Federal OSHA has officially issued a final rule setting compliance date for crane operator certification requirements. The extension is granted for a period of one year, ending Nov. 10, 2018. IAMU will continue to conduct Mobile Crane Operator Certification and Examination Classes throughout next year. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Dan Llewellyn (dllewellyn@iamu.org) or Margret Meade (mmeade@iamu.org) at 800.810.4268.

Below is the official OSHA Trade Release:

U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Office of Communications
Washington, D.C.
www.osha.gov
For Immediate Release

November 9, 2017

OSHA Issues Final Rule Setting Compliance Date for Crane
Operator Certification Requirements

WASHINGTON, DC – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued a final rule setting November 10, 2018, as the date for employers in the construction industries to comply with a requirement for crane operator certification. The final rule becomes effective November 9, 2017.

OSHA issued a final cranes and derricks rule in August 2010. After stakeholders expressed concerns regarding the rule’s certification requirements, OSHA published a separate final rule in September 2014, extending by three years the crane operator certification and competency requirements. This one-year extension provides additional time for OSHA to complete a rulemaking to address stakeholder concerns related to the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard.

OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) recommended delaying enforcement of the certification requirement and extending the employer assessment responsibilities for the same period.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).

Federal OSHA is now accepting electronic submissions of injury and illness reports. This requirement affects establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees that are classified in certain industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses. Only these groups are required to create an account and submit information.

To create your account, go to www.osha.gov where the scrolling banner on the homepage consists of 5 different messages. Underneath the messages are 5 gray dots, the message regarding the electronic submission announcement is the first gray dot or you may wait until the messages scroll through. Click on the “learn more here” link and it will take you to the electronic submissions page. It is through this page that you will create an Injury Tracking Application (Launch ITA); this page also provides further guidance on this process and includes a ‘frequently asked questions’ section.

IAMU will continue to monitor and update you with information pertaining to the electronic submission of records rule as it becomes available.

The July 1, 2017 deadline for electronically submitting injury and illness records to OSHA is quickly approaching. OSHA has again proposed extending the electronic submission date required of employers in listed industries or those with 250 or more employees. What’s more, OSHA is not accepting electronic submissions of illness and injury log data at this time.

On, April 3, 2017, President Trump signed into law H.J.RES.83 – Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to “Clarification of Employer's Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness.” This part of the 1904 Recordkeeping Rule required employers to record all illnesses or injuries that met the recordable criteria experienced by employees or former employees within a five-year past window. The rule currently states that the 300 logs and the 300A and 301 forms must be maintained and updated for the previous five years not including the current year.

IAMU will continue to monitor and update you with information about the electronic submission of records rule as it becomes available.