The following is a list of the main changes in the new rule; which becomes
effective 90 days after August 9, 2010, the date the final rule will be published in the Federal Register: Certain provisions have delayed effective dates ranging from 1 to 4 years.

• OSHA expects the final standard to prevent 22 fatalities and 175 non-fatal injuries each year.
• Several provisions have been modified from the proposed rule. For example: Employers must comply with local and state operator licensing requirements which meet the minimum criteria specified in § 1926.1427.
• Employers must pay for certification or qualification of their currently uncertified or unqualified operators.
• Written certification tests may be administered in any language understood by the operator candidate.
• When employers with employees qualified for power transmission and distribution are working in accordance with the power transmission and distribution standard (§ 1910.269), that employer will be considered in compliance with this final rule's requirements for working around power lines.
• Employers must use a qualified rigger for rigging operations during assembly/disassembly.
• Employers must perform a pre-erection inspection of tower cranes.
• This final rule requires operators of most types of cranes to be qualified or certified under one of the options set forth in § 1926.1427. Employers have up to four years to ensure that their operators are qualified or certified, unless they are operating in a state or city that has operator requirements.
• If a city or state has its own licensing or certification program, OSHA mandates compliance with that city or state's requirements only if they meet the minimum criteria set forth in this rule at § 1926.1427.
• The certification requirements in the final rule are designed to work in conjunction with state and local laws.
• This final rule clarifies that employers must pay for all training required by the final rule and for certification of equipment operators employed as of the effective date of the rule
• State Plans must issue job safety and health standards that are "at least as effective as" comparable federal standards within six months of federal issuance. State Plans also have the option to promulgate more stringent standards or standards covering hazards not addressed by federal standards.
• OSHA will have additional compliance assistance material available within the next month.

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