In response to growing concerns over crane safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration last week released new crane and derrick safety standards.  The standards have been widely welcomed by Houston construction accident lawyers.

Some of the most important provisions in the new standards include a requirement that crane operators be certified to use the crane.  Current requirements don’t call for such certification.  Crane operators will be given about four years to obtain the certification.

It’s not just crane operators who will be under increased scrutiny under the new standards.  Other workers, who are part of the crane operations, will also need to be qualified for the job, although they need not be certified.  These workers would include riggers and signalers.  Under the new standards, general contractors will be required to maintain appropriate ground conditions for safe operation of cranes. Components of tower cranes must now be inspected before the crane is elected.

There are also new rules regarding the safe operation of cranes near high tension power lines.  Crane operators are at a high risk of electrocution when their equipment comes in contact with these power lines, and this has long been a major hazard on a construction site.  OSHA has included provisions to prevent electrocution accidents in the new standards.

The standards have been a long time coming.   In fact, OSHA had announced that it would be establishing a committee to revise the rules back in 2002. But the new standards, although late, are greatly welcome.

However, there are likely to be several challenges in implementing these rules.  For instance, the rules will affect more than 4.8 million employees of crane and construction companies nationwide.  All of these workers will have to be made aware of the rule changes, and will have to be trained to work in adherence to the standards.  That is a major challenge for any construction company, and one that I hope these firms will step up to.

Image Courtesy – Flickr – Steve R Watson

Vuk Vujasinovic is a Board Certified Houston personal injury attorney who practices Houston auto accident and other personal injury cases.

For more info on how Vuk can help you with your potential case please call him at (877) 724-7800 or fill out the contact form on the right.

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