Raising the bar on crane safety (non workers die from crane accidents too)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2009/04/22/Raising-the-bar-on-crane-safety

April 21, 2009 11:46 AM CDT
Raising the bar on crane safety
by Brian Johnson Staff Writer

Two years ago, Minnesota passed a law requiring that anyone operating a construction crane had to undergo classroom and practical training – then pass a rigorous certification test.

This year, in the wake of several deadly crane accidents throughout the United States, Minnesota’s law could become the model for a new set of federal standards.

Minnesota is one of about 13 states that require a license or certification to operate cranes, according to Glen Johnson, business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 chapter in Minneapolis.

No such requirement currently exists at the federal level, which is why Johnson found himself in Washington, D.C., last month, testifying before the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Few jobs are as dangerous as operating a crane, Johnson, who helped write the Minnesota certification law, told an OSHA panel considering similar federal standards. But with proper national standards in place, he said, operators across the country can “greatly reduce the risk of injury or death.”

The whole industry pays for every crane accident – not just in the most obvious terms of injuries and loss of life, but also in higher insurance costs, Johnson noted.

FULL story at link.

[lurky]

1. Only 13 states require licensing or certification?

That's amazing, considering the size of some of these things. I see cranes around New York with arms 10-20 stories tall. I would hate to imagine someone operating one of those without any training... :(