Certification of ironworkers, maximum and minimum numbers of certain individuals performing ironwork at construction sites, granting rule-making authority, and providing penalties

With certain exceptions, the bill requires any individual who performs work in this state as an ironworker to hold a master ironworker or journeyman ironworker certificate obtained from the department. Under the bill, an ironworker generally means any individual who positions and secures reinforcing rods or cables during on-site construction of buildings or bridges; raises, places, or unites girders, columns, and other structural steel members; installs prefabricated, ornamental metalwork; erects precast girders during on-site construction of bridges; or rigs or raises wind turbines. The bill requires a master ironworker or journeyman ironworker to perform work consistent with department rules. In addition, the bill prohibits an employer, contractor, or subcontractor from allowing certain individuals to perform ironwork without a required ironworker certificate or in violation of department rules.

Under the bill, the department must administer a program for certification of master ironworkers and journeyman ironworkers. The bill establishes minimum criteria that an individual must satisfy in order to be certified as a master ironworker or journeyman ironworker. The bill also includes a grandfather provision that establishes separate criteria for an individual who applies for certification within one year after the bill takes effect.

Unless the grandfather provision applies, in order to be certified as a master ironworker, an individual must: 1) satisfactorily complete a written examination, unless the individual applies for recertification and satisfies specific work experience and training requirements; and 2) hold a valid journeyman ironworker certificate for at least one year before the date of application, unless the individual has successfully completed an approved ironworker apprenticeship program.

Similar requirements apply to an individual who applies for a journeyman ironworker certificate, except that the individual is not required to hold a valid journeyman ironworker certificate before the date of application. Rather, the individual must successfully complete an approved ironworker apprenticeship program or safely complete 8,000 hours of work in the ironworking trade. In addition, upon applying for recertification as a journeyman ironworker, the individual need only have completed one-half as many hours of training as a master ironworker in order to be exempt from the written examination requirement.

The bill requires the department to promulgate rules relating to ironwork.

These rules must specify, among other things, the tasks that master ironworkers and journeyman ironworkers are permitted to perform. In addition, these rules must establish ironworker ratios, specifying a minimum number of master ironworkers that are required to provide work at a construction site and a maximum number of apprentice ironworkers and individuals training as ironworkers that are permitted to provide work at a construction site.