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OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS BOARD
Article 98, Title 8, Chapter 4
§5006.1. Mobile Crane and Tower Crane-Operator Qualifications and
Certification.
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(a) Qualifications. The employer shall only permit operators who have a
valid certificate of competency (certificate) issued in accordance with this
section by an Accredited Certifying Entity for the type of crane to be used
to operate a crane covered by this section. Certificates shall be issued to
operators who:
(1) Pass a physical examination conducted by a
physician which at a minimum shall include the examination criteria
specified in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B30.5-2000
standard, Chapter 5-3.1.2(a)(1-5, 7, 8) or the U.S. Department of
Transportation (US DOT) physical examination requirements contained in 49
CFR Sections 391.41 through 391.49.
(2) Pass a substance abuse test. The level of testing
shall be consistent with the standard practice for the industry where the
crane is in use and this test shall be conducted by a recognized laboratory
service;
(3) Pass a written examination developed, validated,
and administered in accordance with the Standards for Educational and
Psychological Testing (Copyright 1999) published jointly by the Joint
Committee of the American Educational Research Association, the American
Psychological Association, and the National Council in Measurement in
Education. The exam shall test knowledge and skills identified as necessary
for safe crane operations and shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(A) operational characteristics and controls, including
characteristic and performance questions appropriate to the crane type for
which qualification is sought;
(B) emergency control skills, such as a response to
fire, power line contact, loss of stability, or control malfunction;
(C) a demonstration of basic arithmetic skills
necessary for crane operation and the ability to read and comprehend the
crane manufacturer's operation and maintenance instruction materials,
including load capacity information (load charts) for the crane for which
certification is sought;
(D) knowledge of chapters 5-0 through 5-3 of The
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B30.5-2000 and B30.5a-2002
Addenda to the standard for mobile and locomotive cranes or chapters 4-0
through 4-3 of the ASME B30.4-1996 standard for portal, tower, and pedestal
cranes or Chapter 3-3 of the ASME B 30.3-1996 standard for Construction
Tower Cranes, depending on the type of crane(s) the operator intends to
operate.
(4) Pass a “hands-on” examination to demonstrate
proficiency in operating the specific type of crane, which at a minimum
shall include pre-start and post-start inspection, maneuvering skills,
shutdown, and securing procedures.
(b) Certification. Certificates shall be valid for a
maximum of five (5) years. An Accredited Certifying Entity shall issue the
certificate of competency to operators who successfully demonstrate the
qualifications set forth in (a)(1)-(4) of this section.
(c) Accredited Certifying Entity. A certifying entity
is any organization whose certification program is accredited by the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
(d) Re-certification. Crane operators shall re-certify
every five (5) years and shall be required to meet all of the qualifications
set forth in subsection (a). Operators with at least one-thousand (1,000)
hours of documented experience operating the specific type of crane for
which re-certification is sought as covered by this section during the
immediately preceding certification period and who meet the physical
examination, substance abuse, and written examination requirements set forth
in subsections (a)(1), (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section shall not be
required to take the “hands-on” examination specified in subsection
(a)(4) to re-certify.
(e) Trainees may be authorized to operate mobile or
tower cranes provided they are under the direct supervision of an operator
possessing a valid certificate of competency for the type of crane operated
by the trainee.
The term direct supervision means the supervising
operator is in the immediate area of the trainee and within visual sighting
distance and able to effectively communicate with the trainee. When
performing direct supervision, the supervising operator shall have no other
duties other than to observe the operation of the crane by the trainee.
(f) Effective Date. The requirements of Section 5006.1
shall become effective on
June 1, 2005
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EXCEPTIONS TO SECTION 5006.1:
(1) Mobile cranes having a boom length of less than 25 feet or a maximum
rated load capacity of less than 15,000 pounds.
(2) Operators of electric line trucks as defined in
Section 2700 of the Electrical Safety Orders, and regulated by Section
2940.7 of the High Voltage Electrical Safety Orders.
(3) Marine terminal operations regulated by Article 14
of these Orders.
NOTE Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code.
Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.
Brian Doonan,
President,
Equipment Safety Services, Inc.
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