Employees on crane-suspended platforms versus loads or hooks

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

July 7, 1976

Mr. Charles T. Greene
Director of Industrial Safety
Industrial Safety Division
Minimum Wage and Industrial Safety Board
Government of the District
of Columbia
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Greene:

This is in reply to your letter of June 17, 1976, regarding a request for review of OSHA Program Directive #100-48.

A review of your letter indicates you interpret this Program Directive to mean employees are allowed to ride the load or hook. There is no intent on the part of OSHA to allow employees to ride the load or hook. Under controlled conditions, working platforms suspended from crawler, locomotive, or truck cranes are permissible. "Working platforms" as used in this context are not a "lead" or a "hook".

Your letter suggests that this directive is a misinterpretation of the intent of the ANSI standard. The ANSI B30 Committee interpretation of ANSI B30.5, Section 5-3.2.3(e), which states that "the operator shall not hoist, lower, swing, or travel while anyone is on the load or hook", is as follows:

1. This section refers to normal loads such as beams, girders, concrete buckets and etc.

2. Under controlled conditions, a special designed scale box or other guarded platform that is attached to the crane hook is permissible.

Controlled conditions should afford adequate protection with back-up safety devices to protect the employee(s) exposed, and are not limited to the two conditions specified in the Program Directive.

Your continued interest in safety is appreciated.

Sincerely,
Barry J. White
Associate Assistant Secretary
for Regional Programs