The Issue:
With the introduction of mandatory crane operator certification in 2010, the inclusion of telehandlers was implied in OSHA 1926 Subpart CC.
However, recent updates to the language made the requirement explicit.
Specifically, 1926.1400 notes the regulation applies “in construction … [to] multi-purpose machines when configured to hoist and lower (by means of a winch or hook) and horizontally move a suspended load”.
Responding to industry efforts to comply with OSHA’s certification requirements for operators of telehandlers, the NCCCO has decided to develop a new certification program.
The Bottom Line
Known more precisely as powered-industrial trucks, forklifts come in a variety of configurations.
Telehandlers are a type of forklift with an extendable boom. These booms can be fit with a number of different attachments, depending on job type.
When these attachments include a winch, OSHA requires that a certified operator be at the controls.
Read on for Senior Instructor Larry Kime’s analysis.
Expert Insight
This change in approach to certification is in response to a linguistic change in OSHA’s regulations and does not reflect a new requirement.
Currently, to fulfill the need for certification, operators of telehandlers with winch attachments are taking their TSS, or fixed-cab CCO examinations.
The move by the NCCCO to create a new program is a response to industry feedback that the TSS course is sufficiently different to the real-world requirements of telehandler operators.
It’s worth noting that this is a fledgling initiative by the NCCCO and early estimates of the process suggest the new program will not be available until 2022.