From Rigging to Raising: Washington L&I’s New Crane Rules
On August 5, 2025, the Department of Labor & Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) filed a Permanent Rulemaking (CR-103) related to cranes, rigging, and personnel lifting. This rulemaking became effective on September 5, 2025, and seeks to provide clarity on the Department of Labor & Industries’ interpretation of various requirements, implement new changes in law, and to heighten safety standards overall for workers and the public.
Chapter 296-155 WAC, Part L was amended extensively to update standards as well as implemented some of the changes resulting from the Washington state legislation passed in 2024 including RCW 49.17.40 – RCW 49.17.445. These statutes created new requirements for tower cranes in 2022 in response to a tower crane collapse in Seattle in 2019 which resulted in deaths among workers and the public. These rules now require tower crane manufacturers and distributors to provide operational and safety information about their tower cranes upon request by any person, directs the Department of Labor and Industries to establish effective stop work procedures that ensure the authority of any employee to refuse or delay tasks related to tower crane that the employee believes could reasonably result in serious physical harm, and establishes maximum allowable wind speed for tower crane assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration.
Moreover, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated their standard in 2018, which included clarifying each employer’s duty to ensure the competency of crane operators through training, certification or licensing, and evaluation. Amendments were adopted to address areas in the rule relating to cranes that either need to be updated based on current industry practice or to clarify language to maintain safety for workers.
The changes also clarify what activities are covered, and specifies that damage to critical parts of the crane will require notification to the Department of Labor and Industries. The rulemaking should provide clarity for requirements related to crane decertification and reinstatement. Furthermore, confusing and complex processes were simplified for easier understanding and implementation of the rules. Specifically, the adopted rule explains that the crane can only go back into operation once it has been inspected by a certified crane inspector. A requirement was also added for crane tip overs to be reported to the Department of Labor and Industries.
The amendment of Chapter 296-155 WAC provides higher safety standards for workers, precise language for Department interpretation, and implements new changes in laws to heighten crane safety. As CR-103 became effective on September 5, 2025, the amendments are now operative moving forward.
If you have any questions or want to discuss CR-103 permanent rulemaking for cranes, rigging, and personnel lifting further, please do not hesitate to contact me at , or 971.867.2733.
Posted by McKenzie Brooks.
