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SPRING 2018
 
Is Your Lift Director Qualified?

By Anna DeBattiste

We know our customers have been diligent over the past eight years, since OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard came out in 2010, in certifying operators, and qualifying signal persons and riggers. But what about your site supervisors and other personnel who may act in the capacity of a lift director?

 

OSHA says that a job site's controlling entity, general contractor, or employer is responsible for ensuring that lift directors are trained, evaluated and documented, just like signal persons and riggers, to meet the same standard: a “qualified person.” OSHA defines a qualified person as "a person who by possession of a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve/resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work or the project." Proof of training and qualification must be provided to OSHA upon request.

 

According to ASME B30.5, here are the functions of a lift director:

  • Must be on site during all hoisting operations, such as loading and unloading using a helper crane; crane assembly; access/egress to the site; and crane use
  • Stops operations for any unsafe condition, such as bad weather, unsafe use, unsafe rigging, inadequate ground support, etc.
  • Ensures that ground support meets needs, such as levelness, support, preparation, having been surveyed, proper dunnage, cribbing, drainage, and having no underground hazards
  • Ensures traffic controls are in place and restricts unauthorized access through barricades, danger tape, fences, signage, and designated paths for equipment and pedestrians
  • Ensures all people involved, such as site workers around the crane, the assembly team, riggers, signal persons, operators, and maintenance staff, understand their duties
  • Addresses all safety concerns and makes final decisions for the lift; has knowledge of all rules and regulations, and knowledge of accurate lift planning and solutions
  • Ensures employees, such as workers around the crane, signal persons, riggers, and crane operators are properly trained and qualified
  • Ensures ASME standards and federal rules are met when hoisting people. Considerations may include the platform or basket, rigging, crane, operator, signal person, load tests, pre-lift meetings, crane trial lifts, critical-lift plans, and hazard mitigation
  • Ensures that load planning and lift planning are accurate. Informs the crane operator of accurate load weight, as well as lifting, movement, and placement areas. Verifies that the lift plan does not exceed the capacity of the crane, wire rope, block, or rigging
  • Ensures that only qualified riggers do the rigging, and that a signal person is provided when required
  • Ensures the load is rigged properly before it is lifted more than a few inches

OSHA regulation does not differentiate between small and large jobsites, so any site that has at least one crane on it and is covered by the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard may need appropriate training for lift directors to ensure they are qualified.

 
 
 
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  New England Crane School
Public Class Schedule

June 4, 2018

Signal/rigging class, Portsmouth, NH, promo code for ABC members

 

June 5 – 8, 2018

NCCER operator certification class, Portsmouth, NH, promo code for ABC members

 

October 15 – 18, 2018

NCCER operator certification class, Concord, NH sponsored by ABC NH - VT

 

February 11 – 12, 2018

Lift director qualification training, Portland, ME

 

February 21 – 22, 2018

Lift director qualification training, Burlington, VT

 

For more information or to register, call Anna at 303-817-5663 or visit newenglandcraneschool.com

 

Dates for 2019 winter operator certification classes and signal/rigging classes will be posted on our website in June.

 
 
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