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ConstructionSignal Person Qualification
Twenty flashcards on what the federal crane rule asks of a signal person and how the employer proves it.
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20 cards
- Why does a crane operator so often need a signal person?
- The signal person acts as a second set of eyes so the operator can work safely.
- Who must make sure a signal person is qualified before giving any signal?
- The signal person's employer.
- What are the two ways to qualify a signal person?
- Option 1: a third-party qualified evaluator. Option 2: the employer's own qualified evaluator.
- Under Option 1, what does the signal person need?
- Documentation from a third-party qualified evaluator showing they meet the qualification requirements.
- Can another employer rely on an assessment made by your employer's own evaluator?
- No. An Option 2 assessment is not portable to other employers.
- What is a third-party qualified evaluator?
- An entity whose independence and expertise show it can accurately judge whether people meet the signal person requirements.
- And a qualified evaluator who is not a third party?
- A person employed by the signal person's employer who has shown they can accurately assess those requirements.
- What must a signal person know about the signals themselves?
- Know and understand the type of signals used; if hand signals are used, the Standard Method.
- Knowing the signals is not enough: what else is required?
- Being competent in applying the type of signals used.
- What must a signal person understand about the crane?
- Basic operation and limits, including the dynamics of swinging and stopping loads and boom deflection from hoisting.
- Which parts of the federal crane rule must the signal person know?
- The signal sections, 1926.1419 through 1926.1422, and the qualification section, 1926.1428.
- How does a signal person prove they meet the requirements?
- By passing an oral or written test and a practical test.
- Where must the qualification documentation be?
- Available at the site while the signal person works for that employer.
- Does that documentation have to be on paper?
- No. It can be kept on paper or electronically at the worksite.
- What must the documentation list?
- Each type of signaling the person is qualified for, such as hand signals or radio signals.
- What if a signal person's later actions show they do not meet the requirements?
- They stop working as a signal person until retrained and reassessed, and the reassessment confirms they qualify.
- Who trains a worker assigned as signal person who does not yet meet the requirements?
- The employer, in the areas the qualification requirements cover.
- Who pays for training required by the crane rule?
- The employer: the training is provided at no cost to the employee.
- What must a dedicated spotter for power lines meet?
- The signal person qualification requirements; their only job is watching the gap between the power line and the equipment, load line and load.
- When did the federal signal person qualification requirements take effect?
- On November 8, 2010.
Official sources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA 3433: Small Entity Compliance Guide, Cranes and Derricks in Construction
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), via GovInfo (GPO)
29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC: Cranes and Derricks in Construction (CFR 2025 edition)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Fact Sheet: Subpart CC Cranes and Derricks in Construction, Signal Person Qualification
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