In a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke Jr., the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) urged OSHA to act now for timely completion of new crane safety standards that have been in development since 2003.
AEM President Dennis Slater asked the department to “expedite the approval process and give this safety initiative the full attention it deserves.”
Slater said AEM and its members “fully support the actions of the Department of Labor and OSHA in developing a new and comprehensive Crane Safety Standard that would replace the current 30 year old lifting regulations (29 CFR 1926.550) and update the safety requirements needed in the crane industry.”
“OSHA and AEM are both dedicated to achieve the same goal, safer crane operation, and this Standard is a vital part of that process. AEM stands ready to offer any assistance needed to complete this effort,“ Slater wrote.
Slater said that AEM was both frustrated and disappointed that 2 years have passed since the proposal went to OSHA and yet the proposed changes have not advanced to the public comment stage. “We understand the governmental requirements and process that have to be followed but this unending delay is totally unacceptable,“ he wrote.
AEM actively has been involved in the federal committee addressing the crane safety standard and has a long-standing commitment to collaborative safety efforts.