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Crane repair

excavator

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Oct 16, 2006
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Pacific North West
I live in Washington state and need to know if there are state or fed. regulations on crane mechanics. Do crane mechanics need to have any certifications? I was recently told that it's not necessary but find that a little hard to believe. I've always stayed away from cranes just for liability reasons but now have the opportunity to work on a few. Any thoughts?
 

John C.

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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
The only regulations I know of are for operators. The safety people seem to feel that anyone with a Craftsman socket set can fix a crane.

There might be some regulations in places for welders though but generally the manufacturers only state that a "qualified" welder repair booms and main frames. The manufacturers that I've worked on always supplied a repair procedure, when asked, with lots of boiler plate saying how they are not responsible for anything.
 
Last edited:

willie59

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Much along the line of John C, none that I know of, but then regulations change daily. And I'm certain cranes are no different than aerial lifts, most all manufacturers state that you are not allowed to change design without permission of manufacturer, and that structural repairs, welding or mending of critical members, must be done in accordance to approved manufacturer procedure.

As far as repairing and maintaining cranes, personal liability is an issue. Always use OEM parts for critical component repairs and document the work you've done. In the event of an incident the inspectors are going to request records, be sure and leave a paper trail of the repairs that you have done. :)
 

FMD

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somewhere
Much along the line of John C, none that I know of, but then regulations change daily. And I'm certain cranes are no different than aerial lifts, most all manufacturers state that you are not allowed to change design without permission of manufacturer, and that structural repairs, welding or mending of critical members, must be done in accordance to approved manufacturer procedure.

As far as repairing and maintaining cranes, personal liability is an issue. Always use OEM parts for critical component repairs and document the work you've done. In the event of an incident the inspectors are going to request records, be sure and leave a paper trail of the repairs that you have done. :)

There are actual two very distinct differenaces in the aerial lifts and crane maintenance qualifications.

OSHA acutally "spells" out the maintenace qualification for aerial lifts yet refers to the ANSI standards for crane maintenace.

ANSI says a "qualified" crane maintenance personnel will perform the maintenance. Then you go to the definition of qualified and it states " a person who, by possesion of a recognized degree in an applicable field or certification of professional standing or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experiance has succesfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter at work".

Keep in mind that November 10th 2014 all crane operators will fall into a operator training program.

Here is an interpretation letter from OSHA.



March 13, 2012

Ms. Kira Henschel
Secretary, Power Crane and Shovel Association
Crane Technical Committee
6737 West Washington Street, Suite 2400
Milwaukee, WI 53214-5647

Dear Ms. Henschel:

Thank you for your September 19, 2011 letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Directorate of Construction, as well as prior correspondence with Michael Buchet of my staff. You have asked specific questions concerning the scope of the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard, and the certification and qualification requirements for mechanics, inspectors, and testers under this standard. This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of only the requirements discussed and may not be applicable to any question not delineated in your original correspondence. For clarity, we have paraphrased your questions as follows:

Question #1: Are assembly/disassembly, inspection and testing of cranes/derricks considered construction activities? What if these activities are performed in a general industry setting?

Response #1: Once a crane/derrick or its components are used in construction activities, this use—including assembly/disassembly, inspection and testing of the crane/derrick—is regulated by the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard. Section 1926.1400 establishes the scope of the standard as follows: "This standard applies to power-operated equipment, when used in construction, that can hoist, lower and horizontally move a suspended load..." [emphasis added]. Employers using cranes or derricks to perform non-construction activities are not covered by the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard.

In general, when an employee performs activities covered by the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard at a construction worksite, such as assembly/disassembly, inspection, hoisting loads, or traveling from place to place on the worksite, the performance of these activities is considered construction. As a result, the employer must comply with the requirements of this standard, as well as any other applicable construction standards, because the activity in question occurs on a construction site and is expediting work that is integral to the construction process.

OSHA has provided general guidance for distinguishing between construction and general industry work in our November 18, 2003 letter to Mr. Raymond V. Knobbs, our May 11, 1999 letter to Mr. J. Nigel Ellis, our February 1, 1999 letter to Mr. Randall Tindell, and our August 11, 1994 memorandum for Regional Administrators. The OSHA website, www.osha.gov, provides access to these and other materials that aid in determining when Agency construction standards under 29 CFR 1926 apply and when they do not.

Question #2: Do the operator qualification and certification requirements under §1926.1427 apply to mechanics, inspectors or testers during assembly and disassembly under §1926.1404 and during inspection under §1926.1412?

Response #2: Not generally. When the operator certification requirement of 29 CFR 1926.1427 becomes effective on November 10, 2014, an employee who operates a crane on a construction site must meet the requirements of §1926.1427 when the employee performs activities covered by the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard, such as assembly/disassembly, hoisting loads, or traveling from place to place on the worksite. However, the §1926.1427 operator qualification and certification requirements do not apply to maintenance, inspection or verification of crane/derrick performance by maintenance, inspection and repair personnel. Operation of a crane/derrick for maintenance, inspection or performance verification purposes must meet the requirements of §1926.1429, Qualifications of maintenance and repair employees. Personnel who have satisfied the requirements for qualification/certification under §1926.1427 may perform maintenance, inspection and verification of crane/derrick performance, provided that they also meet the requirements of §1926.1429.

Section 1926.1429 provides:

(a) Maintenance, inspection and repair personnel are permitted to operate the equipment only where all of the following requirements are met:
(1) The operation is limited to those functions necessary to perform maintenance, inspect the equipment, or verify its performance.
(2) The personnel either:
(i) Operate the equipment under the direct supervision of an operator who meets the requirements of §1926.1427 ... ; or
(ii) Are familiar with the operation, limitations, characteristics and hazards associated with the type of equipment.
(b) Maintenance and repair personnel must meet the definition of a qualified person1 with respect to the equipment and maintenance/repair tasks performed.
Question #3: May an employer rely on ASME B 30.5-2004 or -2007 requirements under 5-3.1.1 in determining what qualification requirements must be met by testers, inspectors and mechanics in order to comply with OSHA's construction crane/derrick standards?

Response #3: No. OSHA has not incorporated by reference ASME Standard B 30.6-2004 or 2007 at 5-3.1.1 in 29 CFR 1926. Although requirements under the ASME standard, including the requirement that maintenance and inspection personnel limit operation of equipment to necessary functions, may be similar to those under §1926.1429, OSHA is required to enforce §1926.1429.

Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. We hope you find this information helpful. OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of the requirements discussed. Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. To keep apprised of such developments, you can consult OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the Directorate of Construction at (202) 693-2020.

Sincerely,



James G. Maddux, Director
Directorate of Construction


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 A qualified person is defined under §1926.1401 as "a person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training and experience, successfully demonstrated the ability to solve/resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project." [Return to Text]
 

td25c

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Feb 14, 2009
Messages
5,250
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indiana
Thats cool excavator. If you feel confident with your experience & abilities as a mechanic and the oppertunity presents itself then I would say go for it.I cant comment on ruels Washingon state may have . If you are the shop owner check with your insurance provider & let them know what your looking into with the crane repair,Im sure they will have Info & ideas of how to go about it. Good luck with it excavator.
 

RocketScott

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Joined
Sep 8, 2013
Messages
157
Location
Lexington, KY
That's great FMD but WA state is above (below?) the law of the nation. L&I dictates what can a can't happen here as far as cranes go. WA is NOT an OSHA state.

excavator- send me your email and I will pass it along to some folks I know. I have a friend that works for Sicklesteel and one of his former opperators that is with L&I now. One I trust, the other not as far as I can throw him, you can probably figure out which is which. WA state is a paradox, you have to know what can and can't be done but more importantly you have to know how to document and explain what you are doing and be able to explain why it doesn't run contrary to what L&I says you can do. I don't have an opperators card but I run my crane strictly for myself. I can do whatever I want and not get my crane certified as long as I don't endanger anyone that pays into L&I. I can work on my own crane no problem. I bought it from Tacoma Truss and when they got it certified they would make corrections themselves after the initial inspection and then get the crane passed.
 

Tristateth

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Joined
Oct 31, 2017
Messages
1
Location
USA
Occupation
Owner
Although crane operators do not have any formal education requirements, they typically complete a training program or apprenticeship in order to develop the necessary skills and knowledge. State certification and/or licensure are often required.

There are no strict educational guidelines for crane operation. Most crane operators get their experience through on-the-job training or apprenticeships.Apprenticeship candidates generally must be 18 years or older, have a school diploma or equivalent and be in fit physical condition.

http://tristateth.com/
 
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