CCO Update

click to enlarge> A Liebherr 32TT self-erecting tower crane is put through its paces on the CCO tower crane practical test course at the headquarters of Morrow Equipment Co. in Salem, Ore.

August 4, 2004 - The following news items are excerpted from the Summer 2004 edition of CCO Update , a newsletter produced by The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators.

New Tower Crane Program to be followed by Overhead Crane Operator Certification

In less than 18 months, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has launched its newest certification program for tower crane operators. Development of the tower crane program began in March 2003 and the first tests took place in July 2004. It is the first expansion of the certification program since NCCCO was formed in 1995 but will soon be followed by overhead crane operator certification early next year.

The tower crane program is modeled on the existing mobile crane certification program, which includes written, practical, and medical exams and re-certification requirements. Content of the program was developed by 22 subject matter experts over a period of 12 months.

A keystone of exam development activities, noted Phillip Kinser, NCCCO's Manager of Program Development, was the professional Job Task Analysis that the International Assessment Institute (IAI) conducted over an eight-month period. Input from several hundred crane operators helped validate the work of the Task Force in establishing the content of both the written and practical examinations, he said.

Development costs were underwritten by four firms: Liebherr Tower Cranes, Manitowoc Crane Group, Morrow Equipment Company, and Terex Cranes.

NCCCO Receives 5-Year Accreditation, Elects New Commissioners

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has awarded a further five-year accreditation to NCCCO. Only a small number of certification programs are able to meet NCCA's exacting standards, and even fewer are granted accreditation for the full five-year period, the maximum NCCA awards.

"This award is coveted by the certification industry for a good reason," said NCCCO President, Ronald Schad. "It demonstrates to employers, as well as the public at large, that an operator certified through the CCO program has met industry-developed standards and has the knowledge and skill necessary for safe crane operations."

That was why, Schad said, all state-mandated operator certification in the last five years (including California and Hawaii) has required certifying bodies to be accredited, and was the reason OSHA was looking at a similar requirement on a federal level.

To qualify for NCCA accreditation, NCCCO had to demonstrate, among other requirements, that it operated independently of training; that its program had been developed and supported by industry; that its tests were psychometrically sound and validated through peer review; and that test administrations were conducted on a standardized, nationwide basis, under strict security.

In other news, at the spring Commission Meeting held in April in Concord, Calif., new commissioners were elected to a five-year terms. Commissioners include Tom Broderick,Construction Safety Councils, Hillside , Ill. ; Donald Frantz, Ohio Operating Engineers, Apprenticeship and Training Fund, Cygnet, Ohio; Kerry Hulse, Deep South Crane & Rigging, Houston, Texas; Ronald Kohner, Landmark Engineering, Roseville,Minn.;Anthony Lusi, Jr.,IUOE Local 542 JATC, Aldan, Pa.; Gene Owens, Granite Construction, Watsonville, Calif.; Carl Springfels, Florida International University, Miami Shores, Fla.;William Stramer, Link-Belt Construction Equipment, Lexington, Ky.; J.R. Williams, Texas Crane Academy, La Porte, Texas; and Paul Zorich, RZP International, Berkeley Springs, W.V. Alternates were also appointed.