(1) While the organizational structure of various construction activities may differ, the following duties are described here for purposes of assignment. All assignments listed below must be assigned in the worksite organization. (A single individual may perform one or more of these assignments concurrently.)

• Crane owner: Has custodial control of a crane by virtue of lease or ownership.

• Crane user: Arranges the crane's presence on a worksite and controls its use there.

• Site supervisor: Exercises supervisory control over the worksite on which a crane is being used and over the work that is being performed on that site.

• Lift director: Directly oversees the work being performed by a crane and the associated rigging crew.

• Crane operator: Directly controls the crane's functions.

(2) Duties of the crane owner and crane user. In some situations the owner and the user may be the same entity and therefore would have the same duties assigned. In other cases, the user may lease or rent a crane from the owner without supervisory, operational, maintenance, support personnel, or services from the owner. In these situations, subsection (3)(c) and (d) of this section apply.

(3) The crane owner's duties would include the following:

(a) Providing a crane that meets the requirements of Part L of this chapter as well as specific job requirements defined by the user.

(b) Providing a crane and all necessary components, specified by the manufacturer, that meets the user's requested configuration and capacity.

(d) Providing additional technical information pertaining to the crane, necessary for crane operation, when requested by the crane user.

(e) Providing field assembly, disassembly, operation, maintenance information, and warning decals and placards installed as prescribed by the crane manufacturer.

(f) Ensuring that inspection, testing, and maintenance is performed in accordance with Part L of this chapter and informing the crane user of these requirements.

(g) Using personnel that meet the requirements for a competent and/or qualified person as defined in WAC 296-155-52902 for the purposes of inspections, maintenance, repair, transport, assembly, and disassembly.

(4) The crane user's duties would include the following:

(a) Complying with the requirements of Part L of this chapter, manufacturer's requirements, and those regulations applicable at the worksite.

(b) Using supervisors for crane activities that meet the requirements for a qualified person as defined in WAC 296-155-52902.

(i) Verifying that the crane owner has provided documentation that the crane meets the requirements of Part L of this chapter.

(ii) Verifying that inspections have been performed as prescribed in WAC 296-155-53405.

(d) Verifying that the crane has the necessary lifting capacity to perform the proposed lifting operations in the planned configuration.

(e) Using crane operators that meet the requirements of WAC 296-155-53300 and are qualified to perform the tasks that will be required with the crane to which they are assigned to operate.

(f) Ensuring the assigned operator(s) has been notified of adjustments or repairs that have not been completed, prior to commencing crane operations.

(h) Ensuring that all personnel involved in maintenance, repair, transport, assembly, disassembly, and inspection are aware of their assigned duties, and the associated hazards.

(i) Ensuring that the inspection, testing, and maintenance as required by this part are followed and any other related requirements specified by the crane owner.

(5) The site supervisor's duties would include the following:

(a) Ensuring that the crane meets the requirements of Part L of this chapter prior to initial site usage.

(b) Determining if additional regulations are applicable to crane operations.

(d) Ensuring that crane operations are coordinated with other job site activities that will be affected by or will affect lift operations.

(e) Ensuring that the area for the crane is adequately prepared. The preparation includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(i) Access roads for the crane and associated equipment;

(ii) Sufficient room to assemble and disassemble the crane;

(iii) An operating area that is suitable for the crane with respect to levelness, surface conditions, support capability, proximity to power lines, excavations, slopes, underground utilities, subsurface construction, and obstructions to crane operation;

(iv) Traffic control as necessary to restrict unauthorized access to the crane's working area.

(f) Ensuring that work involving the assembly and disassembly of a crane is supervised by an assembly/disassembly director. See WAC 296-155-53402.

(g) Ensuring that crane operators meet the requirements of WAC 296-155-53300.

(h) Ensuring that conditions which may adversely affect crane operations are addressed. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Poor soil conditions;

(ii) Wind velocity or gusting winds;

(iii) Heavy rain;

(iv) Fog;

(v) Extreme cold;

(vi) Artificial lighting.

(i) Allowing crane operation near electric power lines only when the requirements of WAC 296-155-53408 have been met.

(j) Permitting special lifting operations only when equipment and procedures required by this part, the crane manufacturer, or a qualified person, are employed. Such operations include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Multiple crane lifts;

(ii) Multiple load line lifts;

(iii) Lifting personnel;

(iv) Pick and carry operations;

(v) Mobile/articulating cranes operating on barges.

(k) Ensuring that work performed by the rigging crew is supervised by a qualified rigger. See WAC 296-155-53406.

(l) Ensuring that crane maintenance is performed by a qualified person. See WAC 296-155-53404.

(6) The lift director's duties would include the following:

(a) Being present at the job site and overseeing the lifting operations;

(b) Stopping crane operations if alerted to an unsafe condition affecting those operations;

(c) Ensuring that the preparation of the area needed to support crane operations has been completed before crane operations commence;

(d) Ensuring necessary traffic controls are in place to restrict unauthorized access to the crane's work area;

(e) Ensuring that personnel involved in crane operations understand their assigned duties, and the associated hazards;

(f) Addressing safety concerns raised by the operator or other personnel and deciding if it is necessary to overrule those concerns and directs crane operations to continue. In all cases, the manufacturer's criteria for safe operation and the requirements of this chapter and any other applicable safety and health standards must be adhered to;

(g) Assigning qualified signal person(s) and conveying that information to the crane operator;

(h) Ensuring that signal persons assigned meet the qualification requirements located in WAC 296-155-53302;

(i) Allowing crane operation near electric power lines only when the requirements of WAC 296-155-53408 and any additional requirements determined by the site supervisor have been met;

(j) Ensuring precautions are implemented when hazards associated with special lifting operations are present. Such operations include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Multiple crane lifts;

(ii) Multiple load line lifts;

(iii) Lifting personnel;

(iv) Pick and carry operations;

(v) Mobile/articulating cranes operating on barges.

(k) Ensuring that the applicable requirements of WAC 296-155-547 through 296-155-55405 are met when lifting personnel;

(l) Informing the crane operator of the weight of loads to be lifted, as well as the lifting, moving, and placing locations for these loads;

(m) Obtaining the crane operator's verification that this weight does not exceed the crane's rated capacity;

(n) Ensuring that a crane's load rigging is performed by a qualified rigger as defined in WAC 296-155-53306;

(o) Ensuring that the load is properly rigged and balanced before it is lifted more than a few inches.

(7) Whenever the crane operator has doubt or concerns as to the safety of crane operations, the operator must stop the crane's functions in a controlled manner. Lift operations can only resume after safety concerns have been resolved or the continuation of crane operations is directed by the lift director as outlined in subsection (6) of this section. The crane operator's duties would include the following:

(a) Reviewing the requirements for the crane with the lift director before operations;

(b) Knowing what types of site conditions could adversely affect the operation of the crane and consulting with the lift director concerning the possible presence of those conditions;

(d) Understanding the crane functions and limitations as well as its particular operating characteristics;

(e) Using the crane's load/capacity chart(s) and diagrams and applying all notes and warnings related to the charts to confirm the correct crane configuration to suit the load, site, and lift conditions;

(f) Refusing to operate the crane when any portion of the load or crane would enter the prohibited zone of energized power lines except as defined in WAC 296-155-53408;

(g) Performing a daily inspection as specified in WAC 296-155-53405;

(h) Promptly reporting the need for any adjustments or repairs to the appropriate person;

(i) Following applicable lockout/tagout procedures. See WAC 296-155-53400(67);

(j) Not operating the crane when physically or mentally unfit;

(k) Ensuring that all controls are in the off or neutral position and that all personnel are in the clear before energizing the crane or starting the engine;

(l) Not engaging in any practice that will divert their attention while actually operating the crane controls;

(m) Testing the crane function controls that will be used and operating the crane only if those function controls respond properly;

(n) Operating the crane's functions, under normal operating conditions, in a smooth and controlled manner;

(o) Knowing and following the procedures specified by the manufacturer or approved by a qualified person, for assembly, disassembly, setting up, and reeving the crane;

(p) Knowing how to travel the crane;

(q) Observing each outrigger during extension, setting, and retraction or using another worker to observe each outrigger during extension, setting, or retraction;

(r) Ensuring that the load and rigging weight(s) have been provided;

(s) Calculating or determining the net capacity for all configurations that will be used and verifying, using the load/capacity chart(s), that the crane has sufficient net capacity for the proposed lift;

(t) Considering all factors known that might affect the crane capacity and informing the lift director of the need to make appropriate adjustments;

(u) Knowing the standard and special signals as specified in WAC 296-155-53406 and responding to such signals from the person who is directing the lift or a qualified signal person;

(v) If power fails during operations:

(i) Setting all brakes and locking devices.

(ii) Moving all clutches or other power controls to the off or neutral position.

(iii) Landing any load suspended below the hook under brake control if practical.

(w) Before leaving the crane unattended:

(i) Landing any load suspended below the hook, unless the requirements of WAC 296-155-53400(52) are met.

(ii) Disengaging the master clutch.

(iii) Setting travel, swing, boom brakes, and other locking devices.

(iv) Putting controls in the off or neutral position.

(v) Stopping the engine. An exception to this may exist when crane operation is frequently interrupted during a shift and the operator must leave the crane. Under these circumstances, the engine may remain running and (w)(i) and (iv) of this subsection must apply. The operator must be situated where any entry to the crane can be observed.

(vi) Considering the recommendations of the manufacturer for securing the crane, when a local weather storm warning exists.

PDFWAC 296-155-53401

Duties of assigned personnel.