1926.1406: Employer Assembly/Disassembly Procedures
When an employer uses its own procedures instead of the manufacturer's for crane assembly or disassembly, those procedures must prevent unintended dangerous movement and collapse of any part of the equipment, provide adequate support and stability, and position employees to minimize their exposure to movement or collapse. The procedures must be developed by a qualified person.
Key takeaways
- 1926.1406 is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart CC).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.1406, "Assembly/Disassembly—employer procedures—general requirements", is an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart CC). It has 5 numbered paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
Show the full text of 1926.1406 (5 paragraphs)
(a) When using employer procedures instead of manufacturer procedures for assembly/disassembly, the employer must ensure that the procedures:
(1) Prevent unintended dangerous movement, and prevent collapse, of any part of the equipment.
(2) Provide adequate support and stability of all parts of the equipment.
(3) Position employees involved in the assembly/disassembly operation so that their exposure to unintended movement or collapse of part or all of the equipment is minimized.
(b) Qualified person. Employer procedures must be developed by a qualified person.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1926.1406, plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
- Regarding Assembly/Disassembly and set-up used in Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard (2014-10-15)
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Frequently asked questions
Can an employer use its own crane assembly procedures?
Yes, but they must prevent unintended dangerous movement and collapse, provide adequate support and stability, and minimize employee exposure.
Who must develop employer assembly/disassembly procedures?
A qualified person.
How must employees be positioned during assembly/disassembly?
So their exposure to unintended movement or collapse of part or all of the equipment is minimized.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.1406 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.