OSHA cranes and derricks (Subpart CC) for the CHST
A crane lift concentrates a lot of energy on one hook, and the CHST blueprint treats crane operations and hoisting and rigging as separate Domain 1 items. Subpart CC (29 CFR 1926.1400 to 1926.1442) is long, so this guide gives the map and the decisions that matter, in our own words.
Check anything you rely on against your own licensed code book and the edition your AHJ enforces.
Where Subpart CC sits in the blueprint
Hoisting and rigging is item 9 and crane operations is item 10 in the Domain 1 knowledge list. Domain 1 is 36.6% of the CHST. Rigging hardware and slings also appear in Subpart H on materials handling.
The sections to know
- 1926.1400 and 1926.1401 give scope and definitions.
- 1926.1402 covers ground conditions: the ground must support the equipment, and the controlling entity is responsible for it being ready.
- 1926.1403 to 1926.1406 cover assembly and disassembly, with a person who directs the work and knows the hazards.
- 1926.1407 to 1926.1411 cover power lines. 1926.1408 is the one to know: the choices are to de-energize, to keep 20 feet away on lines up to 350 kilovolts, or to use the table clearances in paragraph (a).
- 1926.1412 covers inspections: before each shift, monthly and annually, each with its own required person and record.
- 1926.1417 covers operation: the operator's procedures and load limits.
- 1926.1419 to 1926.1422 cover signals, with qualified signal persons under 1926.1428.
- 1926.1404 and 1926.1425 call for a qualified rigger for rigging during assembly and disassembly and for hooking or unhooking loads in the fall zone.
- 1926.1424 covers work area control: keep people out of the swing radius of the rotating superstructure, with barricades or a similar control.
- 1926.1427 covers operator qualification or certification. Operators must be certified or qualified under one of the options the section gives.
- 1926.1431 covers hoisting personnel, which has stricter conditions than lifting materials.
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What the exam asks
Questions describe a lift and ask which condition has been missed: soft ground, a power line, an uninspected crane, an unqualified signal person or an unbarricaded swing zone. The best answer usually stops the lift until the missing control is in place.
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Common mix-ups
- De-energized is not the same as 20 feet. The 20-foot option fits lines up to 350 kilovolts and has its own conditions.
- Inspection has three levels. Shift, monthly and annual are different, and each has its own person and record.
- Swing radius is a work area. Control it with a barrier, because a sign does not stop anyone.
- Hoisting people is a special case. Use the personnel hoisting rules, not the material rules.
How to practice
Make a pre-lift checklist from the sections above and run it on three invented lifts. Work questions that hide one missing control and name it.
Related guides: electrical (Subpart K) and fall protection (Subpart M).
Practice it
Take the free 10-question check. It covers the four CHST domains, needs no signup and explains every answer, so you see whether this subpart is a weak spot. The CHST study guide shows where it fits in a six-week plan.
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Related exam prep
- Crane power line clearance calculator on Boom Angle: the 1926.1408 and 1926.1411 distances for a line voltage.
- How to read a crane load chart on Boom Angle: the load chart skill behind a safe lift.
Sources
Show the list
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction, OSHA.
- CHST Examination Blueprint (CHST5, V.2022.04.12), Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
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