What You Need to Know About Crane Operator Evaluations

In April 2019, the final piece of the OSHA Cranes & Derricks Standard 29CFR 1926.1400 came into effect. This requires employers to conduct evaluations of crane operators to ensure that they are certified and qualified. If an employer is not conducting evaluations of their crane operators, they are not in compliance with OSHA.

Once the operator has been successfully evaluated for the necessary skills and knowledge for the size and configuration of the crane they plan to operate, they may operate similar equipment. In order to do so, it must be determined that it does not require considerably different skills, knowledge, or ability to recognize and avert risk.

Operators must demonstrate their skills and knowledge, which includes understanding of crane
configuration, counterweight setup, use of safety devices and operational aids, and other items.

The OSHA Crane & Derricks standard 29CFR 1926.1400 took almost 10 years to fully come into effect. Rigger & Signal persons had to be qualified by November 2010 and crane operators had to be certified by November 2017. The final piece, the requirement to evaluate operators, is now also in force.

Best Practices

• 1926.1427(f) requires that employers conduct an evaluation of each crane operator to ensure he/she is qualified.
• Items to be evaluated include: skills and knowledge of safety devices, operational aids and software; understanding the size and configuration of the crane to be operated, including lifting capacity, boom length, attachments and counterweight set-up. The evaluation must also cover the operator’s ability to perform the hoisting activities required to perform their tasks, and if applicable, blind lifts, personnel platforms and multi-crane lifts.
• Evaluations must be conducted by someone who has the “knowledge, training, and experience necessary” to assess the operators.
• The documented evaluation must be available at the worksite and include the name of the operator and evaluator, the date of the evaluation, make, model and configuration of the crane used in the evaluation.
• To be in compliance with OSHA, all operators must be certified and evaluated.

Resources:
OSHA Enforcement Memo
Free Operator Evaluation Form
Operator Qualification final rule
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.1427

This Safety Flash was contributed by Bryan McClure, Senior Safety Consultant, Trivent Safety Consulting in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety Committee. It is designed to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues and to provide suggestions for reducing risk. Best practices are gathered from a variety of sources. They may be more or less stringent than individual corporate policies, and are not intended to be an official recommendation from SEAA. Always get approval and direction from your company officers on any new practice or procedure as these best practices may not work for all situations.  
 
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