Articulating Crane Operator Certification Program Launched

NCCCO First to Certify Operators of Knuckleboom Cranes and Material Loaders

FAIRFAX, Va., March 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) recently made available its new Articulating Crane Operator (ACO) certification. Articulating boom cranes and loaders represent a growing proportion of cranes in use today, but until now operators had no independent means to demonstrate that they know how to operate these specialized cranes safely.

"This new CCO certification shows employers that operators are proficient with specific types of articulating cranes and loaders," noted ACO Task Force Chairman Tim Arkilander. NCCCO developed the program in cooperation with the Articulating Crane Council of North America (ACCNA) and its member companies. With guidance from NCCCO's testing partner, International Assessment Institute (IAI), a task force of subject matter experts developed the written and practical tests that operators must pass to become certified. The task force identified the knowledge areas and tasks required for safe crane operation, then worked with IAI to develop certification examinations that are fair, valid, reliable, and legally defensible.

"We expect this new ACO certification to be popular with employers who perceive the safety benefits of a professionally developed assessment process and who recognize its place within a comprehensive risk management process," said NCCCO Program Manager, Joel Oliva. "The new program meets or exceeds all current and proposed standards and regulations for crane operators -- including the proposed Federal rule scheduled for publication in July -- so it helps employers meet their obligations under state and federal requirements."

To be certified, candidates must pass both a practical test and one of three written examinations. The written examinations, which may be taken before or after the practical test, are also now available for administration at approved NCCCO written exam test sites.

So far 30 practical examiners have been trained and accredited to deliver the practical exams. To become accredited, prospective examiners have to attend a three-day workshop and pass the corresponding examinations before they can administer examinations themselves. To train enough examiners to meet the pent-up demand, NCCCO will hold accreditation workshops throughout the year.

NCCCO has posted on its website all the documentation required for candidates and test sites to prepare for the certification exams. Visit www.nccco.org to download free PDFs of the Articulating Crane Operator Candidate Handbook, ACO Test Site Coordinator Handbook, and Articulating Crane Reference Manual as well as a schedule of upcoming test administrations and Practical Examiner Accreditation Workshops. For further information, contact NCCCO at 703-560-2391 or [email protected].

ABOUT NCCCO

NCCCO is a nonprofit industry organization formed in 1995 to develop effective performance standards for safe crane operation. In the past 15 years more than 450,000 written and practical exams have been administered to over 65,000 crane operators in all 50 states. NCCCO crane operator certification programs are the only programs to be recognized by federal OSHA as meeting both OSHA and ASME (ANSI) requirements for crane operator competency and accredited by both NCCA and ANSI.

SOURCE National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators