Companies that test crane operators disagree with each other on the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration's proposal to push back by three years mandatory certification for these workers. Public comments closed on March 12 for the proposed delay, which OSHA floated earlier in the year after industry groups had asked the safety agency to revise testing requirements.
"We are ready to go," says Debbie Dickinson, executive director of Crane Institute Certification (CIC), speaking of her testing company's readiness to meet the current rule, which is due to phase in on Nov. 10 of this year. "We are not in favor of the delay because studies show there are 22 injuries every year because people are not certified."