New OSHA Guidance Helps Small Businesses Comply with Cranes and Derricks Rule

On March 8, OSHA issued the “Small Entity Compliance Guide for Cranes and Derricks in Construction” to help businesses comply with the recently published cranes and derricks in construction rule.

Laura Walter

March 11, 2011

OSHA published this final rule August 2010 to address the number of worker injuries and deaths associated with the use of cranes and derricks in construction. The rule also addresses technological advances in equipment since the old rule was issued in 1971.

“Over the past 4 decades, we’ve continued to see a significant number of worker injuries and deaths from electrocution, crushed-by and struck-by hazards while performing cranes and derricks operations,” said OSHA Administrator Dr. David Michaels. “This guide will help employers understand what they must do to protect their workers from these dangerous, sometimes fatal incidents.”

The small business guide is divided into chapters that correspond to sections of the standard. View the guide online here.

This guide accompanies other OSHA compliance materials on crane-related topics available on the agency’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Web site, including a PowerPoint overview, Web chat transcript, Webinar, list of frequently asked questions and fact sheets.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.