Is Your Digger Derrick Exempt from OSHA’s Crane Standard?

Are you using your digger derrick for utility construction? If so, it’s important to consider how OSHA’s construction crane standard could affect you and your equipment. Depending on the type of work you’re doing with your digger derrick, OSHA may consider it a crane. The official regulation, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction is referred to in this article as the crane standard.

OSHA made a special exclusion in the crane standard for digger derricks that perform certain types of utility construction work. Altec recommends that digger derrick users thoroughly review the crane standard to determine if their digger derrick work is exempt.

Note: Your state and local requirements may be more stringent than OSHA’s rule.

Digger Derricks are excluded from the OSHA crane standard when: 

• Augering holes for poles carrying electric or telecommunications lines
  • Placing/removing the poles
  • Handling materials for installation/removal from the poles
• Performing any other work covered by 29 CFR 1926 Subpart V, Electric Power Transmission and Distribution
• Performing telecom construction work under 29 CFR 1910.268, Telecommunications

Note: For your digger derrick work to be exempt, you must fully comply with Subpart V, or 1910.268, or risk being cited under the crane standard. We recommend contacting OSHA directly if you have specific questions on whether or not digger derrick work is exempt.

If your digger derrick work is not exempt, you must follow OSHA’s crane standard training and equipment requirements listed below.  

Operator Training and Certification:

• Operators must be certified by a nationally accredited agency
• Certification does not fully train or qualify an operator
• Employers must evaluate and document operator qualification
• Demonstrated competence safely operating specific equipment
• Demonstrated ability to perform hoisting activities specific to assigned work
• A certificate is explicitly not enough to satisfy this requirement, see 1926.1427, Operator Training, Certification and Evaluation

OSHA Crane Standard Equipment Requirements:

• Inspections – See 1926.1412 – Inspections
  • Numerous requirements exist
  • Documentation is required
• Safety Devices – See 1926.1415 – Safety Devices
  • Crane level indicator
  • Horn, accessible to the operator
• Operational Aids – See 1926.1416 – Operational Aids
  • Required for units manufactured after November 8th, 2011:
    • Anti-two-blocking Device
    • Boom angle indicator
    • Load limiting device
• Hand Signals Chart – See 1926.1422 – Signals – Hand Signal Chart

To make informed decisions about training and certifying operators and inspecting and equipping your digger derrick, be sure to read the full OSHA crane standard carefully.

 

The Altec Digger Derrick OSHA Compliance package is a great way to equip your digger derrick to meet the OSHA crane standard. In addition, our Altec Sentry team offers operator training and certification through NCCCO. Contact Sentry at 205-408-8260 to get started.