Subpart CC
An employer must ensure each operator is trained, certified or licensed, and evaluated before the operator operates any equipment covered by Subpart CC, except for the limited exceptions in paragraph (a)(2). Employers must meet the requirements of 1926.1427(a).
Yes — an uncertified employee may operate covered equipment only as an operator-in-training and only while supervised in accordance with the monitoring and training requirements of paragraph (b). This is specified in 1926.1427(a)(1) and the operator-in-training rules in 1926.1427(b).
Operators of derricks, sideboom cranes, and equipment with a maximum manufacturer-rated hoisting/lifting capacity of 2,000 pounds or less are exempt from 1926.1427's certification requirements. See 1926.1427(a)(2) and the cross-referenced sections: 1926.1436, 1926.1440, and 1926.1441.
Yes — a current operator qualification issued by the U.S. military satisfies the section's requirements for that operator, but it is limited in scope and duration. See 1926.1427(a)(3)(i).
An operator-in-training must be given instruction on the knowledge and skills listed in paragraphs (j)(1) and (j)(2) of the standard. See 1926.1427(b)(1) and the referenced 1926.1427(j)(1) and 1926.1427(j)(2).
The operator-in-training must be continuously monitored on site by a trainer while operating equipment, and the employer may only assign tasks within the trainee's ability (1926.1427(b)(2)-(3)).
The operator's trainer must be an employee or agent of the employer, possess the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to direct the operator-in-training on the equipment in use, perform no tasks that detract from monitoring, and for non-tower cranes be in direct line of sight of the trainee while monitoring (1926.1427(b)(4)(i)-(iii)).
The operator's trainer may take short breaks only when all three conditions in 1926.1427(b)(4)(iv)(A)-(C) are met: the break lasts no longer than 15 minutes with no more than one break per hour, the trainer informs the trainee of specific tasks and limitations immediately before the break, and the tasks left to the trainee are within their abilities.
Retraining is required whenever the operator's performance or an evaluation of the operator's knowledge indicates that retraining is necessary on relevant topics, per 1926.1427(b)(5).
If a state or local government issues operator licenses for equipment covered by Subpart CC, the operator must be licensed by that government for work within its jurisdiction only if the licensing program meets the specific requirements listed in 1926.1427(c)(1)(i)-(v).
For compliance with 1926.1427, a government-issued license is valid for the period set by the licensing department or office but for no longer than five years, as specified in 1926.1427(c)(1)(v).
A certification must come from a crane operator testing organization accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency that verifies the organization meets industry-recognized criteria for test development, administration, grading, facilities/equipment, and personnel; the organization must administer written and practical tests that assess the knowledge and skills in [1926.1427(j)(1)-(2)] and provide certification by equipment type or type and capacity (1926.1427(d)(1)(i)-(ii)).
If no accredited testing agency offers certification examinations for a particular type of equipment, an operator will be deemed compliant if they are certified for the equipment type most similar to that equipment and for which a certification examination is available (1926.1427(d)(2)).
Yes — a certification issued by an accredited testing organization is portable among employers required to have certified operators and is valid for five years (1926.1427(d)(3)-(4)).
Written and practical tests in an audited employer program must either be developed by an accredited crane operator testing organization or be approved by an auditor who is certified by an accredited testing organization and is not an employee of the employer, and the auditor must determine the tests meet nationally recognized test development criteria (1926.1427(e)(1)(i)-(ii)).
An employer's audited certification program must be audited within three months of starting the program and at least every three years thereafter (1926.1427(e)(3)). If the auditor finds a significant deficiency, no operator may be qualified until the deficiency is corrected and confirmed; the program must be re-audited within 180 days of correction; the auditor must file a report with the appropriate OSHA Regional Office within 15 days; and audit records must be kept by the auditor for three years (1926.1427(e)(5)(i)-(iv)).
For tower cranes, the operator's trainer and the operator-in-training must be in direct communication with each other rather than relying on direct line-of-sight; they must communicate verbally or by hand signals as appropriate (1926.1427(b)(4)(iii)-(iv)).
The operator's trainer must have the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to direct the operator-in-training on the specific equipment in use, as required by 1926.1427(b)(4)(i)(B).
Yes — an audited employer program may use written and practical tests developed by an accredited crane operator testing organization to meet the testing requirement in 1926.1427(e)(1)(i).
An employer's program must have testing procedures for requalification designed to ensure the operator continues to meet the technical knowledge and skills requirements in paragraphs (j)(1) and (j)(2), and these requalification procedures must be audited in accordance with 1926.1427(e)(1) and (e)(2).
No — a certification under 1926.1427(e)(6) is not portable between employers; it only meets the requirements where the operator is employed by (and operating the equipment for) the employer that issued the certification. The certification is valid for five years. See 1926.1427(e)(6)(i) and 1926.1427(e)(6)(ii).
The employer must evaluate that the operator demonstrates the skills, knowledge, and ability to recognize and avert risk necessary to operate the specific equipment safely, including familiarity with safety devices, operational aids, relevant software, and the equipment’s size and configuration. See 1926.1427(f)(1) and 1926.1427(f)(1)(i).
Yes — the employer must ensure the operator can perform the hoisting activities required for assigned work, including blind lifts, personnel hoisting, and multi-crane lifts when those activities are applicable to the assignment. See 1926.1427(f)(1)(ii).
Yes — for operators employed prior to December 10, 2018, an employer may rely on its previous assessments in lieu of conducting a new evaluation of that operator’s existing knowledge and skills. See 1926.1427(f)(2).
No — possession of a certificate or degree alone cannot, by itself, cause a person to be qualified under 1926.1427(f)(1); the definition of “qualified” in 1926.32 does not apply for this purpose. The employer must still evaluate the operator’s skills and knowledge per the evaluation requirements. See 1926.1427(f)(3) and 1926.32.
The evaluation must be conducted by an individual who has the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to assess equipment operators, and the evaluator must be an employee or agent of the employer; if an agent conducts the evaluation, the employer still retains the duty to ensure the requirements are satisfied. See 1926.1427(f)(4) and 1926.1427(f)(5).
The employer must document the completion of the evaluation and include the operator’s name, the evaluator’s name and signature, the date, and the make, model, and configuration of the equipment used in the evaluation; the document must be made available at the worksite while the operator is employed by the employer. See 1926.1427(f)(6).
If relying on a prior assessment for an operator employed before December 10, 2018, the employer’s documentation must reflect the date of the employer’s determination of the operator’s abilities and the make, model, and configuration of equipment on which the operator previously demonstrated competency. See 1926.1427(f)(2) and the documentation requirements in 1926.1427(f)(6).
When an employer must provide retraining under 1926.1427(b)(5), the employer must re-evaluate the operator with respect to the subject of the retraining. In other words, retraining triggers reevaluation on those specific topics. See 1926.1427(f)(7) and 1926.1427(b)(5).
Yes — tests may be administered verbally (with verbal answers) if the candidate passes a written demonstration of literacy relevant to the work and demonstrates the ability to use the type of written manufacturer procedures applicable to the equipment; tests may also be administered in any language the candidate understands, and the certification must note the language used. See 1926.1427(h)(1), 1926.1427(h)(1)(i), 1926.1427(h)(1)(ii), and 1926.1427(h)(2).
Yes — an operator is only permitted to operate equipment that is furnished with required materials (for example, operation manuals and load charts) written in the language of the operator’s certification. See the certification and language provisions in 1926.1427(j) and the language requirements in 1926.1427(h)(2).
The written test must determine that the individual knows controls and operational/performance characteristics; can use and calculate load/capacity information for various configurations; understands procedures for preventing and responding to power line contact; and knows the technical subject matter listed in appendix C applicable to the equipment. See 1926.1427(j)(1)(i) and the incorporated appendix C reference in 1926.1427(j).
Yes — the individual must be able to read and locate relevant information in the equipment manual and other materials containing the information listed in 1926.1427(j)(1)(i). See 1926.1427(j)(1)(ii).
The practical test must demonstrate the individual’s ability to recognize, from visual and auditory observation, the items listed in the shift inspection rule (1926.1412(d)); operational and maneuvering skills; correct application of load chart information; and proper safe shut‑down and securing procedures. See 1926.1427(j)(2) and 1926.1412(d).
"Size and configuration" includes, but is not limited to, lifting capacity, boom length, attachments, luffing jib, and counterweight set‑up — the employer must ensure the operator is competent with the equipment size and configuration they will operate. See 1926.1427(f)(1)(i).
The evaluation documentation must be made available at the worksite while the operator is employed by the employer; it must remain available for the duration of that employment with the employer. See 1926.1427(f)(6).
Most of 1926.1427 became effective on December 10, 2018, but the evaluation and documentation requirements in paragraphs (a) and (f) became effective on February 7, 2019. See 1926.1427(k)(1) and 1926.1427(k)(2).
The operator must have technical knowledge applicable to the suitability of the supporting ground and surface to handle expected loads, site hazards, and site access, and must be familiar with this subpart (including applicable incorporated materials). See 1926.1427(j)(1)(i)(E) and 1926.1427(j)(1)(i)(F).
No — an employer cannot rely solely on possession of a third‑party certificate or degree to meet the evaluation requirements; the employer must ensure the operator demonstrates the skills and knowledge required by 1926.1427(f)(1) through an evaluation. Certificates can be part of the record, but they do not replace the required employer evaluation. See 1926.1427(f)(3) and the evaluation requirements in 1926.1427(f)(1).