Saturday 6 September 2014

NCCCO Certification Assures Crane Operators Comply With National Safety Standards

By Kerri Stout


The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, or NCCCO, was established to develop and administer a program for certifying crane operators at a national level. It is a not-for-profit, independent organization. NCCCO Certification meets both Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, and the American National Standard ANSI/ASME B30 safety standard.

NCCCO is endorsed officially by OSHA, and accredited by both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Its recognition also extends to various industries and is supported by them; these include the construction, energy, steel erection, automotive, petrochemical, paper, and crane hire industries. The programs are appropriate for crane activities of all kinds, and involve testing applicants via written and practical exams.

The national NCCCO crane operator accreditation program meets all OSHA's requirements for competency in crane operation. There are many benefits for employers who implement this certification program for their employees. The accreditation provides assurance to the construction industry and also people in general that a crane operator is both knowledgeable and skilled.

The implementation of the certification program on a national level has resulted in a reduced number of accidents, as well as less risk of losses, improved consistence in training, and more employment opportunities for crane operators of different kinds. The three areas of focus for centers of the National Commission are testing the competency levels of crane operators, providing the exams to do so, and issuing certification cards to all candidates who have met the eligibility criteria and successfully passed the exams.

The knowledge and experience of many hundreds of expert operators have contributed to the questions on the examinations about crane operation safety, crane rigging, and crane signalling. Thorough work performance reviews of various operators, riggers and signal persons have been validated by this knowledge. Reliability and fairness are assured by the testing standards, which have been professionally developed by NCCA and ANSI. These organizations also endorse the practical and written CCO exams.

To be CCO certified, applicants need to demonstrate satisfactory skills and knowledge in safety operations, as deemed by experts. This is achieved through passing both a written and a practical test, as well as agreeing to abide by the NCCCO Code of Ethics, the Substance Abuse Policy, and physical requirements as outlined by the ASME B30 safety standard. These physical requirements need to be met throughout the program and candidates will be required to attest to this in their application. One way that compliance is determined is by a physical examination.

A certified crane operator does not necessarily mean that he is CCO certified; while other companies may also certify crane operators, the National Commission is the only organization that can issue the widely recognized CCO accreditation. CCO certification needs to be re-certified every five years.

CCO accreditation is backed by quality and a reputation developed over almost twenty years. A CCO accredited crane operator is highly regarded, and employs the highest safety standards in work performed. The CCO card is proof to an employer that a crane operator's knowledge and skills of the job have been recognized by a professional and independent organization that utilizes only the best practices in testing and accreditation procedures.




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