I guess you should start with OSHA 1910.179. It quite frankly lays down the law in surprisingly few areas. That is surprisingly few concrete specifics. What it does is, “incorporate by reference”, a couple dozen other reference specifications. In other words, the CMAA 70 and 74 specifications are incorporated by reference, which means they have the same force of law as OSHA 1910.179. That means for example, the two referenced CMAA specs along with about 2 dozen other specs are therefore within the scope of 1910.179.

As if this referenced body of work is not enough, each of the referenced documents, in turn, incorporate by reference other specs. In the case of CMAA, we’re talking another couple of dozen specs which they reference, including such things as the National Electric Code, AWS welding code, etc.

To add one more layer to this circus of specifications, OSHA also “incorporates by reference” the manufacturers “owners manual” as the ultimate authority on that piece of equipment.

So the next time you get asked a question regarding the “legitimate way” to do something on your crane or hoist, be prepared to invest a lot of time wading through a lot of specs. Many of which cost close to a hundred bucks each. Below is a PDF files that is a map to all the related governing bodies and specification for Overhead Bridge Cranes and Hoists. To date, I have 36 listings, I’m sure you will have more to add and would appreciate your input.

Overhead Crane Governing Bodies

Dr. Frazier Crane
PhD in Craneology (Piled High and Deep)