2.1 License Classes & Restrictions Under 230 CMR 6.10
Key Takeaways
230 CMR 6.10 sorts hoisting licenses into Class 1 (Hoisting), Class 2 (Excavating), Class 3 (Electric and Pneumatic) and Class 4 (Specialty), plus apprentice and state/municipal-limited licenses.
A 1A license covers all friction clutch machines, all derricks including tower cranes, lattice boom machinery, and everything in 1B, 1C, 1D, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F and 4G.
A 1B license covers all equipment with a telescoping boom and wire rope plus 1C, 1D, 4B, 4C, 4E and 4F, but not 4D concrete pumps or 4G side boom mowers.
A 1C license covers hydraulic telescoping booms and other hydraulic hoisting equipment without wire rope hoist lines, plus 1D warehouse forklifts.
The state/municipal-limited license (HEML) lets state or municipal public works employees operate 1C, 2B and 4G equipment only within the scope of that employment.
Restrictions, classes and why they matter
OPSI calls each license grade a restriction. The application fee is $75 per restriction, each restriction is a separate exam, and a license must carry at least one restriction. Dropping a restriction means re-taking that exam to get it back. Operating equipment outside the restrictions held is "practicing beyond the scope of the license," a ground for discipline under 230 CMR 6.12(1)(l).
Class 1: Hoisting
| Restriction | Prerequisites (beyond 230 CMR 6.02) | May operate |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | Knowledge of the crane operator ASME hand signals; able to read and comprehend load charts and manufacturer's specifications | All friction clutch machines and all derricks, including tower cranes, guy derricks, stiff legs, Chicago booms and gin poles; lattice boom machinery; and all equipment in 1B, 1C, 1D, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F and 4G |
| 1B | Knowledge of the crane operator hand signals; load charts and manufacturer's specifications | All equipment having a telescoping boom and wire rope; and all equipment in 1C, 1D, 4B, 4C, 4E and 4F |
| 1C | Load charts and manufacturer's specifications | Equipment with hydraulic telescoping booms and any other hydraulic equipment designed for hoisting, excluding those with wire rope hoist lines; and all equipment in 1D |
| 1D | 230 CMR 6.02 only | General industrial warehouse fork lift equipment primarily used in indoor facilities |
The application form labels the boxes in plain terms: 1A "Derricks / Lattice Cranes," 1B "Telescoping Boom w/cables cranes," 1C "Telescoping booms w/o cables, forklifts," 1D "General industrial warehouse Fork Lift equipment."
The wire rope test
The question that separates 1B from 1C is whether the machine has a wire rope hoist line:
- A hydraulic truck crane or rough-terrain crane that lifts with a winch and wire rope is 1B.
- A boom truck with a winch and wire rope hoist line is 1B.
- A hydraulic telescopic machine that lifts without a wire rope hoist line, such as a typical telehandler with forks, is 1C.
- A lattice boom crane or any derrick or tower crane is 1A, whatever its size.
Important
1B includes Class 4 specialty work only for 4B, 4C, 4E and 4F. A 1B licensee may not run a 4D concrete pump or a 4G side boom mower unless that person also holds 4D or 4G, or holds 1A, which includes all seven Class 4 restrictions.
Class 2: Excavating
| Restriction | Prerequisites | May operate |
|---|---|---|
| 2A | Knowledge of hand signals for crawler/excavator operations | All crawler and rubber-tired excavators and backhoes with manufacturer-approved attachments; equipment in 2B, 2C and 2D |
| 2B | 230 CMR 6.02 | Combination loader/backhoe machines with approved attachments; equipment in 2C and 2D |
| 2C | 230 CMR 6.02 | Front-end loaders with approved attachments; equipment in 2D |
| 2D | 230 CMR 6.02 | Compact hoisting machinery with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 10,000 pounds, excluding Class 1, 3 and 4 machinery, with approved attachments |
Excavator hand signals come from SAE J1307, reproduced as Appendix B of 230 CMR 6.00. The excavating classes do not include any Class 1 crane restriction, and Class 1 restrictions do not include excavators. A candidate who runs both a boom truck and an excavator needs both a Class 1 and a Class 2 restriction.
Class 3: Electric and Pneumatic
| Restriction | Prerequisites | May operate |
|---|---|---|
| 3A | Able to read and comprehend manufacturer's specifications | Overhead gantry cranes, marine lifts, jib cranes with no load charts, and electric or air-driven "tugger" hoists |
Class 3 is separate from Class 1. A 1A license does not include 3A.
Class 4: Specialty
| Restriction | Equipment | Also covered by |
|---|---|---|
| 4A | Eliminated in 2016 | — |
| 4B | Drill rigs and pile drivers (including crawler rock drills and top hammer drill rigs) | 1A, 1B |
| 4C | Pipeline side booms | 1A, 1B |
| 4D | Concrete pumps | 1A only |
| 4E | Catch basin cleaner | 1A, 1B |
| 4F | Sign hanging equipment lifting loads less than 1,000 pounds (½ ton) | 1A, 1B |
| 4G | Specialty side boom mower | 1A only (also HEML) |
Other license types
- HA – Hoisting Apprentice. Issued to an unlicensed person who is at least 16 and registered as an apprentice with the state apprenticeship authority (the Division of Apprentice Standards). The apprentice may operate only under the direct guidance and supervision of a licensed person who is not an apprentice, is exempt from the exam, and holds a license valid for up to two years (Section 2.3).
- HEML – State/Municipal Limited. For operators employed by a state or municipal public works department. It allows equipment normally covered by 1C, 2B and 4G, solely within the scope of that state or municipal employment. It does not authorize private-sector work.
Decision practice
| Machine on the job | Minimum restriction |
|---|---|
| 150-ton lattice boom crawler crane | 1A |
| Hammerhead tower crane | 1A |
| 60-ton hydraulic all-terrain crane lifting on wire rope | 1B |
| Boom truck with winch and wire rope | 1B |
| Rough-terrain telehandler with forks, no winch | 1C |
| Hydraulic knuckle-boom loader crane without a wire rope hoist line | 1C |
| Indoor warehouse sit-down forklift | 1D |
| Truck-mounted concrete boom pump | 4D (or 1A) |
| Overhead gantry crane in a fabrication shop | 3A |
| Pile driver on a foundation job | 4B (or 1A/1B) |
| 8,500-lb GVW mini excavator | 2D (or any higher Class 2) |
An operator holds only a Massachusetts 1B restriction. Which machine may this operator run under 230 CMR 6.10?
A truck-mounted concrete boom pump
A hydraulic telescopic truck crane that lifts on a wire rope hoist line
A lattice boom crawler crane
A specialty side boom mower
Under 230 CMR 6.10, what separates a 1C machine from a 1B machine?
Whether the machine weighs more than 10,000 pounds
Whether the boom is longer than 60 feet
Whether the machine has a wire rope hoist line
Whether the machine is used indoors
A town public works employee holds a State/Municipal Limited (HEML) license. What does it allow?
Equipment normally covered by 1C, 2B and 4G, solely within the scope of the employee's state or municipal employment
Any Class 1 crane on any jobsite in the town
All Class 2 equipment for private contractors on weekends
Only 3A overhead cranes in the town garage
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.