(a) A person may not operate a crane or tower crane without certification issued under this article except for those persons exempted under subsection (b) of this section.

(b) A person is not required to obtain certification under this article if the person:

(1) Is a member of the Department of Defense or Armed Forces of the United States or an employee of the United States, when such member or employee is engaged in the work of a crane operator exclusively for such governmental unit; or

(2) Is primarily an operator of farm machinery who is performing the work of a crane operator as part of an agricultural operation; or

(3) Is operating a crane on an emergency basis; or

(4) Is operating a crane for personal use and not for profit on the site of real property which the person owns or leases; or

(5) Is an Operator-in-Training under the direct supervision of a certified crane operator and:

(A) Who is enrolled in an industry recognized in-house training course based on the American National Standards Institute Standards for Crane Operators and who is employed by the entity that either taught the training course or contracted to have the training course taught, all of which is approved by the commissioner; or

(B) Who is enrolled in an apprenticeship program or training program for crane operators approved by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training;

(6) Is an employee of and operating a crane at the direction of any manufacturing plant or other industrial establishment, including any mill, factory, tannery, paper or pulp mill, mine, colliery, breaker or mineral processing operation, quarry, refinery or well or is an employee of and operating a crane at the direction of the person, firm or corporation who owns or is operating such plant or establishment;

(7) Is an employee of a public utility operating a crane to perform work in connection with facilities used to provide a public service under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or Federal Communications Commission; or

(8) Is operating timbering harvesting machinery associated with the production of timber and the manufacturing of wood products.