DES PLAINES, IL, (March 19, 2008) - U.S. statistics estimate that between 64 and 82 construction workers are killed and 263 injured each year working around cranes and derricks. American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) members note that crane accidents are more likely to cause injuries and/or death than most other types of equipment, according to statistics, and that comprehensive training programs for crane operators are a must when it comes to preventing fatalities and injuries.

An ASSE Professional Safety March 2008 web article by ASSE member and certified crane operator, crane operator trainer, practical examiner and rigging trainer Greg Peters titled "Raising the Standard for Crane Safety" notes, "A national crane operator certification requirement will certainly lead to safer crane operations. The first step is to ensure that operators are being properly trained before attempting to achieve certification.

Peters noted an exchange he recently had with a colleague. "You know," he said, "when my wife gets her nails done or hair cut, the individual providing the service has to hold a license. Yet, crane operators-who have the ability to hoist thousands of pounds of equipment hundreds of feet in the air-do not have to hold a recognized certification." Strange, but true, Peters notes.

"In 2004, the Crane and Derricks Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee (C-DAC) completed its draft proposal for a revised crane and derrick standard for construction. The draft was then submitted to OSHA," Peters wrote. "The draft standard would create a crane operator certification requirement at the federal level. To date, 14 states have enacted legislation to require operator certification, but federal OSHA regulations contain no such provision. The existing rule for cranes and derricks in construction, codified in 29 CFR Part 1926.550 (Subpart N), dates to 1971 and is based primarily on industry consensus standards published from 1967 through 1969."

Peters notes, "When it comes to crane accidents, the obvious question is why do these accidents occur. After an accident, if you speak with an operator, investigative/review team or any observer in an effort to understand what happened and why, you will often find that the incident could have been prevented. Why, then, do so many crane incidents continue to occur? You can cite the typical laundry list of causes-complacency, pressure to get the job done, wrong equipment, etc.-but in my experience, in most cases, the accident is a result of lack of training.