Progress Reported On Crane/Derrick Safety
Published in: Pacific Builder and Engineer
Date: 2/6/2006
By: Molesworth, Carl
Progress on the proposed safety standard for cranes and derricks was among the topics discussed at the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health meeting in Washington, D.C., Dec. 8-9.
Keith Goddard, director of OSHA’s Directorate of Evaluation and Analysis, revealed that of the 75 crane-related fatalities annually (over a 10-year period), some 30 to 50 fatalities, plus 15,000 injuries, could be prevented annually once the revised standard is in place. The proposed standard resulted from the efforts of the Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee, which achieved consensus on July 9, 2004.
When asked for an explanation of the delay in the rulemaking process, Goddard replied that his directorate had been forced by a court order to first respond to concerns about occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium and beryllium. At present, no one is willing to predict when the crane/derrick rulemaking process will be completed, according to Beth O’Quinn, vice president of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association.
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