OSHA – Crane, Derrick, and Hoist Safety

I Don’t Believe These Rules Were Meant To Include What’s On The Video………..Just When You’ve Thought You’ve Seen It All! Something Comes Along,… Even More Stupid!!

Moving large, heavy loads is crucial to today’s manufacturing and construction industries. Much technology has been developed for these operations, including careful training and extensive workplace precautions. There are significant safety issues to be considered, both for the operators of the diverse “lifting” devices, and for workers in proximity to them. This page is a starting point for finding information about these devices, including elevators and conveyors, and their operation.

Crane, derrick, and hoist safety hazards are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, marine terminals, longshoring, gear certification, and the construction industry.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, the Regulatory Agenda (a list of actions being taken with regard to OSHA standards), Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to crane, derrick, and hoist safety.

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart N, Materials handling and storage
  • 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes
  • 1910.180, Crawler locomotive and truck cranes
  • 1910.181, Derricks
  • 1910.183, Helicopters
• 1910 Subpart S, Electrical
  • Appendix A, Reference documents

Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)

• 1917 Subpart D, Specialized terminals
  • 1917.71, Terminals handling intermodal containers or roll-on roll-off operations
• 1917 Subpart F, Terminal facilities
  • 1917.116, Elevators and escalators

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

• 1918 Subpart F, Vessel’s cargo handling gear
  • 1918.51, General requirements (See also 1918.11 and Appendix III of this part)
  • 1918.55, Cranes (See also 1918.11)
• 1918 Subpart G, Cargo handling gear and equipment other than ship’s gear
  • 1918.62, Miscellaneous auxiliary gear
  • 1918.66, Cranes and derricks other than vessel’s gear
• 1918 Subpart H, Handling cargo
  • 1918.81, Slinging
  • 1918.85, Containerized cargo operations
• 1918 Subpart I, General working conditions
  • 1918.98, Qualifications of machinery operators and supervisory training
• 1918 Subpart J, Personal protective equipment
  • 1918.105, Other protective measures
    • Appendix I, Cargo gear register and certificates (Non-mandatory)

Gear Certification (29 CFR 1919)

• 1919.2, Definition of terms

• 1919.12, Recordkeeping and related procedures concerning records in custody of the vessel

• 1919.15, Periodic tests, examinations and inspections

• 1919.16, Heat treatment

• 1919.21, Marking and posting of safe working loads

• 1919.24, Limitations on use of wire rope

• 1919.28, Unit proof tests-cranes and gear accessory thereto

• 1919.73, Unit proof test and examination of derricks

• 1919.75, Determination of crane or derrick safe working loads and limitations in absence of manufacturer’s data

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart K, Electrical
  • 1926.406, Specific purpose equipment and installations
• 1926 Subpart N, Helicopters, Hoists, Elevators, and Conveyors
  • 1926.550, [Reserved], Federal Register, 75 FR 48134
  • 1926.551, Helicopters
  • 1926.552, Material hoists, personnel hoists, and elevators
  • 1926.553, Base-mounted drum hoists
  • 1926.554, Overhead hoists
  • 1926.555, Conveyors
  • 1926.556, Aerial lifts
• 1926 Subpart V, Power transmission and distribution
  • 1926.953, Material handling. Regulations for crane and hoist signaling will be found in applicable American National Standards Institute standards.

  For additional information related to construction, see OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule page.

  Regulatory Agenda

• The OSHA Regulatory Agenda contains an entry related to crane, derrick, and hoist safety.

Federal Registers

• Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Revising the Exemption for Digger Derricks. Final Rule 78:32110-32116, (2013, May 28). OSHA published a direct final rule and a companion notice of proposed rulemaking on November 9, 2012, to broaden the exemption for digger derricks in its construction standard for cranes and derricks. OSHA received a significant adverse comment on the direct final rule during the comment period, and as a result, OSHA withdrew the direct final rule on February 7, 2013. After considering this comment, OSHA is issuing this final rule based on the notice of proposed rulemaking.

• Cranes and Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Underground Construction and Demolition. Final Rule 78: 23837-23843, (2013, April 23). The effective date of the final rule is May 23, 2013.

• Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Revising the Exemption for Digger Derricks. Withdrawl of Direct Final Rule 78: 8985, (2013, February 7).

• Revising the Exemption for Digger Derricks in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard. Final Rule 77:67270-67276, (2012, November 9).

• Cranes and Derricks in Construction. Final Rule 75:47905-48177, (2010, August 9). The effective date of the final rule was November 8, 2010.

• Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks. Proposed Rules 69:27870, (2004, May 17). OSHA announced that the Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee (C-DAC) extended the dates and times of the June meeting in Phoenix, AZ. The meeting will be on June 1, 2, 3 and 4, 2004.

• Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks. Meeting 69:22748-22749, (2004, April 27). OSHA announces a meeting of the Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee on June 2, 3, and 4.

• Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks. Meeting 69:12098, (2004, March 15). Notice of cancellation of March 29, 30, and 31, 2004 Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee meeting.

• Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks. Notice 68:35172, (2003, June 12).

• Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks. Notice 68:9036-9037, (2003, February 27). Links to a notice of proposed Negotiated Rulemaking Committee membership; request for comments. Comments must be received by March 31, 2003.

Additional Resources:

• OSHA issues final rule to broaden exemption for digger derricks in its Cranes and Derricks standard. OSHA News Release, (2013, May 28).
• OSHA issues final rule to protect workers using cranes and derricks in demolition and underground construction. OSHA News Release, (2013, April 23).
• Stakeholder Meetings on Crane Operator Certification Requirements
• Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Final Rule for Cranes and Derricks in Construction. OSHA Publication 3433-05, (2011).
• Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Qualified Rigger [45 KB PDF^*, 1 page]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2010, October).
• Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Signal Person Qualification [45 KB PDF^*, 1 page]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2010, October).
• US Department of Labor’s OSHA publishes final rule on cranes and derricks in construction. OSHA News Release, (2010, July 28)
  • Federal Register [2 MB PDF^*, 273 pages]. The Office of the Federal Register published the final rule on August 9, 2010. Effective date is Nov. 8, 2010.
• Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2010, July 28).
• Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule. OSHA. Issues rules on Cranes and Derricks in Construction to provide protection to workers.