SB 104 - This act establishes crane safety standards and requires employers to register with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations every two years and pay a fee. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has the authority to promulgate rules to carry out this act. The director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations shall designate crane operators, signal persons, riggers (individuals who attach loads to cranes), and crane operator trainees as safety sensitive positions. Employers who employ these individuals are required to have a drug and alcohol free workplace and substance abuse policy. These policies must include certain mandatory drug testing, prohibition on employees working while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a controlled substance, and a prohibition on the use, possession, or manufacture of any unlawful drug or use of alcohol while at work.
Employers are required to ensure that individuals who operate cranes meet training requirements, pass a written test, demonstrate proficiency in operating the specific type of crane, pass a practical skills examination, and demonstrate specific knowledge of crane operations, or an employer may accept a crane operator certification from certain national certification programs. Crane operators must also provide medical documentation to their employer and pass a substance abuse test. Employers must ensure crane operators are tested every five years.
Crane operator trainees may be allowed to operate cranes if they: are under the direct supervision of a crane operator, demonstrate a basic understanding of crane operations or complete an approved operating engineer apprenticeship program, complete a medical examination, and successfully pass a drug test.
Individuals who provide hand or verbal signals to control crane operations are required to have certain knowledge or be certified by certain national programs.
Employers are required to ensure that all the hardware, equipment and means used to safely attach a load to a crane (i.e. rigging) are used in accordance with manufacturer limitations and requirements and individuals who rig loads with hardware and equipment used to attach a load to a crane (i.e. riggers) have received training appropriate to the level of work they perform. Riggers are categorized as "level I riggers", "level II riggers", and "master/lead riggers" depending on their years of experience. The different levels of riggers are required to meet different training requirements, or an employer may accept certifications from certain national certification programs. Riggers must receive refresher training under certain circumstances and successfully pass a drug test.
Employers are required to ensure that an initial inspection is done of all new and altered cranes and that daily and annual inspections are also conducted. Employers are required to maintain inspection and maintenance records and make all records available to the director or the director's representative for review.
Before a tower crane or supporting structure is built or modified, employers are required to ensure that a qualified person determines the appropriate and safe method to build the tower crane for that site. Written instructions and a list of the weights of each subassembly are required to be maintained at the site. Building, dismantling, jumping, or reconfiguring a tower crane must be supervised by a master/lead rigger.
Daily job safety briefings for all people working on or around the crane are required in certain situations. The master/lead rigger is required to discuss certain topics at the daily job safety briefings.
Written training records for each crane operator, signal person, rigger, and crane operator trainee must be maintained in the employer's principal office in Missouri for five years.
Master/lead riggers must directly supervise any special lifts and inspect the rigging used in special lifts. Employers must notify the director of the department of labor and industrial relations of certain information forty-eight hours prior to any special lift, or if not, within twenty-four hours after the special lift they must provide a written explanation of why they did not notify the director.
The director of the department is authorized to issue civil damages up to $200 for each violation of this act and seek injunctions to stop certain violations. Fees and damages for violations of this act go to the Crane Safety Enforcement Fund.
This act is similar to SB 764 (2010).
EMILY KALMER