b'i a_r.,_ _ C o_r_n_ _ ______ ______________ _ _AQ y_\' s _ e_r0 \\Craning for Jobsite Inspections By Gary Auman, MRCA Legal Counsel As aofrecent rash ofthatlicants are still rely should also provide weeklylgate resulttheseveral app taicraneaccidents,OSHAhasing on thethe employee thesafety talks on each job site, along "give announced that it will be increasingsafety program and let h read it"withdaily safetybriefingsbefore im its enforcement efforts on jobsitesapproach to training. This is not anthe start of the day\'s work. Beyond onwhichcranesareused.effectivemethodfortraining.Inthis,rs find that promany employeAlthoughthefocuswilllikelyfact,thismethodoftraininghasviding the OSHA 10-hour class to involvestackercranesandotherbeenrejected by the Occupationalevery employee and the OSHA 30-largeconstructioncranesthatSafety and Health Review Commis hour class to all supervisorspays might not be involved inbusi sionwhenrelieduponbyandividends. your ness, the emphasis by OSHA willemployer in trying to defenditselfThe bottom line is that effective bring them to additional construc against a failureto traincitation.tr notonly assists youin aining Training does nottion sites.YouMUST take the time totraincompliance withstanOSHAdards, Of course, when they get to theeachof your e loyees,person reduction mpstop after the newit can also result in aof site if they observe unsafe acts byally, BEFORE you permit them on aacciden of allWithrkers\' tstypes.woemployee orientation.your employees you will be subjectjob site.compensation costs where they are toinspection,eventhoughyourT ining does not stop afternow,theeliminationofjustone ra the employeesarenotusinganynew employee orientation. We arelost-time accident can return much cranes.As a resultofthisnoticeliving in an age when aismore tothebottomlinethe premiumthan from OSHA youneedtobe extraplaced on safety training by regula costofyoursafety-trainingp rovigilantany site where you havetoryauthorities.Youmusttr gram. onain aif cranes are in.effectively and be able to prove theOfcourse,educatingyour crewuseFrom asafety perspec trainingthroughdocumentation.employees inis on half the generalsafetyly wantder tive, Ito emphasize the impor Effective training, after initial orien battle. The remain of an effective tanceofeffectivetraining.Whilet ion,des but is not limited toprogramisinsafetyauditsand at inclugradingsafety awardapplicationsperiodic training focused on aenforcement. Thesepoin will be par ts fortwoofmytradeassociationticulartopic,perhapstwoto fourcovered in ater ar le. la ticclientsI was disappointedtoseetimes aInyou year.addition to this Safety Engineers American Society of offers Key Crane Safety Information U.S.tistics estimate that between 64 and 82 construction workers are killed and 263 injured each year workstaing around cranes a derricks. American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) members notet cr accidents ndtha ane are more likelycause injuries and/or death than most other types of equipment,to statistics, and that toaccording mustcomes comprehensive training programs for crane operators are awhen itto preventing fatalities and injuries. SafetyGreg An ASSE ProfessionalMarch 2008 web article by ASSE memberPeters titled "Raising the Standard for Crane Safety" notes, "A nationaloperatortification requirement willlead to safer crane operacranecer certainly tions. The first step isensure that operators areing properly trained before attempting to achieve certification." tobe"InCrane and Derricks Negotiateding Advisory Committee (C-DAC) co its dr pro2004, theRulemak mpletedaft posal for aised crane and derrick standard for con tion.draft was then submitted to OSHA," Peters wrote. rev struc The craneato certif atdate, \'The draft standard would create aoper rication requirementthe federal level. To14 states have enacted legislation to require operator certification, but federal OSHA regulations contain no su provision. The ch existing rulecranes and derricks in construction,in 29 CFR Part 1 rt N), dates to 1971 forcodified926.550 (Subpaand is based primarily on industry consensus standards published from 1967 through 1969." In some cases, a firm might qualify for general liability insurance premium discounts forcertified ohavingperators. T National Commission for thertification of Crane Operatorsoffers crane operator certification. heCe (NCCCO) ge Continued on pa 7 5'