4-288-010 License – Required.

   It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any crane, as defined in this chapter, on any construction, rehabilitation, repair or demolition project undertaken where a permit for such work is required by this Code, without first having obtained a crane operator's license. It shall be unlawful to employ any person or to permit or direct any person on such a project to operate a crane as defined in this chapter unless such person holds a valid crane operator's license.

(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465)

4-288-020 Definitions.

   For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

   "Apprentice crane operator" means an individual training to operate a crane under the direct supervision and responsible control of a crane operator properly licensed under this chapter.

   "Approved accredited certifying entity" means any organization whose certification program for crane operators is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or its equivalent, and that meets other criteria as may be established by the commissioner. Equivalency to the NCCA certification program shall be determined by the commissioner.

   "Board of crane operators examiners" or "board" means the board of crane operators examiners established pursuant to Section 2-116-250.

   "Certificate of registration" means a written instrument issued by the department acknowledging that the named person holds a crane operator's license under this chapter.

   "Commissioner" means the commissioner of buildings or the commissioner's designee. Such designee may include, but is not limited to, a construction equipment inspector.

   "Construction equipment inspector" means a person designated by the commissioner to enforce the provisions of this chapter. A construction equipment inspector shall have the authority to enter any jobsite to inspect or review jobsite conditions and to stop work when appropriate to ensure that cranes are operated, maintained, assembled, disassembled or jumped in a manner necessary or appropriate to protect public safety and consistent with the information set forth in the permit application required under Section 4-288-122.

   "Crane" means any power-operated mechanical hoisting equipment with a manufacturer's rated capacity of one ton (2,000 pounds) or more that lifts, lowers, rotates or moves a load horizontally or vertically. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to: (1) articulating cranes, including knuckle-boom cranes used to deliver material onto a structure with or without a properly functioning automatic overload prevention device; (2) crawler cranes; (3) floating cranes; (4) cranes on barges; (5) locomotive cranes; (6) mobile cranes, such as wheel- mounted, rough-terrain, all-terrain, commercial truck- mounted, and boom truck cranes; (7) multipurpose machines when configured to hoist and lower (by means of a winch or hook) and horizontally move a suspended load; (8) industrial cranes (such as carry deck cranes); (9) service/mechanic trucks with a hoisting device; (10) cranes on monorails; (11) tower cranes (such as a fixed jib, i.e. "hammerhead boom"), luffing boom and self- erecting; (12) pedestal cranes; (13) portal cranes; (14) overhead and gantry cranes; (15) derricks; (16) powered window washing units if used to erect portions of a building; (17) track backhoes if used to erect portions of a structure; (18) rack and pinion/skips; (19) Chicago booms; (20) hydraulic crawler/hydraulic truck cranes (lattice booms); (21) drumhoists; (22) variations of the equipment listed in items (1) through (21) of this definition; and (23) any other equipment that the commissioner, in consultation with the board, reasonably determines is appropriately characterized as a crane as set forth in rules and regulations duly promulgated by the commissioner. The term "crane" does not include (i) dedicated pile drivers; (ii) straddle cranes; (iii) sideboom cranes; (iv) elevators; (v) powered window washing units unless the unit is used to erect portions of a building; (vi) skid steers; (vii) all-terrain forklifts unless the forklift is configured to hoist and lower (by means of a winch or hook) and horizontally move a suspended load; (viii) mast-climbing work platforms, but it shall include booms attached to mast- climbing work platforms if the boom has a manufacturer's rated capacity of one ton (2,000 pounds) or more; (ix) any equipment listed in subsection (c) of 29 C.F.R. 1926.1400 unless such equipment is listed in items (1) through (23), inclusive, of this definition; (x) variations of the equipment set forth in items (i) through (ix) of this definition; and (xi) any other equipment that the commissioner, in consultation with the board, reasonably determines is not appropriately characterized as a crane as set forth in rules and regulations duly promulgated by the commissioner.

   "Department" means the department of buildings.

   "Licensee" means any person licensed or required to be licensed under this chapter.

   "Practical examination" means an examination testing the skills of an applicant for a license under this chapter in connection with the physical operation of the specific equipment for which a license is required under this chapter.

   "Safety issue(s)" means unsafe equipment and/or unsafe working conditions.

   "Unsafe working conditions" means (1) physical or other conflicts between more than one crane on a jobsite; (2) hoisting or swinging a load over an occupied building or over any walkway, traffic lane, or parking lane that is open for use by pedestrians or vehicular traffic; (3) any safety or operational aid used or required to be used in connection with the operation of a crane that is not working properly; or (4) any other working condition that the commissioner determines jeopardizes or threatens to jeopardize the health, safety or welfare of any crane operator or the general public, as set forth in rules and regulations duly promulgated by the commissioner.

   "Written examination" means an examination administered in a paper or computer-based format, testing the knowledge of an applicant for a license under this chapter in connection with the substantive requirements of applicable codes, operating procedures, and other similar knowledge related to the operation of a crane(s).

(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-13, p. 71889, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 18; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3653, § 1)

4-288-030 Application – Qualification for examination.

   (a)   An applicant for a crane operator's license shall file an application with the commissioner on a form provided by the commissioner and in accordance with reasonable requirements determined by the commissioner.

   (b)   To qualify to take the crane operator's license examination, the applicant must provide evidence in a form acceptable to the commissioner that:

      A.   The applicant is at least 21 years old;

      B.   The applicant has worked as a crane operator for at least 2,000 hours during the preceding 48-month period or that the applicant has completed an apprenticeship program that is recognized by the board of crane operators examiners;

      C.   The applicant has not had a crane operator's or comparable license suspended or revoked by the City of Chicago or any other jurisdiction; provided, however, that upon good cause shown and after a full investigation, the building commissioner may waive this prohibition;

      D.   The applicant has no history of substance abuse during the preceding three years or that the applicant has successfully completed a certified substance abuse rehabilitation program;

      E.   The applicant has the present physical ability to safely operate a crane; and

      F.   The applicant has the ability to read, write and speak English at a level that allows effective communication on the job site.

   (c)   In addition to the requirements in subsection (b) of this section, to qualify to take the crane operator’s license examination, the applicant shall have a current and valid national certification issued by an approved accredited certifying entity identifying the type(s) of crane that the applicant is certified to operate, provided, however, that this item (c) shall not apply if no national certification exists for the specific machines the applicant seeks a license to operate under this chapter.

   (d)   All applicants meeting the qualifications in this section shall be allowed to take the crane operator's license examination upon payment of the required fee.

(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-13, p. 71889, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 18; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3653, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-24-24, p. 8634, Art. I, § 3)

4-288-040 Examinations – Administration, regulation and enforcement.

   The commissioner is authorized to adopt reasonable rules and regulations necessary or appropriate to implement the requirements of this chapter, including, but not limited to, the time, manner and content of the crane operator's examination. Such rules and regulations shall (i) enable the department to fully assess the competency and fitness of each applicant to operate the type of crane for which a license under this chapter is being sought and (ii) require the applicant to show or demonstrate an acceptable degree of knowledge of crane operation and related safety practices. Except as otherwise provided in Section 4-288-050, the commissioner shall establish specific examinations for the various types of cranes covered by this chapter. The board shall assist the commissioner in the administration, regulation and enforcement of the examination and licensing provisions of this chapter.

(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 6-14-95, p. 2841; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-13, p. 71889, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 18; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3653, § 1)

4-288-050 Examination – Exemptions and waivers.

   The commissioner, in consultation with the board, may promulgate rules and regulations waiving or otherwise exempting applicants for a license under this chapter from such portions of any examination required under this chapter based on criteria, set forth in such rules and regulations, that the commissioner determines are consistent with public safety.

(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-13, p. 71889, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 18; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3653, § 1)

4-288-060 License – Issuance.

   An applicant who successfully passes the crane operator's examination or is granted a waiver of the examination pursuant to Section 4-288-050, and who otherwise meets the requirements of this chapter, shall be issued a license by the commissioner upon payment of the required fees.

(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-13, p. 71889, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 18; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3653, § 1)

4-288-065 Building permit privileges – Suspension.

   The Commissioner of Buildings may suspend the ability of any person licensed, registered or certified or required to be licensed, registered or certified under this chapter to submit new applications or complete pending applications for a building permit or other permit issued by the Department of Buildings for cause as set forth in Section 14A-3-304 of this Code.

(Added Coun. J. 2-22-17, p. 43876, § 12; Amend Coun. J. 4-10-19, p. 100029, Art. II, § 55)