Maryland seeks tighter crane safety regs

July 31, 2008

Proposed crane safety regulations intended to make Maryland a "national model" were released this week.

Maryland's Labor and Industry Commissioner Ron DeJuliis formed a crane safety task force in March and charged the group with the development of regulations for crane operators. Those regulations then would be recommended to the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Board for adoption.

"Maryland is leading the effort to ensure safer conditions for employees working with cranes and through its guidelines will become the national model for others to follow," Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Secretary Thomas Perez said in a July statement.

On Monday, the task force released key points of the regulations it had developed. Requirements include a master-lead rigger supervising all erections, dismantlings and jumps; employers maintaining a written record of training for each crane operator; and employers holding job safety briefings with crews each day involving a jump or tower crane dismantling.

Crane safety has been in the spotlight following a series of deaths and injuries at construction sites throughout the nation this year.