Crane, derrick, and hoist

Personnel platforms suspended from cranes, derricks and hoists (general industry)... 

Any person engaged in a construction activity who is operating a crane covered by Subpart CC needs to be certified/qualified, except if the person is operating sideboom cranes, derricks, and equipment with a rated hoisting/lifting capacity of2,000 pounds or less. Operators of these three types of equipment must instead meet criteria in the applicable section in Subpart CC. 

No specific training requirements are called for in the OSHA demo-htion regulations. However, 1926.21(b)(2) says employees must be trained to recognize and avoid rmsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his work environment to control or eliminate the hazards. The OSHA rules at 1926.20(b)(4) say that employers shall permit only those employees qualified by training or experience to operate equipment and machinery. In addition, 1926.856 and. 858 refer to 29 CFR 1926 subparts N, O, and CC where cranes, derricks, and other mechanical or hoisting equipment are used, and these subparts may provide further training provisions, where apph-cable. 

Subpart N— Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Elevators, and Conveyors. 434... 

Subpart N deals specifically with the operation of cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators, and conveyors in the construction industry. In this subpart, employees shall comply with the applicable manufacturer s standards for cranes and derricks. However, when there are no manufacturer s standards. 

Hoisting equipment means commercially manufactured lifting equipment designed to lift and position a load of known weight to a location at some known elevation and horizontal distance from the equipment s center of rotation. Hoisting equipment includes but is not limited to cranes, derricks, tower cranes,... 

General requirements. The use of a crane or derrick to hoist employees on a personnel platform is prohibited, except when the erection, use, and dismantling of conventional means of reaching the worksite, such as a personnel hoist, ladder, stairway, aerial lift, elevating work platform or scaffold, would be more hazardous or is not possible because of structural design or worksite conditions. 

This is in response to your April 15, 1999, letter in which you ask a question relating the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.550 (Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Elevators and Conveyors) with respect to employees working near or under suspended loads. 

Subpart N provides provisions for cranes, derricks, hoists, helicopters, conveyors, and aerial lifts. This subpart delimits many common safety requirements for material-handling equipment and reinforces the need to follow the manufacturer s requirements regarding load capacities, speed limits, special hazards, and unique equipment characteristics. A competent person must inspect all cranes and derricks before daily use and a thorough inspection must be accomplished annually by an OSHA-recognized qualified person. A record must be maintained of that inspection for each piece of hoisting eqnipment. 

These types of heavy lifting equipment are very sophisticated and time has only increased their complexity. Thus, only those with unique experience and training should be allowed to operate and maintain these types of lifting devices. When failure of equipment or operator occurs, the outcome is often catastrophic. Cranes, hoists, and derricks should be inspected regularly and well maintained to preclude their failure during performance (see Figure 25.6). 

B) Hoist or hoisting) means all crane or derrick functions such as lowering, lifting, swinging, booming in and out or up and down, or suspending a personnel platform. 

Cranes and derricks— (i) Operational criteria. (A) Hoisting of the personnel platform shall be performed in a slow, controlled, cautious manner with no sudden movements of the crane or derrick, or the platform. 

Hoists, cranes, and derricks Heavy equipment Motor vehicles Barricades... 

All hoists are to comply with the manufacturer s specifications. If these do not exist, then as with cranes and derricks, the limitations are based on the determination of a professional engineer. In the operation of a hoist there should be a signaling system, a specified fine speed, and a sign stating No Riders. Permanently enclosed hoist cars are to be used to hoist personnel and these cars must be able to stop at any time using safety breaks or a similar system. All hoists are to be tested, inspected, and maintained on an ongoing basis and at least every 3 months. In addition, requirements exist in this subpart for base-mounted drum hoists and overhead hoists. 

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