OSHA Releases Final Crane Rule, NPGA Analyzing Impact On Industry

WASHINGTON (November 6, 2018) – The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) is reviewing a new final rule for the Cranes and Derricks in Construction regulation by the U.S.Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

In the final rule released Tuesday, OSHA states, “Propane field technician operators would fall under the crane rule in only one very specific and limited scenario: installation of new tanks (not replacement of existing tanks in kind) at a construction site.” OSHA also indicates that construction sites include those in residential areas. The compliance deadline for third-party crane operator certification is 30 days after the rule is officially published in the Federal Register.

“OSHA acknowledged some of our industry’s concerns in this rule,” said NPGA Chairman Chris Earhart, president of Dixie Gas & Oil Corporation in Verona, VA. “We are working with our legal counsel to evaluate our industry’s next steps.”

Following an extensive review of the 206-page rule, additional information will be released by NPGA to industry members on Thursday.

. Information will be sent to NPGA members via email and posted on the website as well as distributed through state associations.

The rule’s release comes after a significant effort over the past year to draw the attention of the Legislative and Executive Branches of government to the propane industry’s argument that OSHA should not include cranes operated in the delivery or retrieval of tanks in the regulation. Since the beginning of the year, supporters of the propane industry have sent more than 13,000 messages to The White House and Congress in addition to OSHA’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing the Cranes and Derricks rule. Earlier this year, Congressman Drew Ferguson supported the propane industry’s position by introducing HR 5988, the Common Sense Certification Reform Act, which currently has 50 co-sponsors.

For more information, please contact Mike Caldarera, Vice President of Regulatory & Technical Services, or Sarah Reboli, Director of Regulatory Affairs.

The National Propane Gas Association is the national trade association of the propane industry. NPGA represents approximately 2,800 companies, including producers, wholesalers, transporters, and retailers of propane gas as well as the manufacturers and distributors of associated propane equipment and appliances. 50 million Americans choose propane as their energy source. Propane is an abundant, American resource that supports small businesses and protects the environment. For more information about NPGA and the propane gas industry, visit NPGA online at www.npga.org.