On December 10, 2008 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration published their final rule on Vertical Tandem Lifts providing safe work procedures suitable for lifting two or more containers, one on top of the other. Loxystems RAT design is specially designed for performing safe and efficient VTL lifts.

The rule states that VTL may be performed by shore based container gantry cranes or other types of cranes that is specifically designed to handle containers and that is capable of handling the load and wind sail potential of VTLs and further also can restrain unintended rotation. The rule establishes new provision in the Marine Terminals Standard (29 CFR Part 1917) and the Longshoring Standard (29 CFR Part 1918) incorporates the requirements by reference.

OSHA states their belief that all components used in VTLs will be strong enough to perform such lifts without failure provided the other conditions imposed by the final rule are met and that a safety factor of five will be sufficient to protect employees from the hazards of component failure.

The rule will take effect April 9, 2009.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=21367