NEWS
8
New
co
al
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t
i
o
n ai
m
s
t
o
g
et
cer
t
i
ficat
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o
n i
s
s
u
e r
es
o
l
v
ed
said that on the issueof
certification equaling
qualification, all organizations,
companies, unions and
interestedparties agree that
simplybeing certifieddoes
not automaticallyqualify
anoperator for anypieceof
equipment. “Together,we are
callinguponOSHA to fixand
finalize the craneoperator
certification requirements,
andwe intend toworkwith
both theAdministration
andCongress tomake this
happen,”Dandrea said.
Since all but oneof the42
sections in the2010Standard
havebeenagreedonand
enacted, the industry isnow
waitingonOSHA to correct
the twoprovisions.
GrahamBrent,NCCCO
chief executiveofficer, said
the aimofCCOS is tohelp
ensure theOSHAprovisions
regarding certificationbolster
the construction industry,
rather thanhinder itsprogress.
“WhileOSHAhas confirmed
itwill address these concerns
during the recentlyannounced
three-yeardelay, the industries
supportingCCOShave
created this coalition to ensure
it isdone right anddone
expeditiously,”he said.
Bill Smith, executivevice
president,NBIS, andaC-DAC
member, said the coalition’s
main issuewithOSHA’s
position is that it “ignores the
intent ofC-DAC. Itwasnever
the intent ofC-DAC that crane
operator certification should
be according to the capacityof
the crane, norwas it ever the
intent ofC-DAC to imply that
craneoperator certification
was equal toqualification.”
StephenSandherr,
CEO,AssociatedGeneral
ContractorsofAmerica,
andalsoaCCOSmember,
said, “Adjudicatingoperator
certification requirements
basedon capacitywouldadd
significant new complexity
for employers and their
employeeswithout yielding
anydiscernible improvement
in safety. ”
■
n
ACT
DECEMBER2014
Ar
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as
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w
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Arkansas transportation officials recently announced that themaximum allowableweight on a permitted
tandem-axle group combinationwill increase in the state from40,000 to 46,000 pounds, effective
December 17, 2014. Additionally, driverswill be allowed to carry and display permits electronically on
screenswith at least seven-inch displays. Both changeswere approved inNovember by theArkansas
legislature.
“Weworked closely with theArkansas StateHighway and TransportationDepartment to attain the
increase in tandem allowance, whichwill tremendously benefit our association’smembers and their
customers,” said SC&RAPermit Policy CommitteeChairman Paul Ross, vice president, Keen Transport.
“This commendable change, in combinationwithMissouri’s recent decision to increase its tandem
allowance to 46,000 pounds, suddenly allows transportation to flowmore freely andmore efficiently along
the critical north/south transportation corridor from theMidwest toGulf State ports.”
SC&RA’s Permit Policy Committee has identified the need for 46,000 pounds on tandems as itsNo.
1 priority for the past several years. After themost recent changes, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska and
Tennessee remain the last stateswith a tandemmaximumweight of 40,000 pounds.
Agroupof ten construction
industryorganizations
have formeda coalition
to resolve issueswith full
implementationof the
OSHACranes&Derricks in
Construction standard.
TheCoalition forCrane
Operator Safety (CCOS)
will press toget the standard
implementedbefore the
new2017deadline.CCOS is
workingwithCongress and
theObamaAdministration to
ensure that the craneoperator
certification requirements
in theCranes&Derricks in
ConstructionStandardare
amended.
Onearea indispute is an
interpretation that certification
be requiredbothby crane
type and capacityand the
other is that certification
constitutesqualification.
The final requirementswere
published in2010, however
the industryargued that
these two requirements
are counterproductive and
amisinterpretationof the
intent ofOSHA’sCranes and
DerricksAdvisoryCommittee
(C-DAC).
JoelDandrea, SC&RA
executivevicepresident,
C
o
al
i
t
i
o
n m
em
b
er
s
The Coalition for Crane Operator Safety (CCOS) is a group
of national labor, constructionmanagement, equipment
manufacturers, insurance underwriters, and accredited
certification organizations dedicated to ensuring swift and
effective resolution of the long-awaited OSHA Crane Operator
Certification Standard. Members include:
■
Associated Equipment Distributors (AED)
■
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
■
Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
■
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental
and Reinforcing IronWorkers Union
■
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
■
NationsBuilders Insurance Services, Inc. (NBIS)
■
National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators
(NCCCO)
■
National Center for Construction Education and Research
(NCCER)
■
Operating Engineers Certification Program (OECP)
■
Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA)
