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New state
standards for
cranes and derricks coming soon
California’s Occupational Safety
and Health Standards Board (CalOSHA) has
announced they will release a revised California
safety standard for cranes and derricks (Group
13 of the General Industry Safety Orders) on
February 17, 2011, in response to new federal
rules that went into effect last November.
States must issue job safety and health
standards that are “at least as effective as”
the federal standards within 6 months of federal
issuance and CalOSHA will revise California
standards “except where existing state standards
are more protective.” OSHA’s new standard will
also require minor modifications of California
Title 8 Construction and Electrical Safety
Orders.
 Review of the hundreds of pages in the
new federal standard and of a CalOSHA comparison
with the California rules seems to indicate
California is already in compliance with the
federal standard. However, CalOSHA has not released its formal response, so that could
change.
Stricter CalOSHA standards it plans to
keep
Having said it will adopt the federal
standards unless existing California standards
are more protective, CalOSHA is in the process
of making those distinctions, leaving the
California crane industry guessing. However,
there are some rules CalOSHA has already said it
will not change.
§5003.
Provisions for
Preventing Accidents in the Area of Power Lines
or Energized Transmitters. While, CalOSHA is
changing the name of the provision, it will
continue the requirement that when equipment is
“in transit with no load and boom lowered, the
equipment clearance shall be a minimum of 4 feet
for voltages less than 600 V, 6 feet for
voltages 600 V up to and including 50 kV, 10
feet for voltages over 50 kV, up to and
including 345 kV, 16 feet for voltages up to and
including 750 kV; and 20 feet for voltages above
750,000 kV.”
§4884.
General Industry Safety
Orders (GISO), Group 13, Cranes and Other
Hoisting Equipment. While CalOSHA is changing
most of the verbiage to match the federal
standard, there are a few exceptions. California
will continue to require crane operators for
tree trimming and removal to be certified
(covered under GISO Article 12, Section 3427).
Also, California will not adopt the federal
exclusions for articulating/knuckle-boom cranes.
CalOSHA will not change its stricter
definition of qualified person to match federal
rule §1926.1401: “A person designated by the
employer who by reason of his training and
experience has demonstrated his ability to
safely perform his duties and, where required,
is properly licensed in accordance with federal,
state, or local laws and regulations.”
§4992. Booms, Assembly/Disassembly. In
addition to complying with all applicable
manufacturer prohibitions and manufacturer
procedures applicable to assembly and
disassembly, the federal rule allows employer
procedures for assembly and disassembly if the
employer can demonstrate the procedures meet the
requirements in §1926.1406. California standards
do not permit employer-developed procedures.
Also under this section, the federal rule allows
working under the boom, jib or other components
when pins (or similar devices) are being
removed, if “the employer demonstrates that site
constraints require one or more employees to be
under the boom, jib, or other components when
pins (or similar devices) are being removed.”
California will not permit this practice.
§4992.3. Power Line Safety. While the feds allow
use of a proximity alarms and automatic
protective devices, such as a range control
warning devices, to give the operator warning of
encroachment, neither is allowed in California.
§5003.3. Power Line Safety (All Voltages) –
Equipment Operations Closer than the Table A
Zone. Equipment operations in which any part of
the equipment, load line, or load (including
rigging and lifting accessories) is closer than
the minimum approach distance under Table A of
§5003.1 to an energized power line is
prohibited. California will not adopt any of the
exceptions in the federal rules for this
condition.
§5031.5. Inspections – Modified
Equipment. Equipment that has had modifications
or additions that affect safe operation of the
equipment must be inspected by a qualified
person and must include functional testing of
the equipment under the federal rule. CalOSHA
requires these inspections be performed by a
certified agent on cranes exceeding 3 tons rated
capacity.
§5031. Inspections – Daily. The
federal rule requires a competent person to
perform a visual inspection of equipment be
completed during each shift the equipment is
used. California requires that inspection to be
completed prior to first operation on any work
shift.
§5008.1 Operation. Both the federal
rule and California’s require the employer to
comply with all manufacturer procedures
applicable to the operational functions of
equipment, including use of attachments. The
difference comes when manufacturer procedures
are not available. If manufacturer procedures
are unavailable, in California, procedures for
operational controls shall be developed by a
certified agent, consistent with 4965 and
definitions in section 4885. The federal rule
allows development of procedures by a qualified
person or registered professional engineer.
Lock-out Tag-out standards (Section 3314) are
more protective than parts of this federal rule.
CalOSHA will continue to require that if there
is a warning (tag-out or do not operate) on the
equipment or starting control, the operator must
not activate the switch or start the equipment
until the sign has been removed by a person
authorized to remove it in accordance with
Section 3314.
Anchoring to the load line. A
personal fall arrest system is permitted to be
anchored to the crane/derrick’s hook (or other
part of the load line) under the new federal
standard but is not allowed in California.
Protecting employees in the hazard area. Under
the federal rule, before an employee goes to a
location in the hazard area that is out of view
of the operator, the employee must ensure the
operator is informed that he/she is going to
that location. California’s 4999(j) prohibits
employees from entering such areas while the
crane is operating. For a side-by-side
comparison of the federal and state regulations
created by CalOSHA visit www.dir.ca.gov/OSHSB/
CDAC_sxs.doc. The complete federal rule is
available at www.osha.gov.
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