New Mexico Cranes and Derricks (Construction): What you need to know

Private and public (state and local government) sector employers in New Mexico that own or operate cranes and derricks in construction are regulated under state occupational safety and health rules; the state has adopted the federal rules by reference (11.5.3.9 NM Admin. Code (NMAC).

The state has adopted its own licensing requirements for operators of hoisting equipment (e.g., cranes and derricks) in construction, demolition, and excavation work.

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau administers the workplace safety and health rules in public and private sector workplaces. The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department administers the crane operator licensing requirements in the state.

All hoist operators (e.g., conventional crane, power-operated derrick, tower crane, or hydraulic crane of any size and length) must obtain a hoisting operator’s license before operating such equipment. See the state Hoisting Program website at http://www.rld.state.nm.us/Hoisting/index.html for more information about crane operator licensing requirements.