Machinery operator qualifications

Only employees the employer has determined competent by training or experience and who understand signs, notices, operating instructions, and the signal code in use may operate those machines. See the qualifications requirement in 1917.27(a)(1).

• Employers must make the determination of competence based on training or experience.
• The operator must also be familiar with the signal code used on the site.
• Employees may not operate or give signals unless the employer has made this competence determination.

Yes — an employee may operate machinery or give signals while being trained if they are supervised by a designated person. See the training exception in 1917.27(a)(1).

• The standard allows trainees to operate only when they are being trained and supervised by a designated person.
• The supervisor must be competent and present to ensure safe operation during the training period.

Yes — an employee with corrected eyesight or hearing can operate machinery as long as they are not known to have uncorrected defective eyesight or hearing that could suddenly incapacitate them. See 1917.27(a)(2).

• The prohibition applies to employees known to have defective uncorrected eyesight or hearing.
• If the defect is corrected (for example, with glasses or hearing aids) and the employee is otherwise competent, operating is permitted.

No — employees known to be suffering from heart disease, epilepsy, or similar ailments that may suddenly incapacitate them shall not be permitted to operate such equipment. See 1917.27(a)(2).

• The prohibition targets conditions that might cause sudden incapacitation while operating equipment.
• Employers must consider known medical conditions when assigning operators.

Employers who comply with the employment provisions of the ADA (Title I) and its implementing regulations will be considered in compliance with 1917.27(a)(2). See the ADA note in 1917.27(a)(2) and the ADA implementing regulations at 29 CFR Part 1630.

• This means employers should follow ADA rules on medical inquiries, reasonable accommodation, and nondiscrimination when addressing operator medical conditions.
• Reasonable accommodations that do not create undue risk may allow some employees to operate equipment safely.

Immediate supervisors of cargo-handling operations involving more than five persons must satisfactorily complete a course in accident prevention. See 1917.27(b)(1).

• The requirement applies to supervisors who directly oversee cargo-handling crews larger than five people.
• 'Immediate supervisors' means those with day-to-day supervisory responsibility over the operation.

A newly assigned immediate supervisor must complete the required accident prevention course within 90 days of assignment. See 1917.27(b)(1).

• Employers should arrange for the supervisor to attend and satisfactorily complete the course within that 90-day window.
• 'Satisfactorily complete' means meeting whatever evaluation or completion criteria the course uses.

The course should include instruction suited to the particular operations, and recommended topics include safety responsibility and authority; elements of accident prevention; attitudes, leadership and motivation; hazards of longshoring and local circumstances; hazard identification and elimination; applicable regulations; and accident investigations. See 1917.27(b)(2).

• Employers should tailor the instruction to the hazards and operations at their facility.
• Use the recommended topics as a checklist to ensure the course covers core supervisory safety responsibilities.

Being 'familiar with the signal code in use' means the operator understands and can correctly respond to the hand, flag, or radio signals used on that job. See the signal-code requirement in 1917.27(a)(1).

• Employers must ensure operators and signalers use the same, understood code.
• Where a standardized code exists (e.g., ANSI/ASME signals for cranes), adopting it reduces confusion.

No — an operator who becomes incapacitated must not leave the controls while a load is suspended; the operator must be physically able to complete the assigned task without unscheduled interruption. See the OSHA letter of interpretation on crane operator medical conditions at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2013-09-13 and 1917.27(a).

• The LOI makes clear that leaving controls while a suspended load remains raises significant safety risks and may lead to citations.
• Employers must not assign operators known to have conditions that could cause sudden incapacitation during critical operations.

No — 1917.27(b)(1) requires supervisors to satisfactorily complete a course in accident prevention, but it does not prescribe a specific written certification form or document. See 1917.27(b)(1).

• Employers should keep whatever records are necessary to demonstrate satisfactory completion if they need to show compliance during an inspection.
• The standard focuses on course content and timely completion, not on a particular certificate format.

Only employees the employer has determined competent by training or experience and familiar with the signal code may give signals to hoisting operators. See 1917.27(a)(1).

• Signalers must be competent and understand the established signal code.
• Trainees may give signals only if being trained and supervised by a designated person.

No — 1917.27(a)(1) requires the employer to determine competence by reason of training or experience but does not prescribe a specific method for that determination. See 1917.27(a)(1).

• Employers should document training, evaluations, or experience used to justify a competence determination.
• Practical demonstrations, written tests, and supervised performance are common ways employers show competence.

No — the topics in 1917.27(b)(2) are recommended and the course should consist of instruction suited to the particular operations involved. See 1917.27(b)(2).

• Employers must ensure the course content matches their operations' hazards.
• Using the recommended topics helps ensure core supervisory safety areas are covered.

No — 1917.27(a)(2) prohibits only employees known to have conditions that may suddenly incapacitate them or uncorrected defective eyesight or hearing from operating machinery; it does not require a blanket prohibition for all medical conditions. See 1917.27(a)(2).

• Employers should assess known medical information and apply ADA rules on reasonable accommodation where appropriate.
• The focus is on preventing sudden incapacitation that would endanger the operator or others.

Yes — whether signals are hand, flag, or radio, operators and those giving signals must understand the same signal code in use. See 1917.27(a)(1).

• Employers should ensure everyone involved in signaling understands the specific radio protocols and phrases being used.
• Any change in signal method should be accompanied by training and, if necessary, reassessment of competence.

The training requirement applies to immediate supervisors of cargo-handling operations of more than five persons regardless of cargo type, but the course must be suited to the particular operations involved as stated in 1917.27(b)(2). See 1917.27(b)(1) and 1917.27(b)(2).

• The size threshold (more than five persons) triggers the requirement.
• Employers must tailor the course content to the hazards and peculiar local circumstances of their operations.

Yes — 1917.27(a)(1) allows employers to determine competence by reason of training or experience, so documented, relevant experience can satisfy the requirement if the employer reasonably determines the employee is competent. See 1917.27(a)(1).

• Employers should be able to justify the competence determination by documenting the relevant experience and observed safe performance.
• Combining experience with practical evaluation or refresher training is a good practice.

The employer should not permit the operator to operate equipment if the condition is known to pose a risk of sudden incapacitation and should follow ADA rules on medical inquiries and accommodation; see 1917.27(a)(2) and 29 CFR Part 1630. Additionally, employers must ensure the operator can perform tasks without unscheduled interruption as explained in OSHA's crane operator medical LOI at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2013-09-13.

• Temporarily reassign the employee to non-operating duties if the condition creates a safety risk.
• Engage in an ADA-compliant interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations that maintain safety.

If a modification affects safe operation, employers should provide refresher training and evaluation for operators; see the reasoning in OSHA's strobe light interpretation at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2004-12-21-0 and the general operator competence requirement in 1917.27(a)(1).

• OSHA's LOI notes that installation of equipment that may affect safe operation can trigger the need for refresher training.
• Employers should assess whether the change affects vehicle capacity or safe operation and train accordingly.

No — 1917.27(b) requires supervisors to satisfactorily complete a suitable course but does not specify who must teach it; employers must ensure the instruction is appropriate to the operations. See 1917.27(b).

• Employers can use qualified internal trainers, external providers, or OSHA-authorized trainers so long as the instruction covers applicable topics and is suited to the operation.
• Keep documentation that the course was appropriate and satisfactorily completed.