(a) The board shall keep a record of its proceedings and a roster of persons licensed or registered by it. The commissioner shall, with the advice and assistance of the board, adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, for crane operators and hoisting equipment operators, specifying qualifications for applicants for licensure, requirements for examinations, procedures for issuance and renewal of licenses and certificates of registration and examination and application fees sufficient to meet the costs of administration of this chapter. The board shall administer and establish passing grades for licensure examinations. The board shall hold examinations at times and locations determined by the board and shall give written notice to applicants for examination of the time and place of examinations. An applicant for a license shall be required to take both a written and practical examination.

(b) The written examination shall determine whether the applicant (1) knows the information necessary for the safe operation of the specific type of crane or hoisting equipment that the applicant will operate including (A) the controls and operational or performance characteristics, (B) use of, and the ability to calculate, manually or with a calculator, load or capacity information on a variety of configurations of the equipment, (C) procedures for preventing and responding to power line contact, (D) technical knowledge applicable to the specific type of equipment the individual will operate concerning (i) site information, (ii) operations, and (iii) load information, and (E) technical knowledge applicable to site suitability, site hazards and site access, and (2) is able to read and locate relevant information in the equipment manual and other materials containing information referred to in subdivision (1) of this subsection.

(c) The practical examination shall determine whether the applicant has the skills necessary for safe operation of the crane or hoisting equipment including (1) the ability to recognize, from visual and auditory observation, all items required in a shift inspection, (2) operational and maneuvering skills, (3) application of load chart information, and (4) application of safe shutdown and securing procedures.

(d) Any license, or renewal thereof, issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period of two years from the date of issuance. Every four years the licensee shall take and pass, prior to the issuance of a license renewal, an examination developed by the board that is designed to ensure that the licensee continues to meet the technical knowledge and skills requirements set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

(e) Prior to October 1, 2017, the board may develop and administer written and practical examinations for, and issue licenses to, operators of cranes as defined in § 29-221, as amended by section 2 of public act 12-99 and section 3 of public act 14-29, including cranes which have a manufacturer’s rated hoisting or lifting capacity exceeding two thousand pounds but not exceeding ten thousand pounds. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to eliminate the licensure requirements in effect prior to October 1, 2017, for operators of cranes or hoisting equipment, as those terms are defined in § 29-221.

(f) The board shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, establishing a safety code for the operation and maintenance of cranes and hoisting equipment.