The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration
today announced that it is issuing a new rule addressing the use of cranes and
derricks in construction, which will replace a decades-old standard.
Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification
establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the rule
published today.

"The significant number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes in
construction led the Labor Department to undertake this rulemaking," said
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "After years of extensive research,
consultation and negotiation with industry experts, this long overdue rule will
address the leading causes of fatalities related to cranes and derricks,
including electrocution, boom collapse and overturning."

The previous rule, which dated back to 1971, was based on 40-year-old
standards. Stakeholders from the construction industry recognized the need to
update the safety requirements, methods and practices for cranes and derricks,
and to incorporate technological advances in order to provide improved
protection for those who work on and around cranes and derricks.

"The rule addresses critically important provisions for crane operator
certification, and crane inspection, set-up and disassembly," said Assistant
Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "Compliance with the rule will
prevent needless worker injuries and death, and provide protection for the
public and property owners."

The new rule is designed to prevent the leading causes of fatalities, including
electrocution, crushed-by/struck-by hazards during assembly/disassembly,
collapse and overturn. It also sets requirements for ground conditions and
crane operator assessment. In addition, the rule addresses tower crane hazards,
addresses the use of synthetic slings for assembly/disassembly work, and
clarifies the scope of the regulation by providing both a functional
description and a list of examples for the equipment that is covered.

In 2003, the secretary of labor appointed 23 experienced Cranes and Derricks
Advisory Committee members representing manufacturers and trade associations,
who met 11 times until a consensus on the regulatory text was reached in July
2004. The proposed rule was published Oct. 9, 2008, and the public was invited
to submit comments until Jan. 22, 2009. Public hearings were held in March
2009, and the public comment period on those proceedings closed in June 2009.
OSHA staff incorporated input from the public comments and testimony to develop
the final regulatory text.

More info

AplusA-online.de - Source: U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration