OSHA recently published the new Crane and Derrick Standard Subpart CC. The standard is comprehensive bringing ramifications for contractors, the Ironworkers, several other trades and for our Ironworker training materials.

General Secretary Wise has appointed a Task Force to conduct a thorough review of the new standard and to revise and update all Ironworker training materials which may not be in conformance with the new Subpart CC.

In addition, the Ironworkers and IMPACT have met with OSHA several times and submitted several letters seeking clarification on various issues in the new standard which are causing confusion among contractors and local Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees (JATC). We anticipate that OSHA will respond to our questions in the near future.

One example of the issues that the Ironworkers are seeking clarification is that the new standard requires that a "Qualified Evaluator (third party)" to assess that a person meets the qualification requirements for a signal person. The Ironworkers are advocating that our local JATC's be recognized as a "Qualified Evaluator". The state of California's CAL/OSHA has already responded to that request for clarification by the Ironworkers and IMPACT in that state by stating that the Ironworker training materials apparently meet this requirement.

The Ironworkers Task Force to review the ramifications of the new Crane standard on all Ironworker training materials is made up of representatives of the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) and the Ironworkers National Training Fund. Local unions and contractors will be kept apprised on an ongoing and timely basis of developments on this issue.