Crane regulation in New York City has had its ups and downs, but the city hopes to make work safer by boosting the requirements of operators working there. One part of the city's controversial new licensing program, announced earlier this month, is outsourcing crane operator exams to the private sector. The move has attracted praise and criticism alike.
By July 1, 2013, all crane operators working in New York City would need to pass a national crane exam accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the American National Standards Institute. In addition, candidates must prove that they have several years of experience working in a dense, urban core such as New York City. This comes at the same time a New York judge is weighing a manslaughter conviction of local crane owner James F. Lomma for a fatal tower-crane collapse in 2008—a case that hinges on facts related to critical crane maintenance, operation and oversight.