A competent person in crane operations is defined as someone with which combination?

• A. Training, knowledge, and experience to perform tasks safely and to inspect/authorize work
• B. An operator license only
• C. A supervisor with no crane experience
• D. A safety officer unrelated to crane tasks

Answer: (A)

What defines a competent person in crane operations is having training, knowledge, and experience to perform tasks safely and to inspect and authorize work. Training provides the essential skills and safety procedures for setup, operation, signaling, and hazard recognition. Knowledge means understanding crane capabilities, rigging principles, load dynamics, and site conditions so you can anticipate problems. Experience shows you can apply training and knowledge on the job, make sound judgments, conduct proper inspections, and determine when it is safe to lift or authorize work. The other scenarios fall short because they lack one or more of these elements: a license alone does not guarantee hands-on competence; a supervisor with no crane experience cannot safely oversee crane tasks; a safety officer not involved with crane work lacks crane-specific authority to inspect or authorize.