British Columbia's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation covers crane and hoist safety under Part 14. This regulation includes requirements for operation, inspection, and maintenance.

Key aspects of crane safety regulations include:

• Inspection and Maintenance Records: Records of inspection and maintenance must be kept for cranes and hoists with a rated capacity of 900 kg (2,000 lbs) or more, cranes or hoists used to support workers, tower cranes, mobile cranes, boom trucks, sign trucks, side boom tractors, pipe layers, construction material hoists, chimney hoists, logging truck trailer reload hoists, and other specified hoisting equipment. [1]

• Modifications: Modifications affecting the rated capacity or safe operation of a crane or hoist must be assessed and certified by the original equipment manufacturer or a professional engineer, with adjustments made to the rated capacity as necessary. Modifications must be recorded in the inspection and maintenance records system, and equipment operation and maintenance manuals must be revised accordingly. [1] [1] [1]

• Operator Qualifications: Cranes and hoists must be operated by qualified persons who have been instructed to operate the equipment and have demonstrated competency, including familiarity with operating instructions and the code of signals for hoisting operations. [2] [2]

• Operator Certification: As of July 1, 2007, mobile cranes, tower cranes, and boom trucks must be operated by a person with a valid operator's certificate issued by a person acceptable to the Board, and in accordance with any conditions stipulated on the certificate. [2]

• Pre-Use Inspection: Before use, the operator must ensure the crane or hoist has been inspected for that work shift and that control and safety devices have been tested. Defects must be recorded and reported to the supervisor immediately. [2] [2]

• Standards Compliance: Cranes and hoists must be designed, constructed, assembled, erected, inspected, maintained, and operated as specified by the manufacturer or a professional engineer, and must meet the requirements of applicable standards. [4]

• Manufacturer's Manual: The manufacturer's manual or engineer's instructions for the crane or hoist must be reasonably accessible to the equipment operator and other persons inspecting or maintaining the equipment at the workplace. [3]

• Inspection and Maintenance: Cranes and hoists must be inspected and maintained at a frequency and to the extent required to ensure every component can perform its original design function with an adequate margin of safety. [3]

• Load Weight: The weight of each load must be determined and communicated to the equipment operator and any person rigging the load. If the weight cannot be accurately determined, the crane or hoist must have a load weight indicator or an overload prevention system. [6] [6]

• Calibration: Load weighing devices, load moment indicators, and overload prevention systems must be calibrated at the intervals specified by the manufacturer and whenever there is an indication the device or system is not functioning correctly. Calibration dates must be recorded. [6] [6]

• Rated Capacity: The rated capacity of a crane or hoist must not be exceeded, and the operator must be satisfied that the load can be handled safely. [6] [6]

• Mobile Cranes and Boom Trucks: Mobile cranes and boom trucks must be inspected at least once every 12 months and certified by a professional engineer as safe for use. [7] [7]

• Tower Cranes: Before erection, tower crane structural components must be inspected using non-destructive testing (NDT) methods and certified by a professional engineer as safe for use. If a tower crane remains erected for more than 12 months, it must be re-inspected and certified, unless a visual inspection shows no evidence of structural weakness and the crane is scheduled to be dismantled within 15 months of erection. [5] [5] [5]

These regulations are intended to ensure the safety of workers involved with crane operations in British Columbia.