Certification is a valid means to determine a crane operator's knowledge, skill and ability. When accredited certification is clearly defined by type and capacity—as the current OSHA rules require—employers have a baseline to determine an operator's qualifications.

However, assessing an operator's skill and experience need not stop there. It's up to the employer to decide if an operator is qualified to operate a specific crane model configured in a unique way for a particular load and jobsite.

Finally, the big debate over type and capacity is being driven not by safety concerns or genuine cost factors but by politics: The new OSHA cranes-and-derricks rule, published in 2010, is the result of a process that started more than 14 years ago. However, some people think the rules already need to be revised.

Two of the four nationally accredited certification organizations, of which CIC is one, comply with the regulation as it is written. Operators have had access to certification programs that meet the OSHA requirements since before the rule was issued. Amending the law or repealing the capacity requirement at this stage is counterproductive to increasing safety.

Debbie Dickinson is the executive director of Crane Institute Certification. She can be reached at ddickinson@cicert.com.