The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has asked OSHA for a hearing to determine how the administration failed to include one reference to A10 Safety Requirements for Construction and Demolition Operation voluntary consensus standards in its proposed rule on cranes and derricks in construction.
In his letter to OSHA, Warren Brown stated that the ASSE is “greatly disappointed that OSHA did not go nearly far enough in meeting its responsibility to incorporate voluntary national consensus standards in creating this proposed rule.” The ANSI/ASSE A10 Committee for Construction and Demolition Operations is one of the oldest committees under ANSI, but no A10 Standard is recognized or cited by reference in the proposed rule when the proposed rule indicates many instances when references to A10 Standards are needed for the safe operation of cranes and derricks, according to Brown.
ASSE also supported OSHA’s proposal for crane operation certification but urged that changes be made to ensure quality accreditation of certification programs in the same way the credibility of the highest levels of safety and health professional certifications are guaranteed.
With respect to the negotiated rulemaking process through which this rulemaking was developed, ASSE urged OSHA to look at its experience closely and see if lessons can be learned to help improve negotiated rulemaking as a tool for engaging the entire OSH community in OSHA’s future rulemaking. ASSE has long called for the use of negotiated rulemaking to address some of the more intractable issues facing occupational safety and health.
For the entire ASSE comment, visit http://www.asse.org/professionalaffairs/.
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