A Texas House committee is expected to conduct a hearing within the next two weeks on legislation that would require mobile and tower crane operators to be certified annually by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, a representative for bill author Rep. Helen Giddings (D) of Dallas confirmed March 18.

H.B. 1807, introduced March 5, is pending in the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee. It would allow crane operator certification from an equivalent program with safety standards at least as stringent as American National Standards Institute standards or American Society of Mechanical Engineers B30.3-2004 Construction Tower Cranes and B30.5-2007 Mobile and Locomotive Crane standards.

The bill further would require NCCCO certification for crane inspectors, riggers, and signal persons.

“The high number of recent crane accidents in Houston, Dallas, and Austin prompted the legislation,” said Nina Wiggins, representative for Giddings.

Under the bill, a contractor or an employer must require certified crane workers to hold certificates of registration issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation beginning Jan. 1, 2010. Cranes would have to be inspected annually by a certified inspector in accordance with requirements of federal OSHA. A contractor or individual who hires a crane operator, rigger, or signal person must maintain a record of each inspection performed on a crane.

The bill calls for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to impose administrative penalties against individuals who violate the crane regulations. The department also may issue a cease-and-desist order to prevent a violation or protect public health and safety.

The state of Washington has passed a law on crane operator standards, while Maryland and New York City are considering rules.

Copyright 2009, The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.