ANSI Accreditation Recognized by West Virginia Legislature in Crane Operator Certification Act

NEW YORK, April 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system and a global leader in conformity assessment, is pleased to announce that the West Virginia Legislature has recognized ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies in the Crane Operator Certification Act.

Passed on March 10, 2012, the act amends aspects of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, that pertain to crane operator certification. The act will take effect 90 days from passage and underscores the importance of high quality certification and accreditation programs to assure the competence and qualification of crane operators.

Under the terms of the act, "class A" certification programs for crane operators must require both a written examination and a practical demonstration, and must be accredited by ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies. House Bill (H.B.) 4422, proposed by delegates Butcher, Walker, D. Poling, Boggs, Caputo, Martin, Stephen, Diserio, Storch, Hamilton, and Ellem, can be viewed here in its entirety. 

"ANSI is honored to have been recognized by the state of West Virginia in this important legislation, which is just the latest example of the Institute's successful track record as a provider of high quality accreditation services," said Roy Swift, Ph.D., senior director for ANSI's personnel credentialing accreditation programs. "The legislation will have a direct and positive impact on the safe operation of cranes, and ANSI supports continuing efforts to elevate crane safety nationwide through strong personnel credentialing programs."

The ANSI accreditation process is designed to increase the integrity, confidence, and mobility of certified professionals. Since the launch of ANSI's Personnel Certification Accreditation Program in 2003, the Institute has accredited 38 personnel certification bodies that represent more than 70 different credentials. In total, over 5.2 million professionals currently hold certifications from ANSI-accredited personnel credentialing bodies.

ANSI's accreditation program is based on the American National Standard (ANS) and international standard ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024. ANSI was the first to develop a personnel certification accreditation program in the United States to fulfill the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2004, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, which represents the highest internationally accepted practices for accreditation bodies. ANSI's accreditation program is well respected domestically and internationally, and is recognized as a world-renowned leader in personnel credentialing.

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

SOURCE American National Standards Institute