WASHINGTON (AP) - An effort by federal regulators to mandate the
certification of crane operators has been languishing for almost four years.
A Labor Department spokeswoman says a proposal to implement such a
requirement is likely to be included in a series of safety recommendations the
agency will make public later this year.
There have been three fatal crane accidents in recent weeks, including a
collapse in New York on Friday that killed two construction workers and
seriously injured another.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's existing rules for
workers who operate cranes have not been updated since 1971.
OSHA has been working with industry on updated rules since 2003. Both sides
reached consensus on all issues, including the crane operator certification
requirement, in July 2004.
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