Interview Reports- Operator Competency Programs
Table of Contents
Interview #1- Concrete Construction Company	1
Interview #2- Crane Rental Company	5
Interview #3- Large National Crane Rental Company	13
Interview #4- U.S. Crane Manufacturer	18
Interview #5- U.S. Crane Manufacturer	22
Interview #6- Crane Rental Company	24
Interview #7- Canadian Certification Authority	32
Interview #8- Large American Construction Contractor	37
Interview #9- Utility (Power Lines) Workers Union	38
Interview #10- Equipment Operator Trainer- incl. Multi-Purpose Forklifts	45
Interview #11- Large American Construction Contractor Firm	47
Interview #12- High-Volume Home Builder	49
Interview #13- Major International Crane Manufacturer	52
Interview #14- Residential Home Builder	56
Interview #15- Large Construction Company	58
Interview #16- Medium to Large Home Builder	63
Interview #17- Safety Training Company	67
Interview #18- Large National Construction Firm	69
Interview #19- Regional Propane Tank Distributor	75
Interview #20- Equipment Operator Training Company	78
Interview #21- Large Construction/Crane Operator Training Company	80
Interview #22- Large Construction/Crane Operator Training Company	84
Interview #23- Sole Proprietor of Residential Home Building Company	86
Interview #24- Insurance Brokering and Underwriting Companies	89
Interview #25- Insurance Brokerage Company (1 or fewer cranes)	94
Interview #26- Midsized Framing Company (1 or fewer cranes)	97
Interview #27- Framer and Manufacturer/Supplier of Framing Materials	102
Interview #28- Association of Building Material Dealers	104

Interview #1- Concrete Construction Company

I. Introduction
On June 6, 2013, OSHA staff visited a concrete construction company at their corporate headquarters in the Mid-Atlantic. The company is a subcontractor that supplies, forms, pours, and finishes all reinforced concrete elements necessary for a total structural frame. They also provide and place all reinforcing steel and post tensioning as required. They provide all lay-out engineering and all hoisting required for their services.
The purpose of the visit was for OSHA to gather information regarding how the company determines whether an employee is qualified to operate a crane. The company also commented on whether operator certification needs to be by capacity. Finally, there was a discussion of their general operations related to cranes and operators. The first half of the discussion described two different paths to operator qualification:  1) a candidate with no operator experience, who is already an employee, and 2) hiring an operator who already has crane experience.
II. Qualification for internal employee candidate with no operator experience for a tower crane
Determining whether an employee is qualified to operate a crane without observing the employee's work would be very difficult due to certain intangible elements of qualification. Operator certification is a good start, but does not mean an operator is proficient. Qualification is an evaluation based on experienced operators' judgment; here the supervisor of crane operators interviews candidates and makes all of the initial evaluations.
If an employee expresses interest in becoming a crane operator, they will put the employee in a tower crane on their own yard that is used for training. An experienced operator will instruct the employee on the operation of the tower crane for a day. Typically, the experienced operator (usually the cranes supervisor) can tell after a day whether an employee has some aptitude or skill to be a crane operator. If the operator is initially comfortable with the employee, he will put the employee in the crane and have the trainee hook up a material box, set up barrels in a yard, and drop chokers in a barrel over the next several weeks, as the work schedule permits. During this time, the operator will note how enthusiastic the employee is about being in the crane. If the employee is not enthusiastic or has a high level of stress or fear operating the crane, he will typically cease the training and let the employee know that he or she will not be an operator for them. Next, the operator will allow the employee to try some rigging tasks. When a trainee is comfortable operating the crane, he or she will operate a tower crane in some less demanding jobs. Initially, the trainee will also have an experienced operator in the cab. These jobs typically include cleaning up after the concrete work is finished or moving materials for finishing subcontractors and have a slower pace and fewer other employees on the job. The operator will continue to evaluate the trainee after each job and at each step of crane operation. The operator will observe the trainee's response to direction and signaling and observe how well he or she handles the crane. They observe new operators for their skills in moving the crane and load, how well they pay attention, how well they follow signals and cooperate with riggers and signalers. Crane operators are always under observation. Besides becoming better at operating the crane, part of the process of training is to increase the trainee's confidence.
The trainee will generally take the crane operator certification test early in the training process. Operator certification indicates a basic level of proficiency. In addition, most general contractors now require operators to be certified.
Trainees work at lower heights, which may seem safer but can be more difficult to operate than higher tower cranes, which have longer load lines.  They use experienced operators for concrete work, as the pouring operation is critical, and they must move concrete loads quickly. They do not put trainees (or even qualified operators with only a few years' experience) into more demanding, stressful production situations.
It is very difficult to take the practical operator certification test as a tower crane operator if your company does not have a crane used for training. For NCCCO, you have to provide a tower crane that meets all of their specifications, which is difficult if the crane is on an active worksite. Crane rental companies do many practical tests. Rental companies train their operators and typically send out operators who are qualified for the job. Certification does not mean qualified to the rental companies as well.
There is no formal rating system for evaluating a new operator's qualifications. Such a system does not exist because it would be impractical. A test or checklist cannot determine qualification, but certification is a good start and is beneficial. Certification does not equal qualification. Certification means you are an operator, but it does not mean you are qualified. It simply means you have a basic level of knowledge and skill.
It is possible to be qualified, but still new at your job. The more experience and skill you acquire, the tougher the jobs you are assigned. They give a new operator more work at increasing levels of difficulty as the new operator shows the necessary skill and drive. Operators are under constant observation, even after they are qualified to operate a crane. A qualified person is always on site to observe the operation of the crane or cranes. It is not necessary to be a crane operator to determine whether an operator is qualified for a job.
Generally, over time, operators will train on and operate larger cranes. Rental companies also train operators to operate larger cranes, as they acquire more skill and ability.
In the end, whether an operator is qualified is a determination made by the company, not the certification body. To operate a tower crane, an employee must be certified and demonstrate the ability to operate the crane on a specific job to the superintendent. On their worksites, either you are a crane operator or you are not. There are no varying levels for training. If there are problems with any crane operator, the company pulls them down to discuss and evaluate performance. There are no small mistakes with cranes. General contractors, site superintendents, supervisors, and even riggers observe operators and provide feedback if there are problems. Other crane operators may also provide feedback on performance.
III. Qualification for external employees with experience
The experienced operator approaching the company for a job as a crane operator must be certified. Most general contractors demand that operators be certified.  The supervisor of cranes will check the skill of the operator in the yard for an 8-hour day. After they are satisfied with the skill of the operator, they will check the experience and background of the operator. It is very unusual for an operator to lie about experience because he or she knows it will be obvious if the experience claimed does not match prior employer's records.
The company generally uses newly hired experienced operators for less difficult jobs at first. On big jobs, with high production pressure for fast lifts, they generally use operators with more than 10 years of experience.
Qualification for Mobile Cranes: This is a very different type of crane. Potentially they are more dangerous, not standard, with more moving parts, and safety systems that the operator can bypass. An experienced operator stated that it is more important to train by capacity for mobile cranes than for tower cranes. As for as certification, it is impossible to have certification for every capacity, but a range might be feasible. Seventy percent of work is on 50-100 ton cranes. Some work at 100-250 tons, but over 250 tons is a highly specialized crane and requires special training. Type could be enough, if the employer is responsible for evaluating qualification. Other issues with capacity: crane configuration, bat wings, and counterweights. While certification is a starting point, type and capacity is not as important as the employer's determination whether an operator is qualified. An operator who usually operates larger cranes is not necessarily qualified to operate a smaller one, especially if the crane is an older friction crane. They will spend 1-6 months side by side with a new operator in these cranes. Load weight, or maximum load weight, is not the ultimate criterion for capacity. They use their own lattice boom cranes only to help erect their tower cranes, 200-ton models. Occasionally, they use mobile, lattice-boom cranes for a "flat job." Capacity needs some grouping by size, but you need qualification on all cranes. Generally, they move operators up by capacity, though. However, they always must determine if the operator is qualified.
While an operator with experience may be hired, an operator's certification card is not enough to get them in the cab. The company must evaluate the operator's qualifications.
Incident Reporting: The company keeps track of all incidents. Incidents are near misses, property damage, or injury. They investigate all incidents. They rarely have incidents, but occasionally when there is more than one crane at a work site, there may be contact between the boom of one crane and the load line of another. This leads to a meeting, discussion, and a drug test. Any contact between the cranes or their parts slows work because they must inspect the load line and structural components of both cranes before the crane is put in service. The company interviews all concerned parties and aims to find the root cause of the incident. They do log incidents in their database and review annually. They look at the trend data.
If there is an incident, the company automatically tests the operator for drug use. If the operator fails or refuses, the company terminates employment.
Drug Testing: Everyone is drug tested and has a physical at a set interval. There was discussion about what physicals reveal. Generally, as operators get older the issue that will arise is blood pressure. They said that there really is no enforcement or standards of disqualifying health issues in the industry. With blood pressure, the concern is suffering a blackout or loss of consciousness while in the cab. Some general contractors monitor the results of operators' physicals.
General Contractor Responsibility: This company likes that Subpart CC has more resulted in more site responsibility for general contractors, but when it comes to qualification, all the general contractor can really do is ask for certification. When a general contractor hires them, they simply provide the general contractor with a copy of the operator's certification. Whether an operator is qualified is the responsibility of the employer of the crane operator. There is no way to have a card that can tell if someone is able to operate a crane on a given site. General contractors are taking more responsibility at the worksite. Regarding the qualifications of crane operators -- very few general contractors can make any assessment.
Qualified Rigger:  OSHA's standards are workable in this area. The standard requires the employer to evaluate qualification with some guiding principles in the standard.
General Information: They constantly evaluate all operators. On the site, there is a representative of the general contractor, a superintendent, a supervisor in the field, and riggers.  They never let an operator in a crane without evaluation and observation. All operators are always under observation. Qualification is a daily issue.
They keep their operators performance on a database. The database lets the company know when an operator is due for a physical, certification renewal, etc.  As noted above, general contractors often monitor physicals.
Operators with more than 10 years of experience work on the biggest jobs. The operators' wages vary, but all the top operators are paid at the same wage. There are not rigid limits on the number of hours an operator can work. The days may be quite long, and the company may switch to two shifts to move production along (3 am to 12:00 (noon); and 12:00 to 10:00 pm).
They have meetings with all operators twice a year . At the work site, the operators have the final say on lifts. They can refuse to pick up a load.
Third parties inspect crane assembly (tower cranes).
They train crane mechanics, but there is no certification. They often send mechanics to the manufacturers for training.
They do lifts for subs, and this usually occurs after completion of the concrete work.
They have lift plans.  Their training in Job Hazard Analyses covers most lifts.
There was discussion of blind picks, where the operator picks the load or lowers it to a landing site out of his or her direct sight. They rely on cameras for these picks to watch the load and landing area. Operational aids help with the pick to some degree -- knowing the drop length and distance out the boom. Besides FM radios, they use cell phones and CB radios.
This company has between 30 and 50 tower cranes and owns the majority of the cranes they use.
Interview #2- Crane Rental Company

I. Introduction/Background
OSHA staff met with an owner/manager and the safety and training director in a training facility of a crane rental company in the mid-Atlantic region.

The business is family owned and operated, and relatively small, with about 20 hydraulic truck cranes between 15 and 110 tons.  The business started more than 50 years ago.  The firm had weathered the construction recession -- most of its business is for the construction industry -- and planned to hire two new operator apprentices in the near future.

This company only provides hydraulic truck crane rentals with an operator.  It does not rent its cranes as bare rentals.  Renting cranes alone results in getting "junk back."  People treat rental cranes like rental cars.  Typically, each of their operator/drivers remains assigned to the same, specific piece of equipment.  This encourages the operator both to be very familiar with its characteristics and to be responsible in inspecting and maintaining the truck crane.  Even for identical models of the same crane, every one of them is different and has a different feel to it.  This results in safer operation of the crane.  "It takes you a little while to get used to a machine--here everyone feels proficient."

The company once also rented larger all-terrain cranes, but ended that business for a variety of reasons.  One of the principal reasons was the ability to transport smaller cranes over roads more easily.  Truck cranes can travel on public roads at all hours, but the larger all-terrain cranes are limited to daylight hours or less in some states; typical hours in some states can be from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

A large percentage of the rental activity supports framing and carpentry work.  Prior to the recession, approximately 50 percent of the company's activity was in housing construction.  By 2008, the housing construction sector had disappeared and the company survived by cutting back hours from 40 per week guaranteed to 30 per week guaranteed and finding work in road and highway construction and commercial work. They have subsequently been able to bring their employee hours back up to 35 hours per week guaranteed, with some operators doing multiple projects in a day.  Today most of their rental activity is: trusses, carpentry, steel erection, mechanical contractor (rooftop AC or heating units), and underground concrete structures.

They qualify crane operators along two paths: an apprenticeship program for operators with little or no crane experience, and verifying the qualifications of experienced operators.

II. Apprenticeship Training Program for New Operators

The company inaugurated a new written safety program in 2011.  The program for a brand new operator can take 1 to 3 years.  The company infrequently takes on new apprentices (maybe once every year), but plans to hire 2 this year.  The process to break someone in can take from six months to a year, and to get the training to become fully qualified can take up to three years.  The company more frequently hires people with prior qualifications and experience.

Prescreening: When looking to hire a new truck crane driver/apprentice crane operator, they look for someone who already has a CDL and trucking experience--and who has some other association to construction or crane work in their history, such as carpentry, steel erection, and/or something that demonstrates that person's interest in cranes. For example, the right hire might have worked right alongside with the cranes/etc.

When the owner/manager is interviews a job applicant, he will show them the crane yard, and may set up a small crane in the yard and let them try the controls, in order to see if they respond in a positive way.  If the candidate demonstrates little aptitude--that shows that they have no business operating a crane--the candidate is informed of this and let go. During this initial introduction, the owner/manager is sitting next to the candidate during this short practical test, both for safety reasons and to better observe the candidate's performance.

Training: If a candidate passes the initial test/interview, and his or her background and references check out, he or she would be accepted as a trainee.  The program is individualized: "a trainee will start with what they come to us with, then there are essentially 3 stages; you can go through as quickly as you are able to show competence."

Three-stage Training Program: The operator in training will spend their first 3 to12 months on the job as a driver/apprentice.  Every day will be on the job training (OJT) as an apprentice--either driving a support truck and helping with set up, etc. or driving a support truck that carries mechanical contractor's equipment.  The new employee will learn to help assemble the crane, and help with the crane on site.  The apprentice is already a driver, so unloading the equipment off the truck for example is usually not completely unfamiliar. Stage1 can last between 2 months and1 year, depending on how often they can get seat time in the yard, how well they take to it, and how quickly they learn.

They thought that OSHA identification of work (in the crane standard) that trainees should not do was very good.

The first 3 months are probationary. After this time, a determination is made on whether the new candidate is going to "get it" (or, if they have the aptitude). If they are not at the appropriate level, they will be screened out and further training as a crane operator ceases.

Stage 1: During Stage 1, the operator in training is under direct supervision at all times.  During this stage, the apprentice gains in experience going out in the field and working with an experienced crane operator.

Stage 2: The apprentice should be able to assemble the crane by themselves, and drive a crane under the direct supervision of a trainer. This is usually done in a"2-seater," a boom truck with 2 seats. The apprentice is also assigned to an experienced operator, and they will accompany that operator out to different jobs and assist the operator. The apprentice still may not operate a crane on any job site. During much of the early training, the owner/manager focuses training on "protecting the ball." An apprentice must be able to control the headache ball or load before moving on to stage 3  -  and before being able to perform jobs on the worksite.  According to the owner/manager, anyone can learn to set a crane up and tear it down, etc. The measure of whether an apprentice is going to be a good crane operator depends on how well they can control or maneuver the headache ball. During training sessions, a face may be painted on the ball, for example, to encourage careful movement of the ball as if there is a person in a boatswain's chair.

Stage 3: The apprentice must now also know traffic control, and he or she will need to know how to use the crane in the yard, including assembly/disassembly. Apprentices at this stage can operate a crane on the jobsite under direct supervision and in limited circumstances, and the apprentice will demonstrate the ability to promptly respond to signals.  Before operating a crane on the jobsite, the apprentice will need to fully know voice signals, inspection procedures, and how to avoid hazards. The apprentice continues under the supervision of the experienced operator until that person is ready to be tested by the owner/operator and assigned his/her own equipment.

Meanwhile, during this process, the individual is also completing the formal written training requirements, including completing the CCO training on site (all signal, rigging and op cert is done in-house  -  the safety and training director is certified in NCCCO training, as is owner/operator). This can take place at different times, during inclement weather, usually when they aren't going out on jobs. The first priority is to get the apprentice through the rigging course and to issue a rigger card, then to issue the signalperson certification, and finally the operator certification class and written test. A crane operator doesn't necessarily need to be a rigger to run a truck crane, but certifying their operators in rigging is one of their "one step above" safety requirements. Knowledge of rigging also helps the operator, as when an operator doesn't have a job to go out to, they can accompany other operators and perform rigging tasks.

Once apprentices have passed the CCO written exam, they take the practical test.  Apprentices can take the CCO truck crane practical test on site; however, if they would like to get certification for other equipment, they must go off site for those practical tests. With CCO, the practical test can be completed up to a year after the written test.

Apprentices are learning at a pace that depends on (1) actual one-on-one teaching time, and (2) the apprentice's ability to absorb and demonstrate new techniques and knowledge.  Every day the apprentice is getting OJT.

Somewhere between one and 3 years on the job, after formal training has been completed, the apprentice will be ready to graduate to a new operator.  The experienced operator that an apprentice is training under will let the owner/manager know that the apprentice "has got it," and the owner/manager will go out with the apprentice on several trips to judge whether that person is actually ready to go out alone.

Once the apprentice becomes a fully qualified operator, they will be assigned to their crane when one becomes available.  At this company, all operators are assigned to a single machine and are responsible for all of the inspections, cleaning, and maintenance of this machine. The operator is given full responsibility for that one crane. The owner/manager says that this increases safety, as each operator is fully familiar with the feel and operation of his own crane.

Apprentice program is new:	 This formalized program is relatively new, and no apprentice has been through the formalized training program.  It includes sign-off sheets for trainers to sign off on skills learned. There is no official record of seat time/hours, however.

Evaluating Employees after they get through the program: New employees are held accountable by continual observation, assessment, and evaluation:
(1) Random site safety inspections are conducted by owner/manager and safety and training director
(2) SAFE program- includes rewards and discipline
(3) Customer feedback  -  The company will react to compliments given by customers as well as the rare complaint, and they often send new operators to jobsites where we know they will get honest feedback.  (The company has tried general customer satisfaction surveys, but did not find them very helpful, as reviewers only gave positive feedback. In direct contact with customers, they occasionally get positive feedback, but more often get negative remarks. People do not usually volunteer, "Your operator did well"; negative feedback is more frequent, despite the fact that the vast majority of customers are satisfied with their experience.

The company also has a disciplinary program: When an accident occurs, operators are brought before a board of 3 people (including the owner/manager and the safety and training director).The board then determines what happened, and how the incident and operator will be managed.

The company conducts toolbox talks once a week; these meetings cover lessons learned and how to avoid hazards.

They don't use the term journeyman or other similar term, they just call their employees operators, and that would describe a newly qualified operator as well as a person with 40 years of experience. The company knows what types of jobs they would and would not assign to each operator based on their experience and individual strengths and weaknesses.

Once employees come to the end of their careers and near retirement age, they might decide that they don't need to have the responsibility of operating a large machine and they may choose to operate a smaller crane. The company has employed 70-75 year old operators, but everyone has different skills, health, etc. as they age. Older crane operators get special attention from managers, and they are watched to ensure that their skills remain sharp and that they continue to be safe operators.

Role of Health/Medical Physicals: Medicals are required by CDL for truck cranes every 2 years, also there is a random drug testing component. The owner/manager expressed some concerns that the physical does not include blood lab analysis that might pick up some heart or other conditions.

III. Ensuring the Qualifications of Experienced New Hires

When an applicant calls in response to an advertisement, the owner/manager will ask questions about what types of cranes the applicant has been running and the owner/manager will take notes and determine what appears to be true, versus what might be an exaggeration. For example, maybe they say that they ran a120-ton crane regularly, when they maybe only pulled the leavers once or twice.

The owner/manager will then ask detailed questions about where and how long the applicant has worked different jobs, and what types of jobs and scenarios. To work for this company, an operator must be capable of going out and doing many different types of jobs.  Some crane operators are not forced to perform under such different and varying conditions. If they are working on a 300-ton crane, but they are running only 100 feet of boom, and they're lifting the same object from point A to point B every day, in the owner/manager's opinion, they are not a fully qualified 300-ton crane operator, even if that particular job was done with a 300-ton crane.  Boom length (capacity) matters.

The applicant will talk to the owner/manager about what they have already done, and what they did with different sized equipment. If in that conversation, the owner/manager catches something that makes him want to consider the applicant further, then the owner/manager will "get their papers and read about them" to get a better sense of what they've really done.

Documentation required of applicants: Primarily resume, the candidate will also have to download the company application from the website and fill it out. This application contains questions that will convey information that the owner/manager focuses on.  The website application will also generally include a sheet of certifications.

After the application and resume have been submitted, if the owner/manager is still interested, the applicant will visit.  At that point, the applicant and the owner/manager have likely talked enough for the owner/manager to show the applicant what types of cranes and facilities the company has.  During this walk around, the owner/manager is determining whether the applicant knows what things are and paying close attention to the candidate's actions and remarks. If the applicant is representing themselves as the Cadillac of crane operators, then it is reasonable toask them to inspect a piece of equipment "as though they were going to drive to California." He then asks the applicant to pull the crane into the parking lot and set it up for operation.

Then the owner/manager watches how the applicant responds and performs. Does the candidate do a full inspection and do they set the crane up properly? If the candidate did the inspection and set up correctly enough for the owner/manager to allow the applicant to continue, then the owner/manager watches how the candidate runs the crane. That is the interview.  After this step, the owner/manager will check on candidate references and work experience.

Once hired, experienced new hires still will be evaluated closely before allowed to operate a truck crane independently. Many new hires may not have been in rental work in the difficult traffic of an urban area. The new hire will ride with an experienced operator for a week to see how things are done with their company. Even if that experienced operator only runs a 30-toncrane and the new hire may think he knows more, the experienced operator knows how things are done at this company--for example, how the ticket gets signed, how to talk to customers, etc.

Even if the new hire claims he already has run a 100-ton more than just main boom, the owner/manager will put the new hire on a 70-ton crane in the yard, to show the new hire how that crane has a little bit of a different feel. It doesn't matter if he has run other 70-ton truck cranes before--he has to learn to operate this one.  If the company has the luxury of having the former operator for that piece of equipment available, the most recent employee on that machine works with the new hire to get them familiar with its idiosyncrasies, and will work with the new hire for 2-3 days to one or two weeks.

Once the new hire is allowed to operate a truck crane on his own, the process is the same for all employee operators. The safety and training director will perform spot checks by going out and about, doing ride-by checks. They will also contact customers for feedback on the new hire's performance out on their jobsite, especially with long-time customers who are more likely to give honest feedback.

Sometimes new hires have to be backed off of certain pieces of equipment, and are put into status that is more like an apprentice. They get more review when they don't have the skills. If they are started off on a 100-ton crane, but seem to be struggling with that, then they might be stepped down to a 30-ton one. Learning that someone oversold himself during the hiring process often means that the employee gets rolled back down.

Employee Wage Structure: Wages vary by size and capacity of crane. As operators become more experienced and proficient, and a larger-capacity crane operator retires, or the company buys a new crane, etc., people will move up internally.

IV. Other Topics

Insurance: General contractors require proof of insurance. Having all of your operators get operator certification lowers rates. Today, insurance companies may specifically ask if operators are certified by CCO. The owner/manager recently reduced his company's insurance rates by 25%by not working on trees, usually after storms.

Experience ratings and accidents and incidents?  For the past several years, their company has experienced 0 loss runs; their rates do decrease, but the lowest price is still tied to the risk of the work being done by the industry as a whole.

Is rate affected by size of company?  The owner/manager did not think so. The company has managed to walk through 3 years with 0 losses. The 0 loss rate only helps in that they're able to buy insurance at the lowest rate that the insurance companies offer. That doesn't mean the rates are low, or that they never increase; their rates are lower in relation to the other companies. Unfortunately, all the other losses out there that are unrelated to their company may increase the lowest rate. With years of 0 losses, they have the lowest possible rates, but that lowest possible rate has still gone up.

Operating engineers/etc.: IUOE has a very long apprenticeship programs.  The Local has a 5- year program. Sometimes a member will come to work for them and become qualified; once qualified, they may return to union work as a qualified operator without going through the full, 5-year apprenticeship. The qualification process at a private company is shorter.

Supports Capacity and Boom length based certification: Maybe capacity bands are needed--like 0-100 ton, and 0-150 feet of boom and 100-200 ton 150-300 feet of boom, and 200-400 ton 200-400 feet of boom, and by jibs versus luffing booms. It might be possible to have tonnage and some boom length cards and then even some luffing cards, including 500 ton and larger.  Maybe there should be the option to have a "Master of All" certification as well.

Can an operator drop down in size and be safe? In the owner/manager's opinion, not necessarily, especially if going to down to an old clutch and band machine. Every machine is different, and knowing how to operate one type of crane is not necessarily going to make you good at operating a different type.

Are customers the people that you hire aware of CCO and operator certification requirements -- or OSHA requirements?

They have some customers who are completely unfamiliar with current OSHA standards; most of these are residential homeowners who rent cranes. They don't even know what questions to ask. Residential homeowners comprise approximately 25% of the company's business. The top 25% are the other side--general contractors or contractors with good safety programs who adopted this a while back. They require documentation before even coming to site. Many have their own crane program/own prequalification paperwork, including number of hours each man has on the specific type of machine.  This business is on the board with NCCCO, and sees the certification as an important part of the process.

Some employers don't know signals, standards, proper rigging etc. When their crane operator goes out alone, he is at the mercy of the people there. This is one of the reasons they require all driver/operators to become certified riggers and signal persons--at least they are aware when others on the jobsite are doing the work incorrectly, and they can stop and correct mistakes.

Some crane operators can be functionally illiterate. In the 1950s-70s, many people in construction did not go past 5[th] grade in terms of education; they entered the working world young and got into construction.  These folks are great at operating cranes, but cannot read/write/do arithmetic.

In 1996-98, the owner/manager encountered some people who were going to have to pass an exam as veteran crane operators, and worked at helping them pass the test. Even so, once they got out in the world, they realized it was not required some places.

Something is broken- in this case it was the craning world. There were a whole lot of good people in this industry  -  this company already had a commitment to safety  - good track record, now fairly heavily regulated to do so- any time we tried to push a law and the industry did need it, it creates a snowball. Impending snowball must be necessary, but it is a painful process. But there were too many accidents. Individual operators are pushed or allowed to jump up in due to convenience.  For example, Johnny doesn't come to work one day, so Jack has to come to work and run the crane. Jack doesn't have a whole lot of experience on the crane, but he was the one who ran it the most with Johnny. This is where the most accidents occur.

Discussion of potential for cameras: They did not like this idea of putting camera on the rear of their trucks. They recently installed GPS's on all of their truck cranes, and they can see where employees are located, how fast they are driving, when the crane engine starts, whether they are idling too long, etc.

Crane operators are "prima donnas"--they have confidence in their abilities.

In the 1990s there were far too many accidents.  Typically, due to inexperienced operators, pushed into the seat or allowed in.  Certification was casual, in an emergency employers would just grab the best employee available as an operator. On owner-operators: most are safe.

Interview #3- Large National Crane Rental Company

I. Introduction and Background

OSHA staff met with the CEO, the Head of Safety and a field manager from a large, national crane rental company ("the company"). The company rents cranes both with and without operators (called "bare rentals").

The company owns all of the cranes that it rents. It provides the operators for approximately 60-70% of its rentals; the remaining rentals are bare rentals.

II. Types of Cranes

The company owns and rents crawlers (lattice boom cranes), tower cranes, all-terrain cranes, hydraulic truck cranes, and rough terrain cranes. Hydraulic truck cranes are all of less than 100 tons of lifting capacity.

III. Bare Rentals

In a bare rental, a crane company only provides the crane and the customer provides the operator and maintenance. All that delivered by the renter to the company is proof of insurance with no information on the prospective operator of the rented crane. Repeat customers give assurance that they use certified operators. Many bare rental customers use union members as operators. Seventy percent of the company's incidents are from bare rental customers. All damage to the equipment done by the renter is billed back to the renter by the company.

IV. Operators

Tower Cranes

Tower crane operators are completely separate group from mobile and lattice boom crane (crawlers) operators.

Crawler Cranes

Crawler operators do not usually operate different machines. The company selects all operators of its cranes based on experience.

All-Terrain Cranes

The all-terrain cranes are the most complicated to operate. The most difficult part of operating an all-terrain crane is driving the crane on roadways.

Lower-end Boom Trucks

There is a high rate of reportable incidents on boom trucks because every operator thinks he can run a boom truck. The company is reducing its fleet of boom trucks due to such liability issues. Of the 30 boom trucks that the company owns, few are rented and the company is phasing out such cranes, and thus it no longer trains new operators on those machines.

V. Operator Qualifications and Training

Where Operators are Found

There are two principal modes -- candidate operators who start from scratch and operators who already have experience. All Hired operators are members of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). Eighty percent of the company's operators are retained operators (i.e., hired by the company on a long-term basis). Twenty percent are "call-outs" from the local union hall. The call-outs are usually retained for short-term jobs.

The Company's Qualification Program

Apprentices

The company's safety personnel conducts a new hire orientation covering policies, procedures, and responsibilities. An apprentice starts as an oiler, which this job category maintains the crane on the job site (i.e., fueling, cleaning, lubricating, and assisting as directed by an experienced operator). An apprentice gains experience through observation, mentoring, on-the-job-training, and formal and informal assessments by the operator. Restrictive measures are implemented to ensure that an apprentice operates in compliance with OSHA regulations.

Oilers (Candidate Operators)

Oilers are "operators in training" and are in the apprenticeship program at the union hall. Oilers receive close monitoring by the primary operator during the performance of specified crane tasks. The oiler must be supervised by an experienced crane operator while at the controls of a crane. The oiler can also be a "certified operator" while undergoing training on a larger, more sophisticated crane.

Operators

The crane owner maintains the right of refusal for any new hires out of the union hall. An observation/evaluation period is implemented in the crane owner's local branch. The operator must have an operator certification from a recognized training institution. The crane owner evaluates the operator's knowledge, depth perception, drift avoidance, boom deflection, etc. to establish his or her experience level. As more experience is gained, the operators graduate to larger cranes. This advancement is based on close monitoring by the company's dispatch operations and safety division.

Role of the Union

The union provides initial safety training (signal person training, rigging, OSHA 10 hour training, etc.). Some crane familiarization training is provided by the union, but due to the union's limited resources, it cannot truly qualify operators. In becoming certified, the operator takes a test and gains some familiarity with load charts, but going to the next step is the responsibility of the crane owners. The union is a good screening source for crane operators, but does not have the resources or crane equipment to complete the training of a crane operator. The company has observed that crane operators are usually only a small part of union hall membership.  The main occupation of union members is as "dirt equipment" operators. There is no "weeding out" process within the union system.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Trained Operators/Continuing Education Training

The company conducts continuous monitoring of its crane operators. There is a global positioning system installed in all equipment to monitor speed compliance. The company has a strict accident/incident reporting requirement with no exceptions. The company has a site audit program. The company tracks crane abuse and neglect of maintenance. A lack of compliance with company protocols results in the operator being sent back to the union hall. Training is provided , and all training results are tracked and maintained in a company-managed database. Weekly, monthly, and quarterly training sessions are conducted.

Jobsite Protocols

Rigging is the process of connecting the load to the crane. Rigging is a multifaceted operation, is usually performed by contractors and subcontractor, and is not the responsibility of the crane owner or the crane operators (outside of rigging their crane components during assembly disassembly of the cranes). Having "qualified riggers" is not an issue; instead, lack of engineering is the principal problem. Riggers must be given the accurate information about the load prior to performing the lift, such as:

   1. Information about proper pick points on the load
   2. The center of gravity of the load
   3. Accurate load weight

Job Planning

The company requires a pre-lift meeting with all employees involved in the crane activity. A job data sheet is created that covers the details of the job for the operator, and is available prior to getting onsite. Any changes observed or that come from the pre-lift meeting will prompt a revision of the job data sheet. Assembly/Disassembly processes are set forth in a job safety analysis (JSA) program and in the crane operator's manual, which are reviewed by the crew.

VI. Lessons Learned by the Company about Operators in the Crane Business

Qualification of crane operators should be the responsibility of the employer/crane operator. This opinion is based on property and tort law. The company is worried about everyone who works around the operator, including non-employees. Riggers and bystanders can all get hurt and the responsibility for the crane operation should be placed on the employer of the crane operator.

The company's advice to customers who don't have long-term operators  -  Don't do bare rentals.  Unskilled operators break the bare rental cranes. It is better to rent from the company or similar companies, and let the experienced company operators control the crane (the company tries to discuss this matter with clients and asks if the client is sure it knows what it is doing when it does a bare rental).

There are three essential skills needed in the crane business, the operator needs to know how to:

   1. get the crane down the highway to and from the jobsite
   2. build and dismantle the crane, and
   3. operate the crane.

A crane renter cannot really merge all three requirements together  -  and all three must be mastered to be a good operator. Even when you have the transportation and assembly right, an operator still needs to have an eye for the distance the crane arm (boom) travels. With all of the activities that need to be done correctly, there is no doubt that you have to hold the employer of the operator responsible for the operator's qualification.

VII. Crane Rulemaking

The company thought that the OSHA's 2010 crane requirements were largely good and the crane safety culture has been improving. Contractors inform the company that insurance companies are telling the contractors to get rid of cranes for general contractors, and are recommending that they sub the crane work to the company. States and localities are merging their crane regulations because if they are not consistent, it could present problems, especially regarding different attitudes towards safety. One change in recent years is the relentless drug testing of crane operators, which the company supports. In regards to drug testing now, many people can no longer work for the company. Drug testing has been a big help in reducing incidents and accidents. It eliminated 70% of incidents and accidents. When insurers raised deductibles, it resulted in employers addressing and identifying the causes of accidents. Refineries began the move to drug testing for their crane operators.

The effect of OSHA's crane standard on general contractors was very good. They are much more responsible about ground conditions now. Another effect of OSHA's crane standard is that some employers are getting out of the crane aspects of their businesses. A refinery, for example, may have 400 employees, but only 10 crane operators. They recognize they really don't have any expertise to support crane operation training.

VIII. Insurance

The insurance industry does not publish crane loss information for crane companies. Besides having high deductibles on its general liability insurance, the company also self-insures considerably on works compensation. In 2001, insurance premiums increased greatly for crane renters. Some insurers stopped covering cranes. The $ 10, 000 deductible disappeared. There were issues with general contractors and insurers essentially were requiring subcontractors to insure the general contractors' risks. Texas and California have changed their crane regulations. Before this legislation, there was an illusion of a safety culture.

IX. Losing Trained Employees to Other Companies

Highly skilled operators are a valuable commodity to other crane companies and customers that have their own cranes. Sometimes it is a problem that the company has trained an operator, incurred the substantial expense for such training, and then had the operator go to another crane company that may not have the company's training and safety programs. However, an employee that departs is not as valuable to the company after 5 years of working elsewhere because of the static situation they usually have as an operator at those companies.
Interview #4- U.S. Crane Manufacturer

I. Background
OSHA staff met with a U.S. manufacturer of cranes. The company has a number of crane operators who test cranes off the production line. Every crane is tested before it is sold or delivered to a customer. All of the operators are certified via NCCCO. Even more of the production staff at the site are also certified.
The company provides training or licensing to users of its equipment in some European markets.
II. Operator Qualification
There are three components of operator qualification:  knowledge, training, and experience or repetition. The company can provide the knowledge in the classroom and hands-on training on equipment, which can be tested to ensure that a candidate operator has absorbed the knowledge and crane control functions. The last part, experience, occurs over time at job sites, for their own operators as well as operators/customers of their equipment.
A crane operator said that the classroom training he received at the certification course was good, but such training was not on the job training, which was more important. He stated that he is not an operator using a crane "out in the field," a task at which he felt he would not be proficient. He also noted that they often had more than one operator performing tests on cranes, which may not be the case out in the field.
Supervisors identify the most capable operators and may assign work based on the individual abilities of operators. The operator started his career as a rigger and progressed upward to a crane operator. He was a rigger for 7 years.  His progression was a little slower than normal because he wanted to stay on a particular shift.  Progression could have been quicker if he jumped to different shifts when opportunities arose.  He stated, "When your number comes up, you get a crack at the seat." On at least one occasion, an operator has been "weeded out" from being a crane operator due to poor performance.
Their own operators are recruited from within manufacturing or other operations.  They will typically be involved in testing finished cranes before they are put in a cab.  New operators start out as riggers or support crane testing for the smaller cranes, boom trucks and industrials, and over time as opportunities arise graduate to working and operating larger cranes. They believe that the cross training as a rigger is helpful so everyone knows what to do during a lifting operation.  Generally, at their facility as well as at customers', if you want to find the most experienced operator, he is on the larger cranes.  Most experienced operators run the larger cranes because the crane is more complex and the operator needs:
   * more knowledge of various configurations of cranes;
   * to be able to read complicated load charts (for example, some all-terrain cranes have load charts that are thousands of pages long); and
   * more skill to go from one operating system to another.

For their own employees they have a matrix (kept as a spreadsheet database) of staff who may be called out to customers (based on size and complexity) to help in some way. They categorize their staff as apprentices, field engineers, erectors, ...and inspectors. In order to qualify and be sent to work on customers' cranes, the knowledge, training, and experience (i.e., number of site ops) is checked from  the database (the "competency database" is only 2 years old) and must meet their assessment of the individual's experience and abilities. For example, tests of knowledge are scored and kept. When staff are sent out (inexperienced staff are never sent alone), field service managers will record job site performance into the database. Supervisors are also responsible for entering records of employees' experience.
III. Operator Certification
Their understanding of OSHA's standard is that only employers will be able to qualify crane operators. When the final construction crane standard was published, with only a requirement for operator certification after November, 2014, they identified the lack of employer qualification as a problem. They stated that you cannot simply look at a card or a piece of paper to determine qualifications; it is a foundation, but does not get close to qualification.
They questioned the use of certification and noted examples from California when that states' regulation began. They mentioned as an example a welder who was certified over the weekend and put in a tower crane on Monday at a construction site. They believed that most of the cranes that are used for certification programs today are probably out of date simply due to the wide variety of crane configurations and control systems that cannot be captured during the practical testing of the operators. The testing organizations typically buy older and smaller models of cranes to use for practical testing of operator candidates. Certification programs were more appropriate when most manufacturers still used basic level control systems.
To have an effective competency program, the employer must also provide training that includes information that is specific to the crane the operator will run at the site. That training must be closely followed by an assessment of the operator's proficiency at running simpler cranes to do relatively simple hoisting jobs.
The company considers the training that it performs in some markets to certify or license crane operators to be far better than the operator certification requirements in the OSHA crane standard. In their training, operators must prove their competence, and much more is covered, such as assembly/disassembly operations.
Crane certification as a concept is good, but it is out of date. When crane controls were just a bank of levers to pull, instruction and familiarizing was an easy training exercise, but that applies less and less today. The controls of different manufacturers on the same type of equipment are completely different. Can their own operators move between cranes of different manufacturers? No. Controls are unique to the manufacturer. A license or certification does not mean you can jump between different manufacturers' equipment. Control systems are making their way down to boom trucks. Electronic joysticks or remotes can be found on the smallest equipment. Electronics continues to become relatively less and less expensive. An example was mentioned of an operator familiar with Rough Terrain cranes tipping over a Boom Truck due to a simple error in identifying controls.
As of now, certification is general to all products.  An operator must be qualified and familiar with the crane he or she is going to operate that day. The employer has to ensure that daily. Only the employer has influence or control over the operator's actions.
Even with a prerequisite number of hours of crane - related experience, the certification of operators is not enough. They referenced OSHA's Powered Industrial Truck Training standard as a good baseline. Operators must be evaluated on the job. You can track experience, the type of functions being performed, but for construction companies, time is money, and putting multiple employees on a crane--such as supervisors, oilers, and riggers--is expensive.
IV. Training and Service for Customers
The company provides training, if requested, to customers who buy new cranes.  This training is "technical."  It covers crane assembly/ disassembly, set up, how control systems work, troubleshooting and diagnostics and may also cover mechanical and inspection issues.  They provide assistance on troubleshooting, which helps customers respond to problems or warning messages from the control system, and how to identify and isolate the source of problems in the various components of the system (i.e., hydraulic and electrical systems).  They equated this to a factory certified mechanic for a car.  Most of the focus is on the crane control system, because new cranes usually have computer-involved control systems.  Technical training usually occurs over one week, but  may last for two weeks or so and may consist of repeated tasks of setting-up and breaking down the crane. Each employer has different needs.  They do not train customers on lifts or normal production function of cranes In the U.S., this training also does not ensure the operator's competence to operate the crane to do hoisting jobs at a worksite.
In some markets they train or license operators (due to a requirement in those jurisdictions) who use their equipment.  The training may last up to several weeks for complex, large cranes. Re-certification is typically every 3 years. Operators can usually operate a range of capacities of the particular type of equipment for which they are licensed. Some markets have several levels of certification.
The manufacturer can serve as tech support for the life of a crane, not just when the crane is new. When there was a shortage in the demand for crane jobs, employers often lost their experienced crane operators, especially those who could do A/D work. This company is often contracted to be the A/D director at worksites and to provide training for A/D crews. A/D Inspectors are the most experienced and often become A/D supervisors.
V. Type and Capacity Issues
Capacity, as represented by maximum lift weight, is not necessarily the critical issue for operators working on different cranes. For example, an operator who is competent on a very large hydraulic crane would not know how to operate a conventional (friction) crane safely.
Capacity is not proportional to the complexity of machines. You can have a smaller capacity machine that is more complex. Capacity as maximum lifting weight is not the issue; it is crane configuration.
Different levels of certification should not be based just on maximum crane capacity alone.  Crane configurations and control systems must also be taken into consideration. For example, an operator that is experienced in running one make of crane will not be able to just jump into another make of the same type of crane (comparable capacity) and operate that crane safely simply because the operating controls may be different. Pushing the wrong button or pulling the wrong lever in real time during a lift can be catastrophic. Familiarization with the crane to be operated is essential to performing the job safely.
Telematics:  New, larger cranes often include software that may report the location of the crane, crane operations, and any problems or hardware malfunctions. This is an issue within the crane industry as some do not want this equipment on the crane or automatic reporting.
Computers in newer cranes can monitor hours of operation, operating parameters like boom angles, hydraulic pressures, or relay warnings related to overloading, two-blocking, , etc. The system can also log when the LMI system has been by-passed, or turned off, as well. The company intends to use such a system in the future to coordinate servicing/inspection programs, to troubleshoot services for its customers, and to obtain data about where and how their cranes are being used around the world (i.e., asset management). However, some crane users are concerned that this information can be used to invalidate warranties of other purposes such as support for litigation should there be a crane incident.
Owner/operators:  Mostly work with boom trucks. Most of the time they are good operators; however, sometimes operators trained by a large company will buy a boom truck and go into business for themselves and they may or may not be qualified. They mentioned an example of an owner-operator who had an accident recently due to lack of maintenance.
Interview #5- U.S. Crane Manufacturer

I. Background
OSHA staff met with the Director of Product & Corporate Safety at a U.S. manufacturer of cranes. The manufacturer sells boom truck cranes with capacities ranging from 18 to 38 tons. The booms on these cranes range from 70 to 127 ft. In addition to sales, the manufacturer offers bare rentals, primarily for customers with whom it has an established business relationship. The manufacturer also provides testing locations and proctors for NCCCO and CIC certification tests. The manufacturer has a long relationship with NCCCO.
II. Operator Qualification
Maintenance personnel employed by the manufacturer undergo an in-house developed program for training and qualification. This is a limited one day program designed for those employees who will only perform tasks necessary for test lifts. Some of these personnel are certified operators, but not all. These employees are not required to know how to read load charts or how to perform the full range of crane operations. Their role is primarily quality control. This program is offered for the manufacturer's customers in jurisdictions that do not require certification.
The manufacturer's operators who perform more complex operations are all certified. These operators are involved in proving the functionality of new products, and must perform the full range of tasks the equipment is capable of.
The manufacturer offers operator training and certification programs through NCCO and CIC. Each instructor for this program costs about $2,000 per day, so the costs involved depend on how many operators are trained at once, typically 15. The crane operator training is generally a six day program. It consists of 4 days of instruction, one day of practice, followed by a final day for the practical exam.
III. Training and Service for Customers.
For customers who buy equipment, the company offers assistance with familiarization and observation. The company will check to ensure that the operator knows certain things such as the location of manuals and specific crane features, functions, and safety devices. The company also provides a checklist for the operator's employer to facilitate an ongoing evaluation after the company's involvement ends. The manufacturer believes that kind of equipment specific familiarization followed by extended observation is sufficient to qualify a new operator to use a specific piece of equipment.
IV. Type, Capacity, and Other Issues

   1. Qualification on a smaller crane does not necessarily mean qualification on a larger one. Larger cranes have additional features and more complex load charts.
   2. Most accidents happen because of improper setup, which is not assessed in the practical portion of certification programs. It is in the written portion only.
   3. A lack of proper inspections causes many accidents as well.
   4. The manufacturer also does yearly inspections for many customers. However, the manufacturer does not meet impartiality requirements in some jurisdictions for these inspections.
   5. Certification bodies are in the best position to determine what range of equipment capacity their certification is for.
   6. The manufacturer offers training for rental customers. The customer may decline this training, but must do so in writing.
   7. One cause of many accidents is incorrectly judging the weight on trees.
   8. The manufacturer does not use distributor companies. These distributor companies often provide training when they sell a crane.

Interview #6- Crane Rental Company

OSHA staff met with the safety manager and president of a crane rental company to discuss crane operator qualification. All of their crane operators are from union locals (operating engineers). The company has 6 safety guys in the field and 4 more who train or do company-wide safety activities.
I. Operator Certification
They have relied on NCCCO for certifying their operators since the mid-1990s. The reasons for working with NCCCO are that they have been around longest, are a nonprofit, and the industry supports them. In the mid-1990s the company began certifying their operators for a variety of reasons. Certification provides good info on types and sizes of machines, i.e. small, large, and hydraulic, different classifications, and how to read a load chart (including reading the footnote interpretations).
A certification is like a driver's license. It does not mean that an operator walks in and runs a crane for them. However, once certified, an apprentice operator will have a basic understanding of the fundamentals. Most important is the education operators receive on reading and understanding load charts- a key element of crane safe operation.
It is a comfort on their end that a certified operator knows how to read load chart and other crane basics. But an operator cannot run any machine he or she wants just by virtue of a certification card. The company will test the operator and put a seasoned operator on a machine with a new candidate operator until they earn the company's confidence. Millions of dollars are invested in one piece of machinery, and the company won't let a newly hired candidate crane operator ruin that.
Certification is like a driver's license, but it doesn't make you qualified. The next step is like getting a CDL. You have multiple classifications, but even if you get that, it is still up to the employer to qualify you for equipment you operate. The company has been having operators certified since the 90s. However, many of the certifying organizations are simply out to make a dollar- they want to make lots of money in a whole lot of time because of questioning of verbiage. The company's safety manager knew people on C-DAC, and sat down and read the preamble to the standard. Lots of good has come from standard, he said. B30.5 gives it more backbone, despite not being a focal point. But, you still have to go back and look at B30. It's the education process for small companies that lag behind the rest of the industry.
One last thing on certification: if OSHA is going to go with capacity in addition to type, it will require an enormous expense to set up. Some organizations that say they can certify to capacity, but how are they going to do that?  Do they have a 500-ton crane to do a practical test?  How can you do that?
You need to be qualified to operate the specific crane you're going to be operating, and it's on the employer to verify that qualification, regardless of what you're doing. The employer needs to qualify you to do your job.
II. Qualifying Crane Operators
The union doesn't have dispatchers here in the local area, only business agents. The local union is small; they know everybody, and the company is the largest employer in the area. The company probably knows all the guys working out of the hall, and knows what they can do. They don't take every operator that the local may have at the top of their list.
If they go to wind sites in Pennsylvania, they try to work 50/50 with the local there. That is, half of the operators will be long-term employees from the company, but the company will hire some local operators too. The safety manager will evaluate the new operators and use them at the level of skill or reliability they are able to demonstrate.
The company typically assigns a person to a specific machine. They won't jump from machine to machine from day to day. When an operator is unfamiliar with a type of machine, is when they can get into trouble.
OSHA: When an operator starts, or is hired, is there a formal process for evaluation and/or training?
A lot depends on the individual; even if that operator is known to the company, a representative of the company will still go out with the new operator to get to know their abilities. The company has approximately a dozen seasoned operators who have a high level of competency. They can get out on sites and make evaluations of operators. On occasion, the company has sent other operators back because they were not qualified--even if they had a certification card.
OSHA: How long does the company monitor new operators?
That depends on machine and configuration. In general, with the large cranes, the company will make sure that seasoned people are running them. The company will "partner up" (i.e., mentor) newer operators with more experienced operators. If younger people want to learn the machine, they will put new people with the seasoned operator for two to six months. The length of time they're with that experienced operator depends on how quickly they learn from the seasoned operator and the on-the-job experience.
In regard to capacity:  trying to sort cranes by capacity, there are so many configurations it is tough because the crane can have basic boom, a boom for heavy lifts, a luffing jib, etc. When they get a new machine from the factory, the manufacturer will come and train several of our people. Then the company's people will train the others.
Even though they're a union shop, the company considers their seasoned people their own employees. These days, they may take on someone, but with the current economic conditions, they had to downsize in 2008, especially in small crane operations, downsize 40-50 machines in 1 year, representing 25% of the total number of cranes. The company took that money and reinvested in larger machines and crawlers for use in the energy industry.
The company won't always take the first name out of the union hall, not if they don't have right skills or attitude to be a safe employee. They don't have a lot of employee turnover.
OSHA: Why might the company turn someone away?
When they get an operator to come in, most union operators will be honest and if they've never run a crane that big, they will say so- that's the big sign. The worst scenario is the guy who says "I can run anything." You want someone confident in his or her own ability, but honest in the range of machines she or he is capable of operating. Bravado is one thing, but backing it up is another. You can tell many operators don't belong in a particular crane by observing the first swing of the boom.
The most important elements to assess are attitude, experience, and the practical test. Watch them operate the crane. That's what it boils down to. With seasoned operator, it may take a bit of time to switch between manufacturers, but the nuts and bolts are all the same. Can they control the headache ball?  Give them a few hours or even a day to acclimate to the crane. If an operator is as rough as a cob, he or she shouldn't be out there. It sounds rough, but for safety you need to make that call.
Some people start on wash racks, then move to yard loading and unloading. They will get rigger and signal experience and will then get under a qualified operator. That's how they bring young people into the trade. There are not a lot of young people in the industry, so they have to bring them in to work through the system. The company has gotten some outstanding operators that way. They are looking for people who "take pride in what they do."  The apprentice may work under a number of different operators in the learning phase. For instance, an operator will take an oiler and start letting the oiler behind the controls a bit to gain seat time, and then will let the oiler operate a small crane. As you move up the ladder- some want to continue, some do not. In the company, you'll go from 90 ton class to something that requires additional trucks for A/D, etc. Also, when you're moved up, you get a financial boost, because they provide transport, a company car to transport tools, etc. So, there is a financial incentive to move up in class (i.e., big cranes).
OSHA: If the new operators seem fine, do you send them to easer jobs first?
In regards to hiring on a full-time basis, the company is in a niche market out of the halls. They know what they are going to get in regards to people. If it's a new person, they will do background checks and call references to find out what they've done. The company will start them on day jobs--which are smaller jobs -- and evaluate what they can do. The company will also send the new employee out on multi-crane jobs, so others can monitor him or her.
On mobile cranes, operators must have a CDL. When going out of state, the company will sometimes get in the situation of bare renting a crane, and in that case, they are only leasing the asset. Their ED/AD guys will have Company B rent a crane from the company, and Company B will provide an operator. The company will have a seasoned operator that will spend some time with their guy, and if the company sees that their guy isn't able to work the crane, even if they have credentials, the company will raise a red flag with Company B. The experienced operator is not just handing over the keys, they're partnering with the client. If something happens, both companies are involved. It's a good business practice.
With a new guy, once the company has done a background check, he has gained construction and crane experience, and has started on small cranes, then he will then take on other projects, such as steel erection, where there is supervision. By monitoring them this way, the company will know if the new employee is good enough. If he is not, they will send him back.
OSHA: How long does the company monitor operators?
They will continue to monitor the operators for a while. Every lift is different and assessment is done on an ongoing basis. The safety manager is to get out on sites themselves to assess operators, how they setup, how are crews working, and of problems or questions. The safety manager will talk to operators about these issues. The safety manager will drop by one of their biggest jobs once a week, just to pop in. In their taxi fleet, it can be hard to follow up on simple jobs, but the simple ones are the ones you need to visit in person. In many cases, the larger the crane the more attention is paid to details; it's the smaller jobs where the contractors don't even read regulations. They try to monitor the operator, and they will talk to contractor about safety, etc. so everybody goes home at the end of job.
They will see guys operate a big crawler on a big job for a year, where the site conditions are taken care of because it's a big job, the working conditions are good, and there is better overall planning. If you take the same operator and put him on an 18-ton boom truck where every day is different, different sites, etc., they can't do that kind of work because they're not used to it. Even though that operator worked his way up to a crawler, it can be hard to go back.
The construction contractors often don't respect cranes, don't understand the consequences of cranes, etc. There will be a superintendent on a site, and he or she may be a good manager, but they don't know crane operations. It's the exposure of running cranes in different sites and conditions- people don't respect the small cranes enough, and they can get into more trouble than a big crawler sometimes.
The industry has gotten better, and the company attributes that to the push for certification that started in the 90s; there is the basic knowledge, and employers such as the ones the company works with are ensuring that qualified operators are on equipment. That's the biggest thing you can do. But certification is a bonus. The way it sits right now, it works as it is. On a NCCCO card, it will list the 4 classifications on it. It has the basic knowledge and testing criteria. In the end it, is employer's responsibility to qualify- you have certifying entities who will promise the world and qualification for a fee- but that is not the case, the employer needs to do that.
It may get to the point that the average person won't be able to afford to get all those certs. Right now it is one affordable test. The union will hold a 40-hour certification preparation course, and Travelers Insurance also offers 40-hour class to prepare for certification. At the end of the day, anybody can take the test and be certified, but you can't just come over here and run any crane you want.
A conscientious employer will make sure that they qualify their operators- it may take 1-2 years, but they'll work their people up through the ranks.
The company has 116 crane operators total, 170 operating engineers (including oilers, mechanics, etc.). They have quite a few who can operate any crane in yard safely. They have one 20-year veteran with loads of experience, but he is on a boom truck. He is qualified for other cranes, but is happy on a boom truck.
The first truck crane was bought by company in 80s. At that time you never saw a computer in a crane, didn't know what two blocking was, etc. And that still happens as new equipment is brought in. Will have the factory people come in and train- that's just fair to the operator. You can't stick them out there without any support. The company has found that the manufacturer training has been successful.
OSHA: Have heard that certification is by type, especially for larger cranes, but even with boom trucks, operating systems are very different between manufacturers.
They are very different, and an operator can't just move from one to another. More cranes are coming with rotating cabs; the majority of cranes in the industry are in the 40-70 ton class, because there is more work available, so there are more of them out there than anything else. There's not a manufacturer here in the US; with Grove, 60-ton is the smallest, they're not manufacturing cranes below 60-ton anymore, just boom trucks. They're stretching the capacity of these boom trucks, and eventually they're going to get in trouble. The biggest boom truck is a 60-ton, and they saw in a magazine that someone is introducing a 70-ton. The company feels that is crazy. It has to do with the economy of manufacturing cranes.
OSHA: What about owner-operators?
Don't know that much about them. They see a few running around the area, but not very frequently. From what they've seen, owner-operators seem to take more risk. In the industry the equipment is so expensive you seldom see a one-man operator. In the future, the company predicts more consolidation of the industry because of overall expense of equipment and the different regulations. The company doesn't see many owner-operators anymore.
The people who don't know what they're doing are more in residential arena- that's where you see the smaller folks. When you get to a company that is medium-sized like their company (i.e., a large, small company), they are held accountable by a lot of entities contractually, and also being conscientious they make sure that the operators are qualified.
OSHA: Do you keep log of seat time and work history?
The company is moving towards keeping records on computer. Dispatchers have lists of cranes and operators assigned, and a schedule of jobs with details of the project and the resources needed.
Customers constantly check qualifications of the company's operators, and new customers want verification that the operators are qualified on letterhead from the safety manager. Even during bidding process, general contractors want to know specific names, qualifications, certifications, etc. of all operators on the project. They are not happy about the extension of effective date for operator certification requirements.
They are contractually obligated to do several trainings, but several of the company's employees just don't do computers. They may need help operating the computer. Testing is on the computer, but they do get all of them through it. Once they get it, re-certification is not usually a problem. Finally, operators are not allowed to use calculators on the written test. B30.5 stated that operators must have basic understanding of arithmetic, so no calculators.
One can't really write a procedure of how to qualify someone, it's all knowledge and experience. One OSHA 10 hour course that the company teaches is on the crane standard, to make sure everybody is fully refreshed. They have a nice book giving an overview of Subpart CC. Another book details signal person and rigger requirements, and they are often giving that book out to operators.
III. Crane Rentals, Bare vs. Manned
One of biggest problems in the Cranes and Derricks standard is that the smaller contractors have no concept of rigger or signal person qualification requirements and ground conditions. The company tries to educate their customers. In particular, the 10-employee companies don't understand the impact of these rules. They try to tell these companies; "because of the size of your company, you may not have to do recordkeeping, but you're bringing a crane to your site; so you still have to follow these rules."
Crane work is a serious business. Some think that it's lots of toys, and as recently as a year ago, the company had a bare rental 150-ton crawler on the contractor's site; the company representative asked the contractor about their operator for that machine, and was told that he was operating a smaller crawler, and had never operated something so big. The contractor didn't understand how that was a problem.
When they rent their cranes out and the operator has certification, it is an advantage because the company has some "level of comfort" from a certification. It is comfort to know they've been through the process, but at the end of the day, it doesn't mean they're qualified. WV has state license requirements for crane operators- they recognize CCO certification, but they also want to see the individual grades and card to ensure that they understand the training. PA recognizes NCCCO certification as well. If you have that, they will accept you. In D.C., you must take their test. The company has operators who carry all 3 state requirements, primarily because on larger cranes, that's where they are most likely to work. The company is contractually obligated to different customers. The company renting the crane must make sure that the operator is qualified for that machine- and there is that language in the contract. Bare rentals run around 25% of revenue (and 50% of the number of cranes in their fleet); they don't bare rent the all-terrain (AT) machines, but will bare rent rough terrain crawl cranes. Very few lattice booms are rented bare. They don't bare rent mobile cranes. With ATs and truck cranes, the reason they don't bare rent is that the companies they rent to don't have qualified people to operate them. Most incidents happen at the beginning of a job, because people don't know how to work them. Contractors will take an excavator operator and will assume that they can run a crane.
A customer bare renting a crane must send certification of insurance naming the company as insured before the company will send a crane to the site. There is also a boom overload clause in the contract -- if you overload the boom, it is covered.
The company is involved in steel erection themselves- the company started with the Owner's father and one bulldozer. The Father was an operator by trade, as was his Grandfather. The Father decided to go into business for himself, and bought a bulldozer. The company comes from small beginnings.
The Owner started working as a teenager, and became a steelworker. Their company was built as a steel company, and they had cranes to do steel erection. They took the profits from steel and invested in cranes, now the crane business is bigger than steel erection. They built a local D.C. airport. They do a lot of government work in steel, and build hangars for the military.
A majority of the crawler rentals are bare. They have about 40 crawlers, and would say that 75% are rented bare. One of them has been with customer for about a year; another one has been all over the Northeast.
With some of the truck cranes, a contractor wanted to do some things that the company didn't agree with, so they took their equipment home. They've had some problems with mistreatment of cranes, but they have developed the whole process with how to rent them. They send a person with the rental, the other company signs off on the quality of the equipment at delivery, then the other company signs it back in at the end of the rental period, and the company does an inspection at the end of the job. Sometimes you do have to do repairs, cable replacement, work on the lattice, etc. Companies rent cranes bare because they only need to do crane work here and there; it's an expensive investment for just the occasional job.
OSHA: Manned vs. bare, how much of the fee charged is for the operator vs. for the crane?
Depends on the crane- when the company charges for the operator on a manned rental- for example, of 50-ton RT, in today's market is $7K month- with the lease crane only. If also operating and insuring, fueling, maintaining and costs of operator, then it's approximately $50 an hour, plus fuel and insurance for 176 hours / month  for an average of 22 days/month times 8 hours/day = $8.8K.
The regulations have helped the company; they don't have the losses and incidents that they used to have. In this economy, people are having a hard time, and are doing more operated rentals- people don't want the hassle of finding a qualified operator.
In current times, companies are choosing not to own their own equipment. It's a better financial decision to rent the equipment, so they really work in their niche, and sometimes do long-term bare rentals. Their customers have great comfort level with quality of their equipment, and with the experience and qualifications of the people that they provide.
The company does a lot of non-construction work, such as at Northrup Grumman in Newport News and at Norfolk Naval Base. They have had cranes all over the country doing wind energy (not new construction, but maintenance of 80m towers). The company is also an MSHA-regulated company as well and knows the qualification requirements for MSHA. What are employee duties? An employee can be held directly accountable and can be cited. As can a supervisor.
OSHA: Do you think that holding employees personally responsible is a good idea?
"It would plumb up some of the stuff going on." The company cannot always be responsible for the actions of the employee. You qualify and train, but can't control an employee's thoughts at any given time. It's hard to explain, but "sometimes the employer can't be held responsible for the actions of an employee."
IV. The Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard
The company likes the standard as it is. It has taken some of the gray areas away, like ground conditions, and has clarified responsibility in multi-employer situations.
All employees at the company have the authority to stop a job, and they are encouraged to call somebody if necessary. They are told, "don't force a bad issue." Customers understand this and appreciate it when they understand.
Interview #7- Canadian Certification Authority

I. Background
Representatives from a Canadian certification authority met with OSHA to discuss their experiences with certifying crane operators.  The province contracts an association to oversee the training and qualification of operators who run cranes within their province. Because of a shortage of qualified crane operators in this province, the authority was tasked to seek a reciprocity arrangement with other provinces and the US for certifications issued in both Canada and the United States.
II. Certification Program
This certification authority put together a program that verifies the competency of crane operators by requiring them to pass a written and practical test. The program provides for several certifications that vary by equipment type and capacity. To operate a particular type of equipment of greater capacity, the operator may have to get an advanced certification that also requires graduated levels of operating experience. Unlike crane certification programs in the US, this organization also tracks the working experiences of the operators it certifies.
The most important elements of the certification system in this province are the hierarchy of 13 crane types, the 4 different levels of certification for each type, and the assessment required for an A level certification. The types and capacities of cranes that define the different certifications were negotiated with the crane industry (i.e., manufacturers, rental companies, and end users) and are based primarily on the top and lower end capacities of cranes of similar designs, configurations, and operating controls. The representatives from the certification authority alluded to that the manufacturers were in the best position to know where the capacity bands or limits should be for specified types of cranes available and their varying operating controls and configurations.
III. Crane Types
We begin with a discussion of the 13 crane type hierarchy, beginning with an illustration. (see next page)

Crane Types

The 13 types of cranes specified by this province bear some similarities to those identified for supplemental requirements in OSHA's crane standard. The hierarchy of certifications is structured such that obtaining certifications for the more complex types of cranes also permits the operator to run less complex types. In general, operators who obtain certifications for cranes of greater lifting capacities are allowed to run cranes of the same type that are of lower lifting capacities.
For example, an operator qualified for the lattice boom friction crane may run any other crane except for a tower crane. Tower cranes are considered to be so unique in design and operation that operators must demonstrate particular skills to qualify for certifications of this type. For example, keen depth perception, timing, and dexterity with the controls are critical to the performance of repetitious and time critical lifts that are typical of tower crane operations.
An operator certified to run a lattice boom friction crane may operate all cranes except tower cranes and self-erecting tower cranes. An operator certified to run a 20 ton hydraulic crane or under, however, may only operate hydraulic cranes with capacities up to 20 tons. To further describe how the hierarchy works, an operator certified to run a 40 ton or less stiff boom crane may also operate a 20 ton or less stiff boom and all folding boom cranes. However, that operator may not run a larger stiff boom or any hydraulic cranes.
IV. Operator Experience Levels and Certifications
For each type of crane, there are four levels of certification available to crane operators (A, B, C, and D); these certifications reflect different levels of expertise acquired by the operator. The level of certification gives the employer some idea of what an operator is qualified to do with or without supervision of a more qualified person.
Level A Certification
This certification is the highest level available. It permits the operator to perform all functions of crane operation including critical lifts (critical lifts are defined by the certification authority, and are discussed below in the context of B level certification). To obtain an A level certification for a specific type of crane, an operator must pass an assessment offered by two testing groups specified by the certification authority. Operators must also complete an apprenticeship with an employer, but experienced operators from other jurisdictions may qualify to "challenge" the certification and forego the apprenticeship. The assessment is discussed in greater detail below. Along the way to the A level certification, the operator needs to hold one of the lesser certifications to use a crane and gain the necessary experience.
Level B Certification
This certification allows an apprentice or trainee operator to perform most tasks while under "indirect supervision" and critical lifts while under "direct supervision." Indirect supervision means oversight of crane operation by means other than direct observation. Direct supervision, by contrast, requires the supervisor to be close enough to observe and verbally communicate with the operator. Level B and level D both require the completion of an online "core theory" multiple choice test of 23 questions.
Certification level B operators may only perform critical lifts while under direct supervision. Critical lifts are defined by the certification authority to include:
   1. a lift by a mobile crane or boom truck that exceeds 90% of its rated capacity while it is lifting the load at a load radius of more than 50% of its maximum permitted load radius, taking into account its position and configuration during the lift,
   2. a tandem lift if the load on any one crane, hoist or other piece of powered lifting equipment exceeds 75% of the rated capacity of that crane, hoist or other piece of powered lifting equipment,
   3. a tandem lift involving the simultaneous use of more than two cranes, hoists or other pieces of powered lifting equipment,
   4. a lift of a person in a work platform suspended from or attached to a crane or hoist,
   5. a lift in which the center of gravity of the load changes during the lift,
   6. a lift in which the length of one or more sling legs changes during a lift,
   7. a lift by a crane, boom truck or hoist, supported on a floating base, that exceeds 90% of rated capacity for the lifting system,
   8. a lift of a load over or between energized high voltage electrical conductors, or
   9. a lift of a submerged load.
Level C Certification
Level C is a letter of permission to learn about crane operations. It allows the operator to operate the crane only when under direct supervision. No critical lifts are permitted for a level C operator. This certificate is valid for 6 months, and is intended to allow prospective crane operators to show whether they have the aptitude to move up to level B status.
Level D Certification
Level D is intended for operators who use a crane on an occasional basis. It requires only a portion of the competencies required for level A. The employer is responsible for documenting the employee's skills and determining what lifts the employee is qualified to perform. The employee with a level D certification must be supervised during all lifts and no critical lifts are permitted.
V. Operator Qualification
The representatives from the certification authority explained that operators come to test that have varying levels of experience, some have many years of experience as an oiler, mechanic, or rigger during which they operated cranes in limited capacities. Others have far more actual seat time but may not have the familiarity with the system controls or configuration of a particular model of crane to be considered competent to run it. Other times, an operator may have years of experience operating a particular crane to perform particular types of hoisting jobs but that operator still may lack the practical experience to do a hoisting job that is new to him or her. Therefore, when determining an operator's competence to run a particular crane at the jobsite, the organization believed that several factors about the operator should be taken into considerations such as:
   * the operator's ability to take instructions and general demeanor,
   * duration of applicable crane-operating experience,
   * the types and configurations of equipment operated, and
   * the types of lifts and activities performed with the cranes.
However, the certification authority did not believe that a third-party testing organization could have enough types and capacities of cranes, or test sites for particular hoisting activities, to verify the competence of an operator to do all hoisting jobs under all of the possible construction worksite conditions. They did believe that a third-party certification could be developed to verify that operators could safely perform very limited hoisting activities using equipment of the most basic of crane configurations. Their program's lowest level certification (level D) does just that.
In sum, this certification authority was convinced that operator certification can be more for the employer than a learner's permit. It can be a driver's license if the limitations of the certification are specified and enforced by the operator's employer. Overall, the employer must ensure that the operator can safely run the crane at the worksite.

Interview #8- Large American Construction Contractor

OSHA conducted a telephone interview with the safety director of a large company primarily engaged in the building of residential homes.
The company contracts out the work that is done on the homes to subcontractors and does not contract any crane work directly. In their residential construction sector, it is mainly the framers who contract out crane work, but occasionally site preparation or foundation work may require a crane. In the other work that they do, it is mainly concrete and sewer/storm drain work that requires a crane.
The company gives the authority for contracting crane work to their subs.  They are able to hire who they want, and who they feel is best qualified. The subs sometimes also hire other subs who may own/rent/subcontract any hoisting equipment needed to perform their jobs.
The company does monitor cranes and the work that they do when they are on the company's sites. Project monitors typically inspect the crane and the set up when on the construction site. The cranes are monitored for compliance to applicable regulations as well as general safety. The monitoring is done by walkthroughs by project managers. They always know when a crane is coming on to the site and will make a point of going down to look at it. The project managers can tell if the crane operator is not qualified just by looking at how they're operating the crane.
The company requires certification of any on-site crane operators and has done so for a number of years because they work in a state that requires it.  The safety director has been with this residential builder for 9 years, and there haven't been any crane accidents in that period.  Nor has the company had to send an operator or crane off the construction site due to safety concerns. Their subcontractors tend to hire the same crane companies frequently; so they are very familiar with the operators. They typically hire cranes with operators; sometimes those rentals come with a signal person.  Trusses are usually set by boom trucks.
The work that cranes are doing is mostly lifting roof trusses, but there is also some land development uses and precast concrete manholes and pipes that are installed with cranes. Pallets of material are usually lifted with an extended reach forklift, but those forklifts typically don't use any attachments such as extension booms/jibs or slings, just the straight forks.
The safety director emphasized that site supervisors can tell when a crane operator is qualified by watching them operate a crane.  The company does inquire about an operator's training and requires them to be certified. Their framing sub-contractors tend to use crane operators/contractors who are familiar to them- they know who they're dealing with. More commonly, the company subs hoisting of roof trusses to the truss manufacturers.  A truss manufacturer may sub that work out to a carpenter, who then will contract out the crane work.
Owner/operators: Framing contractors rarely purchase their own cranes -- the company's representative only knows of one framing contractor in Virginia that has a crane. The company doesn't do work with that framer.
Interview #9- Utility (Power Lines) Workers Union

I. Introduction/Background

OSHA staff met with a representative for an electrical (power lines) workers union to better understand how the electrical industry (both contractors and utility companies) ensures that union members who operate cranes are qualified to perform that work.

The union represents workers in the utility industry (electric, gas, etc.) and contract workers who perform work on utility-controlled properties.  The arrangements and organization of utility employment versus contractor employment is totally different.  In general, the utility industry has a much easier process in place to ensure that its employees are qualified to perform work because the utility company works with individuals from hiring to termination, whereas the contractors are working with different union members all the time, job by job in many cases.  As a result, the utility companies have easier accessible tools in place to ensure individual employee qualification.

The contractors and utility employees perform similar work.  However, contractors perform more construction activities (construction of new power lines, for example) whereas utilities perform more maintenance.  For example, setting a power line pole because it is broken (maintenance) or installing new pole (construction) is still the same work with the same hazards and same equipment.  Because even contractors performing new construction may perform some tasks that qualify as maintenance, contractors will usually follow OSHA general industry requirements for line work since this is the stricter standard.

II. Types of cranes used in power line work

The union representative asked OSHA to consider how the electric power and distribution industry uses cranes in the context of the training that persons who operate the cranes receive.  The cranes they use are:  boom trucks, mobile truck-mounted hydraulic.  Digger derricks are exempted from subpart CC for power line work. Electrical line work uses cranes in a limited number of ways (with possible exception of building substations) (descriptions correspond with photos).  The point is that there are not a lot of different crane tasks or applications in this industry, compared with the many variations of lifting loads that occur on a construction work site.

Descriptions of cranes in photos:
1: A boom truck is used to lift a new pole and/or remove an old pole in middle of a right of way 60/70 feet up in the air.
2: A digger derrick is used for lifting poles to heights of 35/40 feet.
3-4: A jib is used with an energized conductor, 345kv, to hold up the line as secondary protection, while an insulating link is used as primary protection (this link insulates 100 kv per foot  -  the links we have in the subpart CC standard for proximity work are only 35 kv (neighborhood voltage)).
5: Different structure, same application: A boom truck is used and a lineman is hooking an insulated stick to a wench line  -  this is something the lineman would do manually  -  again all in right of ways.
6: To replace an entire structure, 2 poles and cross arms on4 trucks, all with the booms attached to the conductors, are used.  Then a digger derrick is used either to set new poles or remove old poles.  In this scenario, it is very possibly the person operating the digger derrick lifted the cable on all of the trucks because no one is in any of these trucks.  They are just used to hold up the line.
7-8: A similar type of boom truck is used -  this one has a robotic arm.  A company devised this arm - an attachment piece with 3 little arms  -  that can manipulate up and down, top and bottom also go up and down.  Different rated insulators mount to the arm. This is attached to all three phases on a power line to move them out of way.  It can be attached to a boom truck.  Linemen will take 2 of them and move the lines out of the way, then take down and put back up a structure/replace a structure without de-energizing  -  therefore they don't have to reroute load, so it takes hours rather than days to replace a pole.  This is a very efficient piece of equipment (different sized insulators, load limitations, but works well, easy to use).  (Structures are usually built in pieces on the ground, bolted together in the air).
9: Picture of a typical piece of equipment that linemen use  -  a basic boom truck.  During rulemaking, this union suggested an exemption up to 60 tons for this kind of truck.  This equipment doesn't dig holes.  It is just a lifting device.
10: Same equipment with 2[nd] configuration, rear mounted verses front mounted.
11: A knuckle-boom crane is used in ductwork for setting / building.  These are used both to lift and assemble, and they are getting bigger and stronger, very versatile.  Utilities like versatile equipment because they can be a money saver.  They can also set poles with these cranes.
12: An example of crane work can be found in New Jersey on I-95 near Trenton.  This is the installation of a fiber optic cable using cranes with extensions to lift cable up together without worrying about all the other stuff/traffic/obstacles (Tandem lift + buckets for the personnel).  This method avoids problems; it is not cheapest method but maybe the most efficient way to solve the problem without disrupting traffic too much.

Use of remote controls (especially with digger derricks) is becoming more common because it removes the touch potential hazard (i.e. the electric potential if a boom touches or comes too close to a line).  The operator often climbs on and off the vehicle.  At some jobs, the operator's job to sit in crane all day versus a smaller crane job might require people to climb on and off of the crane constantly.  Tools and equipment for building the power line will need to be removed from the truck bed. The operator can often be a journeyman lineman, and faces a hazard working around energized parts.  There are fiberglass parts on the crane but there is still a lot of metal.  Remote controls abate the hazards from step potential (on the ground) and touch potential.

Bigger, multi-purpose equipment is becoming more common. Today, in many instances the preferred piece of equipment is a boom truck rather than digger derricks, because it can be set up one time with a 100-foot boom and reach a lot of things.  So one piece of equipment can do the job that would require multiple pieces of smaller equipment.  Contractors are also more often choosing 60- rather than 30-ton cranes because they have more capacity with the same footprint and a longer boom, and therefore there is no need to have additional equipment.

Contractors are also using pin-on platforms and buckets to hoist personnel (although for CC, the employer must demonstrate that it is not feasible to use some other method- this is issue currently in industry).  The ability for abuse (and violating personnel hoisting requirements) is much easier with the versatile equipment, but these kinds of equipment save costs.  A large electric utility was cited recently for using a boom truck as aerial lift on the job.  Although this is being challenged, an "infeasible" argument is difficult since there was an aerial lift on site.  OSHA's refusal to allow a pin-on platform was a reason that this union contacted OSHA advice on whether such a platform could be used without demonstrating infeasibility. Another trend is employers [or manufacturers] attempting to qualify vehicles (all of them) as aerial lifts.

Another piece of multipurpose equipment is a forklift that has an auger and pole lifting attachment  -  it can be used to set 1200-lb. poles.  (Not clear what certification requirements would be).

Contractors are building more transmission lines and distribution lines now; so they can afford to buy their own bigger equipment.

III. Lineman Qualification/Training Requirements

The union representative believes that training requirement for electrical work under 1910.269(a)(2) is a good model for qualification doing any kind of work.  He understands this requirement to have 4 steps:

	(1) train individuals to perform task (how to do it)
	(2) teach individuals what are the hazards of the task
	(3) train individuals how to mitigate hazards, and
	(4) require individuals to demonstrate the proficiency to do all three.

Also under 1910.269(a)(2)(iii), if you haven't performed a task in a year, you are no longer qualified to do it; so annual review and re-qualification, and possibly re-training, of employees' abilities are required. Some things are obviously easier to re-qualify for than others.  For example, to re-qualify an employee to climb a pole, you can watch them inspect the tools, get on pole, and perform skills on the pole -- this is relatively simple.

In this field, book work plus on the job training (OJT) = qualification.  Both are vital, but OJT may be more important.

Utilities:

The employer keeps track of who is re-qualified, which is why it's a much easier process for long-term employers (utilities) than contractors who work with employees for a shorter time.  At first the industry didn't like re-qualification, but the utilities appreciate the process now that it makes for more skilled employees.

Contractors:

Contractors hire employees who have completed the union apprenticeship program for specific jobs -  the same registered national apprenticeship program applies coast to coast.  There are area training centers that are responsible for the training program for an area; however, line work is performed in different parts of country with different techniques.  For example, on the east coast, work is performed more often with rubber gloving techniques on live wires, while in the west, live line tool work on the live wires is more common.  Union members have a "ticket" that defines their status (i.e., apprentice v. journeyman).

However, how does the employer determine that employee's qualification for a particular task, such as crane operator?  Construction local unions will often have a qualifying test for lineman skills to pass to be on the "A list" to get jobs.  There are also union networks  -  two nearby locals might audit each other's test and offer reciprocity on membership testing.  Union training program participants receive a card that is a validation of certain amount of training  - training includes testing. There is no special job-based classification for the union workers who are assigned contract jobs  -  they are all linemen.

IV. Training Operators to use Cranes

Utilities:

The process for utilities to train crane operators can be easier than the process for contractors to accomplish the same.  The program with new hires in utilities is not so much an apprenticeship as a 63-month training program for a line man, with what may be an additional 24-month training program for a digger derrick/ crane operator.  There are progressive steps, training and efficiency checks/tests.  Entry level utility employees may or may not have prior training/testing.  Utility workers are generally not jacks of all trades, but rather certain employees might learn to operate cranes by becoming equipment operators (to include digger derrick, bulldozer, and crane).  Utilities typically have a long list of different job descriptions/skill sets for their employees.

Contractors:

On the contractor side, this would be pretty much the same thing, but just less structured/organized.  During an apprenticeship, an apprentice would certainly not be allowed to operate a crane in a dangerous setting.  Everyone is on and off digger derricks and boom trucks developing skills, but not for critical lifts.

If, for example, an apprentice was on the job, and the contractor's workers are holding up an energized conductor  -  the apprentice will not touch the controls.  This will be a journeyman with experience who is qualified to operate the boom truck.  However, in a different setting, setting a pole for example, the apprenticeship program will give him or her some experience operating the heavy equipment.  The apprentices are also simultaneously getting training that is specialized to line work  -  work rules, voltages, rigging when they can go up the pole, etc.

Crane- related apprenticeship program training:

A "Step 1" apprentice is not going to be on a boom truck.

Relevant training during the apprenticeship will include limited load chart work, but probably it ought to include more.  Grounding is a big training topic, rigging as well, but not specific to boom trucks and digger derricks.  With so many types of equipment out there, training is not that specialized.  It perhaps should include examples of how to read load charts, a module on different capacities, and how to read and apply charts.

Apprenticeship training is focused more on where the accidents in line work are occurring, while crane events (tip overs, etc.) are not usually the accidents that are happening in line work.  Usually it's due to contact with an energized line.  The digger derrick makes contact with the line.  Setting a pole in energized conductors is probably the most dangerous part of lifting jobs.

V. Paring Operators with Pieces of Equipment

On the contractor side, where bigger equipment (specialized or larger capacity cranes) are needed, many contractors will either hire an operator to go with the crane where it goes or internally send someone to school to get qualified to operate that big piece of equipment (the manufacturer training, for example, although it will only teach set up, maintenance etc.) and certified to meet the OSHA standard (now).

On the utility side, the employer would often just rent the big equipment and contract it out.  If the utility does have a larger crane, dedicated employees will operate it.

VI. Crane Certification verses Qualification

The union representative provided examples of 10-day classes for mobile crane operator qualification, which would result in a card that says the individual is a qualified mobile crane operator, as opposed to just certified.  This kind of training includes more "on the job" and seat-time training than the certification program.  However even after this 10-day program, it is not clear how "qualified" they are.  He was also aware of courses in crane training and qualification that lasted as long as 4 weeks.

A big difference in this kind of class is there is practical as well as written training, and the practical part is much longer and more meaningful.  It was at OSHA's stakeholder meetings where this union representative first heard that certification was essentially a "learner's permit."

An operator's certification card is viewed by some contractors as the operator being "qualified" under the current standard.  The contractor will typically still observe them, but consider the requirement of the standard to be satisfied.

Utilities can be somewhat different than the contractor because they can take more time more to verify that a worker is really qualified, whereas contractors must staff or hire job by job, so time is of the essence.

Certification was good in theory, because there is some training and written plus the practical.
That is more than was previously required, but it is a scrunched down to a mini version.  People really can't learn just from certification/classroom.  They need on the job mentoring, demonstration, and practice.

The union faces this everyday with the "lineman ticket." Traditionally, the journeyman lineman is qualified to do everything, but this is changing/has changed.  Same with riggers--this is becoming more specialized as riggers require more specialized skill sets for different jobs.

Training is ongoing  -  like in 1910.269(a)(2)  -  reviewing abilities every 12 months if necessary -  one card can't last forever.

VIII: How do Contractors determine whether a Lineman is qualified to Operate a Crane and what can they do about someone with questionable qualifications?

To work on a line job, an individual would have to join the union, regardless of background.  There is not a specialized classification for crane operators within the union. When a new member or employee is sent out to a job, especially one that has not completed our apprenticeship, someone will observe this employee and determine qualifications. In some cases, a lineman may be sent to one of the crane operating schools discussed above.

Most apprentices are going to be given exposure to operation (at least pile driving/digger derricks), but there are plenty of linemen that are not going to operate a crane.

When a contractor is given linemen for a job, they decide who does what task.

In our contracting industry, the foreman is a union member and a journeyman lineman plus there will be safety guys and other managers.  Also if something goes on, maybe a contractor could get black listed from the utility property.  So there is an incentive for the contractor to be safe/ensure the safety of the people working.

There is no central system for tracking records of union members.  Although there is no formal logging process for bad or good stuff that happens to a union member, if something happens, everyone knows immediately and there are websites that post these details as well.  Some contractors will refuse to hire or use certain people, but if the union members are on the books, the union still has to offer them work.

Local unions all have a trial board, and charges against members occasionally could be based on safety issues for which the penalty would be expulsion, retraining, fines, etc.

When a contractor needs someone for a crane job, they request the union to provide a qualified (now certified) person.  Certification is changing employers' sense that qualification still matters.  Some contractors believe a card for certification is enough.

VII. Type and Capacity

Type and capacity does matter -  if you are on a 20-ton telescoping boom and lift 8,000 pounds, versus 80 ton, lifting 30,000 pounds, that is a huge difference.  Different operating systems would make a difference in cranes as well.  Smaller cranes are using more sophisticated operating systems.

VIII. CDLs

A candidate apprentice must get a CDL driving license to get into the apprenticeship program (CDL has a learner's permit now).  Federal DOT rules control CDL, and can be supplemented by states with extra requirements.
Interview #10- Equipment Operator Trainer- incl. Multi-Purpose Forklifts

I. Background
On July 25, 2013, OSHA staff spoke with a provider of forklift training in on the US east coast. The training company trains operators for forklifts, aerial work platforms, and earth moving equipment. The discussion centered on hazards created by attaching a boom and winch to a forklift, and where operator competencies are frequently deficient. The company sees rough terrain forklifts with boom attachments being used more frequently to hoist building materials at jobsites. However, it is questionable whether the operators have been properly trained and evaluated to verify that they can safely use the forklift in that configuration.
II. The Training Course: Matching the Training to Equipment Used
The training company puts new operators through formal instruction followed by a training course intended to match the requirements of § 1910.178(l). The company certifies operators for forklift classes 1, 4, 5, and 7. The company provides up to 7 levels of forklift certification based on the design of forklift and the complexity of the lifts. The company's representative explained that one obvious difference between the operator assessment they provide and that of most employers is that employers often do not challenge the operators to solve problems related to conditions at the worksite, the parameters of the lift, and the center of gravity of the forklift. The employers' assessments are usually focused more on the operator's familiarity with the forklift's controls and to command movements of the forklift under ideal ground conditions.
Following successful completion of the company's training program, the new operators receive a signed and dated certificate indicating the equipment they are qualified to operate. The certificate indicates whether the forklift is a warehouse type or rough terrain, and vertical reach or mast. Once a new operator is certified, he or she is competent to inspect the equipment, read a load chart, and operate the forklift on a job site. However, the training company reiterates that the employer must ensure that operators are competent to do the types of hoisting jobs performed at the job site.
The training company doesn't document attachment qualification. When teaching someone to use an attachment, the trainer explains the attachment's capabilities, especially the range of operation.
III. Evaluating an Operator
The training company first evaluates the operator's knowledge of the equipment and challenges the operator to verify that various loads are within the lifting capacity of the forklift in that configuration. It is essential that operators are able to make determinations at the jobsite regarding the capacity of the equipment. Next, the operator must be able to inspect the forklift for deficiencies and understand what hazards the deficiencies present to the operation of the equipment.
Once the operator is in the seat of the equipment, the evaluator observes how well the operator appears to be familiar with the controls of the forklift. Other things--such as whether the operator immediately uses the seatbelt, rotates the forklift in the right direction when working forwards and backwards, and checks to the rear and lift the forks before moving--may also be indicators of the operator's familiarity with the forklift. The operator then must be able to safely handle loads and understand the hazards of performing various types of lifts and configurations of the forklift. The company's representative was concerned that too many employers were not taking the time to ensure that operators practice and become skilled at handling loads with boom and winch attachments before assigning the lift to the operator in the course of a workday.
IV. Issues Created by Crane-like Forklift Attachments
One issue created by the attachment of a boom and winch to a forklift is that some attachments don't match up perfectly with the crane they're attached to, and may not even come with a load chart developed by its manufacturer. The company's representative has heard many stories about employees not knowing how to use a load chart at all, or how to do calculations that would verify the diminished capacity of the equipment once equipped with boom attachments and suspended loads.
The ease with which a forklift can be modified to produce crane-like operation is an issue when changes to the load chart or adjustments to the amount of counterweight have not been done. The training company stated that boom and winch attachments are among the most dangerous forklift attachments. The company's representative believes that one way this operation can be made safer is through the use of a lift plan to guide operation. When the employer develops a lift plan, factors such as the extended reach, the weight of the load, the height of the lift, the leveling of the forklift, and specific worksite configurations and hazards, become more evident and can be addressed well before the lift is attempted.
V. Other Concerns of the Company
Potential lack of supervision- Many employers will pay to have all their forklift operators trained, but not maintain a skilled supervisor on staff. Therefore, there often aren't many qualified operators in supervisory roles.
Engineering- Most forklifts with boom and winch attachments used in the US have no system in place to prevent them from lifting too heavy a load. In addition, the boom and winch attachments may or may not come with anti two-blocking devices depending on the manufacturer of the attachments.
General Operator Training- Many companies aren't doing enough to qualify forklift operators. They will just show a video followed by a quick drive around.
Interview #11- Large American Construction Contractor Firm

I. Introduction
OSHA staff spoke with the safety manager of a large American construction contractor firm based in Texas. The safety manager has over 30 years of construction and crane safety experience, and holds a range of certifications. He was also a subject matter expert (SME) for two of the crane operator certification organizations, and remains a SME for one of them. He served as a SME for the other for 9 years. The company owns approximately 120 cranes that range in size from 4 to 450 tons. The company employs 150 full time operators in long term employment. These operators are not routinely certified by third party organizations, but when a client requires it, the company will seek certification or assign an already certified operator.
II. Qualification for employees
a. Qualifying a new or existing employee without prior operator experience
To qualify a new employee as an operator, the company begins with training on safety law and manufacturer's recommendations. This study is supplemented by work around the crane to assist in familiarization. If that employee shows promise, the company will give him additional material to study, and start him out on small 5 to 8 ton mobile cranes used in refineries. These cranes are very small, have short booms, and are difficult to tip over.
These small cranes have their own written and practical exams (developed by the company) that the employer requires the operator to take to become fully qualified on them. Successful completion of the written will enable the new operator to move on to the practical. The practical exam follows the aforementioned study of work safety rules and manufacturer recommendations, as well as supervised seat time culminating in the written exam.
This process normally takes about 6 months for quick learners. Once someone is qualified on one of these smaller cranes, there exists the prospect to train further and move up to larger machines. Once qualification is complete, the operator is issued a license indicating the capacity and type of crane he or she is qualified for. That license is only valid at the company and does not expire. Though the license doesn't expire, the operator will be reevaluated after three years. The company does not seek third party certification as a matter of routine. Third party certification is discussed in more detail below.
b. Assessing a newly hired operator's qualifications