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" Quick pass another piece of legislation so we can all feel better. Don't worry about actually figuring out what's going on, the appearance of progress is better. The article said "efforts have stalled because it was unclear if the new rules were necessary or would be effective". Perhaps we should be sure we know the answer to that before we call for more rules that make working much more difficult, not more safe. Anyone who works with the current OSHA rules (worker and employer) knows they are darn hard to follow as is. Let's be sensible in the face of tragedy - not run amok. "

" As a rigger, I was told to feel and look for damaged spots on the cables as we were coiling the cable. In spite of the fact that our lives depended on safe cable, we were told to overlook it if the cable was showing age. One company I worked for had outdated and dangerous motors we used on our scaffolding. The boss always gave a deaf ear to our complaints. The result? One death and one seriously injured man. Where was the union in all of this? Collecting dues and recruiting new members. I don't want to say too much about this. This is old history and at the same time is continuing today. It seems to me our lives don't matter much to some. I knew the risks, but always hoped it would be the other guy, not me. "

" I wonder if they would allow a non-union person to perform the oversight? "

" Right on track Floyd!!! I am for disbanding the operators union and require that all operators be trained in a federal program monitored and operated by OSHA. The unions do not guarantee operators are current in safety standards and business owners do not always have total control over who the union allows to have an operators certification. The safety of all construction employees working on and around heavy equipment is directly effected by the quality of the operator. Better and more consistent training is required. "

" If the Operating Engineers union trains its own members, just who do they have to blame for accidents other than their own training program or failure to follow that training?
Every piece of equipment is capable of safe operation within certain design parameters. Any piece of equipment can be overloaded by a poor operator to the point of failure.
This sounds to me like a bunch of crybabies that want to blame somebody else for their own mistakes. "

" floyd, I recall you made a comment about drug testing when this tragedy occurred. Your inferrence still infuriates me.How would that have prevented a cable from breaking? Cables can be inspected on the exterior and appear to be in good condition but still be damaged in the interior which is why they should be replaced periodically whether they "show" signs of damage or not. Most union operators would appreciate having the authority to work in a more safe environment.They take their jobs very seriously and respect the safety of the other workers in the environment. "

" Wait a minute. I was jumped a few days ago because I made the statement they weren't trained properly. Now the union makes this statement"licensing for all crane operators". If your properly trained why would you need to be licensed/certified etc.? "

" As a former union worker who was injured on the job, I wish the IUOE luck in getting much help. It's going to take a lot of work to re-organize OSHA after being beat up by more than two decades of Republicans and an in-effective Democrat in the White House. The corporate dollar seems to be more important than our lives and health. As I found out also, workers' compensation is limited in payouts too. The contractors give us dangerous equipment to work on and leave people like myself to live in pain for the rest of my life, while I make a fraction of what I used to make. At least I'm still alive! "