§ 1917.27 - Personnel.

§ 1917.27 Personnel.

(a) Qualifications of machinery operators.

(1) Only those employees determined by the employer to be competent by reason of training or experience, and who understand the signs, notices and operating instructions and are familiar with the signal code in use shall be permitted to operate a crane, winch or other power operated cargo handling apparatus, or any power operated vehicle, or give signals to the operator of any hoisting apparatus. Exception: Employees being trained and supervised by a designated person may operate such machinery and give signals to operators during training.

(2) No employee known to have defective uncorrected eyesight or hearing, or to be suffering from heart disease, epilepsy, or similar ailments that may suddenly incapacitate the employee, shall be permitted to operate a crane, winch or other power-operated cargo handling apparatus or a power-operated vehicle.

Note to paragraph (a)(2):

OSHA is defining suddenly incapacitating medical ailments consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. 12101 (1990). Therefore, employers who act in accordance with the employment provisions (Title I) of the ADA (42 U.S.C. 12111-12117), the regulations implementing Title I (29 CFR Part 1630), and the Technical Assistance Manual for Title I issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Publication number: EEOC - M1A), will be considered as being in compliance with this paragraph.

(b) Supervisory accident prevention proficiency.

(1) After October 3, 1985 immediate supervisors of cargo-handling operations of more than five (5) persons shall satisfactorily complete a course in accident prevention. Employees newly assigned to supervisory duties after that date shall be required to meet the provisions of this paragraph within ninety (90) days of such assignment.

(2) The course shall consist of instruction suited to the particular operations involved.^[3]

[48 FR 30909, July 5, 1983, as amended at 62 FR 40197, July 25, 1997; 65 FR 40938, June 30, 2000]

Footnotes - 1917.27

^[3] The following are recommended topics: (i) Safety responsibility and authority; (ii) elements of accident prevention; (iii) attitudes, leadership and motivation; (iv) hazards of longshoring, including peculiar local circumstances; (v) hazard identification and elimination; (vi) applicable regulations; and (vii) accident investigations.