Labor Department Sets New Crane Standards

The North Carolina Department of Labor will implement a new set of safety standards for crane operators, culminating a project that regulators launched in concert with the industry in 2008.The Labor Department said the new regulations take effect on Oct. 1. The agency said the new rules were required to be "at least as effective" as federal standards established by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).The new North Carolina standards:Expand the scope of existing standards to include cranes that have been developed during the past 30 years.Require companies to have an e...