NCCCO Certification

NCCCO certification for crane operators and signalpersons was formerly an added benefit but will soon be a requirement for workers. Effective November 8th, 2010, extensive new requirements for the qualifications for crane operators, construction companies and crane rental companies will be in place.

Under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, Crane operators must be certified by an accredited crane operator testing organization (like the NCCCO) or qualified by an audited employer program. Among those affected are approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments that employ approximately 4.8 million workers. State run programs that meet the federal requirements and crane operators and programs run by the US military will also be affected.

Learn more about OSHA's Crane Rule here

Why do you need NCCCO Certification?
Besides the fact that it will now be mandatory to have NCCCO certifications(or internal audited training that is equivalent to this), safety was the main reason for this amendment to the rule.  "The significant number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes in construction" was a major factor in the decision to create this new rule.  In addition, "compliance with the rule will prevent needless worker injuries and death, and provide protection for the public property owners".  The leading causes of construction or crane operation related fatalities are crushed or struck by hazards during assembly or disassembly, collapse, and overturn.   The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has concluded from recent investigations that "workers may not fully recognize the hazards associated with operating or working near mobile cranes". In addition to this, crane and tip over collapse result from crane operators lifting more than the recommended safe lifting capacity. 

These new rules were designed to prevent these types of crane operator or worker fatalities and were proposed by an appointed council of experienced Cranes and Derricks Advisory Committee members. These advisory members represented manufacturers and trade associations within the industry who met 11 times to develop and propose this rule, which became effective by OSHA as of November 8th, 2010.

Receiving your crane operator training or certifications from a NCCCO certified crane training school will ensure that your workers are in compliance with the new rule. NCCCO certification is an important investment in every construction companies labor resources.