A final rule published by OSHA in November clarifies certification requirements for crane operators and establishes minimum requirements for determining operator competency. The agency is amending its requirement that crane-operator certification be based on equipment “type and capacity.” The new rule permits certification based on equipment “type” or “type and capacity.” According to OSHA, “allowing certification by equipment ‘type’ or ‘type and capacity’ removes a regulatory burden that did not create an additional safety benefit.” The change is also intended to ensure that more accredited testing organizations are eligible to meet OSHA’s certification program requirements.  The new rule also requires employers to evaluate operators for their ability to safely operate equipment and document successful completion of the evaluations. The final rule went into effect on Dec. 9, 2018. Employers who evaluated operators prior to that date will not have to conduct evaluations again, but will still have to document when the evaluations were completed. Evaluation and documentation requirements will become effective on Feb. 7, 2019. OSHA’s new rule continues to require operator training and maintains the employer’s duty to ensure that crane operators can safely operate the equipment. For more information, see the agency’s . The full text of the rule is available in the .