Cranes and Derricks in Construction is the OSHA standard, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, that governs how power-operated hoisting equipment is set up, inspected and operated on construction sites, and who is allowed to operate it. It protects operators, riggers, signal persons and everyone working within reach of a crane, its load or nearby power lines.
Crane incidents tend to be severe: power line contact, crushing in the swing radius, tip-overs on poor ground and dropped loads. Subpart CC addresses each, and its operator certification and evaluation rules make training central to compliance.
What Is the OSHA Cranes and Derricks Standard?
Subpart CC runs from 1926.1400 through 1926.1443, with appendices on standard hand signals, assembly and disassembly procedures and the technical knowledge criteria for operator certification exams. It applies to power-operated equipment used in construction that can hoist, lower and horizontally move a suspended load.
Covered equipment includes mobile cranes such as rough-terrain, all-terrain, truck-mounted and boom truck cranes, articulating (knuckle-boom) cranes, crawler cranes, tower cranes, overhead and gantry cranes, derricks, sideboom cranes, pile drivers, and multi-purpose machines when configured to hoist and move a suspended load. Attachments such as hooks, magnets and grapples are also covered.
Key sections include 1926.1402 (ground conditions), 1926.1404 (assembly and disassembly), 1926.1407 to 1926.1411 (power lines), 1926.1412 (inspections), 1926.1427 and 1926.1428 (operator and signal person qualification) and 1926.1430 (training).
Who Must Comply?
Any construction employer whose employees operate, assemble, maintain, rig or work around covered equipment must comply. Subpart CC also assigns specific duties to the controlling entity, usually the general contractor, such as making sure the ground is prepared to support the crane and coordinating multiple cranes whose working radii overlap.
1926.1400(c) excludes a long list of equipment and activities, including excavators, backhoes and wheel loaders (even when used with rigging to lift loads), forklifts unless configured to hoist a suspended load by winch or hook, vehicle-mounted aerial devices, digger derricks used for certain utility pole work, mechanic's trucks used for equipment repair, tree trimming and removal, and certain material deliveries by articulating truck cranes. Equipment with a rated capacity of 2,000 pounds or less is covered by the separate, shorter requirements in 1926.1441.
OSHA-approved State Plans may have stricter crane rules, and some states and cities require their own operator licenses.
Key Requirements
Ground conditions and assembly
Equipment may not be assembled or used unless the ground is firm, drained and graded enough, with supporting materials such as blocking or mats, to meet the manufacturer's specifications. The controlling entity must make sure the needed ground preparation is provided and tell the operator about known hazards beneath the setup area, such as voids, tanks or utilities. Assembly and disassembly must follow the specific procedures in 1926.1404, using manufacturer or employer procedures.
Power lines
Power line contact is one of the deadliest crane hazards. Under 1926.1408, before operating near power lines rated up to 350 kV, the employer must identify the work zone and determine whether any part of the equipment, load line or load could come closer than 20 feet to a power line. If so, the employer must have the line deenergized and grounded by the utility, keep everything at least 20 feet away, or keep the minimum clearance for the line's voltage from OSHA's Table A. When the 20-foot or Table A option is used, required precautions include a planning meeting, nonconductive tag lines, a highly visible elevated warning line or barricade, and at least one additional measure such as a proximity alarm, a dedicated spotter, a range control warning device, a range limiting device or an insulating link. For lines over 350 kV up to 1,000 kV, 1926.1409 substitutes 50 feet for 20 feet.
Work area control and loads
Where the rotating superstructure could strike or crush workers, employers must train workers on the hazard and mark the swing radius with barriers such as control lines or railings. Workers may not be under a suspended load except in limited cases, such as hooking, unhooking or making the initial connection, and then only when the load is properly rigged by a qualified rigger and hooks have self-closing latches or the equivalent.
Signals
A signal person must be provided when the point of operation is not in full view of the operator, when the operator's view is obstructed in the direction of travel, or when either the operator or the person handling the load decides one is needed because of site-specific safety concerns. Hand signals must follow the Standard Method in Appendix A.
Operator and Signal Person Qualification
Under 1926.1427, employers must make sure each operator is trained, certified or licensed, and evaluated before operating covered equipment, except operators-in-training working under the supervision rules in 1926.1427(b). Certification can come from an accredited testing organization (based on equipment type, or type and capacity, and valid for 5 years), an audited employer program, or a qualifying state or local license. Certification or licensing must be provided at no cost to employees.
Certification alone is not enough. The employer must evaluate each operator's skills, knowledge and ability to recognize and avoid risks on the equipment they will run, including its size and configuration. The evaluation must be documented with the operator's name, the evaluator's name and signature, the date, and the make, model and configuration of the equipment, and the record must be available at the worksite. These evaluation and documentation requirements took effect February 7, 2019.
Signal persons must be qualified under 1926.1428 by a third-party qualified evaluator or by the employer's own qualified evaluator, through an oral or written test and a practical test. Documentation must be available at the site and must list each type of signaling, such as hand or radio, the person is qualified for. An employer's own qualification is not portable to other employers.
Training
1926.1430 requires training for workers exposed to power line hazards, signal persons, operators, competent and qualified persons, workers near crush and pinch points, and those who use tag-out procedures. Each employee must be evaluated to confirm they understood the training, refresher training is required when conduct or an evaluation shows a need, and all Subpart CC training must be provided at no cost to the employee.
Inspection Requirements
1926.1412 sets a layered inspection schedule:
- Each shift: a competent person must visually inspect the equipment before or during each shift, covering items such as controls, hydraulic systems, hooks and latches, wire rope, tires, ground conditions and safety devices. The standard does not require this shift inspection to be documented.
- Monthly: each month the equipment is in service, a competent person must perform the shift-level inspection and document the items checked, results, inspector's name and signature, and date. Monthly records must be kept for at least 3 months.
- Annual: at least every 12 months, a qualified person must perform a comprehensive inspection, with disassembly as needed and functional testing. Annual records must be kept for at least 12 months.
- Other triggers: qualified person inspections are required after modifications, safety-related repairs or adjustments, assembly, severe service, and before use of equipment that has been idle for 3 months or more.
Where the manufacturer's inspection procedures are more comprehensive or frequent, those must be followed.
Common Violations and Penalties
- Operating near power lines without determining the work zone or taking encroachment precautions.
- No documented operator evaluation for the specific equipment.
- Missing monthly or annual inspection records.
- Unbarricaded swing radius, or setup on unprepared ground.
- Signal persons without documented qualification.
OSHA civil penalties are adjusted for inflation each year. For penalties assessed after January 15, 2026, the maximum is $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation. See OSHA's penalties page for current amounts, and OSHA's crane, derrick and hoist safety page for guidance.
How to Comply: Step by Step
- Confirm coverage. Check each machine against the 1926.1400(c) exclusions.
- Plan the lift. Assess ground conditions with the controlling entity, identify power lines and define the work zone. Document it in a lift plan or job hazard analysis.
- Verify operator qualification. Check certification or licensing and complete and document an equipment-specific evaluation.
- Qualify signal persons and riggers. Keep signal person documentation at the site.
- Train the crew. Cover power lines, swing radius, crush points and tag-out, and verify understanding.
- Run the inspection schedule. Complete shift, monthly and annual inspections and keep the required records.
- Control the work area. Barricade the swing radius and keep workers out from under loads.
How SMS360 Helps
SMS360's Training Management module helps teams keep crane-related qualifications in one place. Safety managers can record operator certifications with expiry dates, store documented operator evaluations and signal person qualifications, assign Subpart CC training and refresher training, and receive reminders before certifications lapse. Supervisors can check a worker's qualifications from a mobile device before a lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OSHA require crane operators to be certified?
Yes, for most equipment covered by Subpart CC. Operators must be certified by an accredited testing organization or audited employer program, or hold a qualifying state or local license, unless they are operators-in-training under supervision. Derricks, sideboom cranes and equipment rated at 2,000 pounds or less follow separate requirements.
Is crane operator certification enough to operate any crane?
No. Since February 7, 2019, employers must also evaluate each operator on the specific equipment they will use and document that evaluation. A certificate shows general knowledge, but the employer must confirm the operator can safely run that equipment and perform the assigned hoisting work.
How close can a crane get to a power line?
For lines up to 350 kV, the employer must take action if any part of the equipment or load could come within 20 feet. Options are deenergizing and grounding the line, keeping a 20-foot clearance with encroachment precautions, or using the voltage-based minimum clearances in Table A. Over 350 kV, 50 feet replaces 20 feet.
How often must cranes be inspected?
A competent person inspects before or during each shift and performs a documented monthly inspection. A qualified person must perform a comprehensive inspection at least every 12 months. Monthly records must be kept at least 3 months, and annual records at least 12 months.
