does not have the required knowledge or ability to operate the equipment safely; and  
           * ensure that each operator is evaluated to confirm that he/she understands the information provided in the training.
        These are the same requirements that have been implemented since publication of Subpart CC in 2010.  If the proposed rule is finalized, these requirements will remain in place until November 10, 2018.
Question #4:	If a crane operator's certification now only specifies type, but not capacity, will the operator have to get another certification by November 10, 2017, if OSHA's proposed extension takes effect?
Answer:	No. Certification is not currently required because of the previous extension, and OSHA is proposing to extend the compliance date for the operator certification requirements again to November 10, 2018. If this extension is finalized, November 10, 2018, would be the earliest date on which certification would be required.


