Asked recently about reports of faked CCO cards, Graham Brent says the problem isn't faked identification cards, but employers accepting photocopies of ID cards. Brent, executive director of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), said employers can help the entire industry by refusing to accept anything but the real deal.
“When employers accept a copy of a card, they risk undermining the integrity of the certification system,” said Brent. “A tremendous amount of effort has gone into developing the cards to effectively prevent reproduction.” He cites the fact that the cards are designed with the same level of sophistication and fraud prevention as drivers' licenses.
“When we realized employers were accepting photocopies, we put out a fact sheet, which is available on [NCCCO's] website,” he said. “It tells you what to look for, what the codes mean on the cards. And, we have five points listed; No. 4 is "Employers do not accept a photocopy.'”
The ongoing issue is of concern to others in the crane industry, according to Brent. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy notified contractors about the issue, but as of Sept. 11, there had been no reports in response to the notification. Brent sees that as positive. “We've not had a single instance of faked cards in 12 years,” he said. “We feel comfortable that our effort to put out a card that is as non-reproducible as technology can make it has paid off.”
Click here for the NCCCO fact sheet.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
