Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board

After its establishment with Act 165 in 1998 by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, members of the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board met for the first time in May 1999 and promulgated Administrative Rules, Chapter 12-48 on December 6, 2002, under which it operates today.

The Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board, an attached agency of the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), exists to verify and certify Island operators of all construction crane and tower machines having a lifting capacity of one ton or more. [1926.1427(a)3]

This power comes from definitions in Section 12-50-2 of the Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR). With Sections 19 and 20 of the State Occupational Safety and Health Law and Chapter 396 of HAR, the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board requires all operators using equipment covered by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B30.5 (mobile and locomotive cranes) to be medically qualified, pass written and practical training examinations, and possess practical experience in order to safely operate hoisting machines in the State. These requirements ensure a minimum competency level of operators, assure employers that potential workers comply with relevant state and federal standards, and provide safeguards for the public that buildings are constructed and maintained using best available practices. Enforcement is covered in section 12-110-50 of the Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules.

Under the above mentioned Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules, prospective and renewing hoisting machine operators are required to submit an application for certification (found online at the DLIR website), a current digital photograph of their head and shoulders, and pay the requisite fee of one hundred dollars ($100) per year of desired State certification (up to five years). New applicants must also supply a one-time, non-refundable application fee of fifty dollars ($50). Replacement or reissued cards are supplied to current operators without cost.

Currently, HMOAB operates with a five-member advisory board, made up of representatives from organized labor and construction management firms, and are appointed by the Governor for four-year, staggered terms. The Board meets in open session (excepting December) in the DLIR conference room on the third Wednesday every other month at 1:30 p.m in room 114. Administrative and financial business for the agency is completed by an Executive Assistant, who serves at the direction of the Board.