• OSHA crane training regulationscrane image by Deborah Durbin from Fotolia.com
  
  Cranes can be dangerous to deal with, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulations in place for how such equipment must be handled. OSHA has regulations for both mobile and fixed cranes. In addition, OSHA has regulations about the exact specifications and limitations on the equipment itself. Cranes are classified alongside derricks and other related machinery.
  
  

Minimum Training Requirements

• OSHA Part Number 1918.98, titled "Qualifications of machinery operators and supervisory training," sets out requirements that employers must enforce when their staff is engaged in work involving cranes. OSHA stipulates that a person operating a crane must have undergone training to be fit to operate such equipment. Training includes a course in accident prevention as well as specialized courses dealing with safety aspects and the specific requirements of the crane and its use.
  
  

Signal Code Training

• All crane operators must be trained to understand the signs, operating instructions and notices that are put up at the workplace. This means an operator should be well-equipped to read signal codes, which are specific notifications and hand signs that are used to communicate direction and other aspects of running a crane.
  
  

Medical Fitness Training

• OSHA also mandates that anyone operating a crane or conducting crane training must pass medical fitness tests. For example, a crane operator should have no hearing or visual problems nor any ailment that has the potential to cause incapacitation during work without notice, such as heart problems or epilepsy.